Of
all the creatures around us, birds have a special place in our hearts.
Their songs brighten the mornings, their plumage delights the eye.
Their comings and goings herald the changing of the seasons. As
more and more of us live in urban and suburban surroundings, birds
provide a welcome link with untamed nature. While most backyards
are visited by at least a few birds, it's not difficult to entice
many more to stop by, perhaps even to set up housekeeping for a
season. If you like to garden, you may find yourself creating a
backyard habitat as attractive to a wide range of fascinating creatures
as it is to you.
In
this How-To Guide, we'll discuss the basic needs of birds and how
you can satisfy them in your landscape.
THE
NECESSITIES OF LIFE-
Birds, like all animals, require food, shelter, and water to survive,
and they are more likely to frequent places that provide all three
rather than just one. The specific nature of these necessities varies
greatly from species to species, place to place, and time to time.
Take food, for example. Some birds, such as bluejays, eat a variety
of insects, seeds, and fruits, but most birds have limited diets.
Finches and grosbeaks are primarily seed eaters, mockingbirds and
waxwings prefer berries, wrens and woodpeckers eat mostly insects,
and hummingbirds drink nectar. Bird diets often change with the
seasons. Bluebirds eat moths and other flying insects in the summer
but switch to berries in the winter when insects are scarce.
Given
this diversity, it is important to know what birds frequent your
region and something of their particular needs and preferences.
Local nature centers and County Extension agents are excellent sources
of information. Rare is the town without a dedicated and knowledgeable
bird lover; frequently there are a whole group of them. These people
are usually more than happy to assist novices who share their passion.
If you can't locate them otherwise, ask at your local library.
FOOD-
You can attract a lot of birds simply by providing a well-stocked
bird feeder year-round. The most popular bird foods are sunflower
seeds and suet, but offering additional kinds of food may attract
even more birds to your yard. Here are some desirable ones.
Sunflower
seeds
These are particularly popular with chickadees, cardinals, nuthatches,
titmice, finches, and grosbeaks. Buy the smaller, black-oil type,
rather than the striped sunflower seeds kids eat in great quantities.
They are cheaper, smaller (easier for small birds to handle), and
more nutritious.
Millet
These tiny round seeds are inexpensive. Ground feeders, such as
doves, juncos, and sparrows, find millet attractive. Cardinals,
pine siskins, and purple finches, as well as some waterfowl, also
eat millet.
Safflower
seeds
If your feeder is overrun by squirrels, crows, or grackles, try
safflower seeds, which are more expensive than sunflower seeds but
unappealing to these critters. Cardinals are especially fond of
them.
Thistle
seeds
Also called Niger seed (some of it comes from Nigeria), these tiny
black seeds are favored by a variety of finches, juncos, and indigo
buntings. High in oil and protein, thistle seeds are also expensive.
Corn
Large birds, such as bluejays, crows, and various fowl (ducks, wild
turkeys), eat whole or coarsely cracked corn. Finely cracked corn
appeals to mourning doves and other medium sized birds. It's inexpensive,
and the whole and coarse-cracked kinds, which don't readily absorb
water, can be scattered on the ground.
Suet
Of course, suet is animal fat, not a seed, but suet is frequently
provided at bird feeders during the winter to attract woodpeckers,
nuthatches, chickadees, and other birds. Encased in a simple basket
of vinyl-covered wire, suet can be hung from a feeder or tree; attach
the basket firmly lest raccoons appropriate it.
