Theres a general rule to bird feeding: The more various the food and feeders, the more various the birds youll attract. Consequently, few backyard bird lovers settle for one type of food or one type of feeder.
Before you choose food or a feeder, its a good idea to decide what type of birds are in your area and which ones you want to bring into your garden. There is a wide selection from which to choose in both categories.
Among food theres seeds, nuts, insects, fruits, and nectar. Nectar is popular with hummingbirds, but other birds will enjoy it too. Included among birds with a sweet tooth are orioles, finches, woodpeckers, warblers, and chickadees.
Feeders include hopper feeders, tube feeders, platform feeders, suet feeders, and, of course, hummingbird feeders. Oh, lets not forget about squirrel-proof feeders, too!
My advice is to speak with your local wild bird store to determine what type of foods work best in what type of feeder.
Once youve got your chosen food and feeder, there are actions you can take to help ensure that your guests come to dine.
7. Choose the right bird feeders for attracting birds
Bird feeders come in a plethora of designs, ranging from nectar feeders to platform feeders. You should choose a new feeder in accordance with the kind of birds you would like to see and attract. If you’re in the market for a new bird feeder, please take a look at our store’s carefully curated assortment of distinctive, premium bird feeders.
This is a short list of the various kinds of bird feeders that are available, along with the kinds of birds that they typically draw. See our post on How to Select the Best Bird Feeder Types for Your Yard or Garden for additional information on the benefits and drawbacks of each of these feeders.
Ideal for: Jays, house finches, pigeons, starlings, song sparrows, northern cardinals, and titmice
Perfect for: Cardinals, doves, goldfinches, jays, juncos, house sparrows, towhees
6. Try a little peanut butter
Turns out many birds, just like humans, love peanuts. And this is particularly true for numerous species, such as nuthatches, chickadees, and woodpeckers. Therefore, you can fill your bird feeder with peanut pieces or natural peanut butter to draw more birds to your garden.
You can either make a homemade peanut butter bird feeder or just add the peanut pieces to the feeder. Spread peanut butter on a toilet paper roll, then roll the peanut butter in bird seed to achieve this. Additionally, this is a fantastic substitute for conventional suet, particularly during the warmer months.
3. Think beyond the feeder
Here at Happy Gardens, were pretty big on bird feeders. After all, we sell just about a zillion of them. However, some birds are inherently ground feeders, meaning they will always search for their meal directly from the ground. One way to draw in these ground-dwelling birds is to simply scatter seed directly on the ground.
A word of caution: you might want to forego keeping feed at ground level if you have young children or pets that roam your backyard. Certain seeds have the potential to poison animals or present a choking hazard to children.