Watching birds is one of the most popular pastimes all around the world, and one endeavor that can really improve your ornithological experience is bringing your avian friends to visit you in your own backyard. In order to accomplish this, however, you’ll have to offer an incentive in the form of food.
4 Bird Feeding Tips
Here are four tips to help you avoid the most common bird-feeding oversights, and ensure your success in hosting a party that’s “for the birds.”
Feed The Birds You Have, Not The Ones You Want
People who are new to bird feeding often make the mistake of choosing a menu based on the preferences of birds they would like to see, rather than birds that already frequent the vicinity. You will notice that if you provide good food for the birds you see, the extra activity in your area will lead more species to come check out what’s happening. Attracting new or different birds doesn’t usually happen overnight, but using this technique, you can gradually turn your yard into a popular jaunt with a slew of species.
Provide Quality Feed
Birds aren’t the pickiest of creatures, but ensuring that the food you supply is of superior quality will aid your endeavors in several ways. First, it will keep your guests coming back for more. Second, it will attract more birds and different species. Last but not least, higher grade food means better nutrition, which in turn means more successful breeding and healthier flocks.
Make Choice A Priority
It’s a common mistake to believe that all birds love eating seeds. Hummingbirds, among other species, famously prefer nectar. Other members of the avifauna are particularly fond of suet, and still others find fruit fanciful. Creating a buffet that features all of these, in addition to a mixture of quality seeds, often proves to be the most effectual method of drawing a variety of birds to your feeding area.
Ignore Price
Just like with the food humans eat, a higher price tag does not always equate to a better tasting or more nutritional energy source. Frequently, higher prices represent nothing more than a higher profit margin and offer nothing in the way of benefits besides above average packing material. Keep your eye out for sales, which are an excellent way of stocking up, and buy in bulk to maximize the value you receive.
There’s a lot more you can learn about feeding birds than what is covered here, including specific seed varieties and avian behavior patterns. However, these tips should provide you with more than information to get your bird feeding venture off the ground, and have you enjoying the sights of nature’s winged beauties in no time.
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