Do you want to do something beneficial for the birds in your area? Or simply help increase biodiversity? Do you love watching birds or hearing them singing? Here are tips on how to create small heaven for your feathery friends.
Why should people feed the birds?
A keen observer might notice there are fewer birds each year. Typical farmland and grassland species are hit the most, such as sparrows, tits, and finches. That poses a problem as these species are vital for most ecosystems. They are great seed spreaders, and they regulate insect populations.
In our cultural landscape, they face multiple challenges.
· They are hunted by predators and humans
· Increasing urbanization destroys their natural habitat
· Modern urban greenery doesn’t provide enough nesting and hunting opportunities
· There is not a sufficient amount of food available
In this article published in the Environment, I broke up some of these challenges in detail.
When is the best time to feed them?
If you ask this question anywhere (Facebook, Google, ornithologist), you may get two different answers:
a) only during winter and early spring — Winter months are the hardest for birds as food is scarce. With rising temperatures in spring, natural food sources are getting more available, so our help is unnecessary. Some people argue that birds might get lazy if we continue feeding in warmer months and prefer easily available food from the feed houses.
b) all year round — Some people provide the food for the whole year. They argue some birds might not be able to find enough food otherwise, or they want to help busy parents feed their chicks.
However, it might pose a dilemma.
Feeding all year might be considered too much interference with the natural order as we help weak or disabled individuals survive and reproduce.
It is necessary to interfere as little as possible to keep the species viable and thriving.
We need to find the balance between when feeding is required and when it is harmful to the species’ survival.
The best course of action, in my opinion, is before we answer “when?” to know “where?”. The location should be a significant factor when deciding. If there are gardens, parks, fields, or forests in the neighbourhood, the answer is a) only during winter and early spring.
But you might want to feed the birds in the city, where flowering gardens are sporadic or none. There may be trees and shrubs here and there, but it is not enough to support a healthy ecosystem. In that case, the answer is b) all year round.
What shall we offer?
There are lots of different seed mixes on the market available. Some are more suitable for parrots, others for wildlife, but even different species have different tastes. When shopping for your local wildlife, check if the mix contains commonly available seeds and grains. Also, consider the season: winter mixes should have seeds and nuts rich in fats.
Seed and grain
These are the most common seeds you can find in seed mixes.
a) black sunflower seed — is the most favourite seed. It has a higher oil content (more nutritious) and thinner shell than the striped one, so the bird spends less energy cracking open.
b) niger (Guizotia abyssinica seed) —is rich in fat up to 45%
c) Panicum seed —is tiny in size and cheap. More bird species like this seed than a sunflower seed. It is rich in carbohydrates and low in fat.
d) hemp seed — is a standard part of parrot mixes suitable for wildlife. It is rich in fat but has a hard shell.
e) peanuts — they are cheaper than nuts and rich in fat, don’t use salted peanuts
f) nuts (walnuts, hazelnuts) — are rich in fat, but the shell is hard. You can split walnuts into halves
g) grain — is a standard part of seed mixes, it is a cheap compound, but most birds will throw it out of the feeder. Sparrows eat it if there is nothing else available.
Other
a) mealworms — rich in protein, low in fat, suitable during the nesting period
b) apples and berries
c) suet cake (ball) — is a mixture of seeds and grains, sometimes with dried fruits or mealworms in animal fat. They have a form of a cake, ball (sometimes in a plastic net — this net might be dangerous because birds might get entangled), or inside a coconut shell.
d) fat — is a valuable energy source. Use quality beef or mutton fat. Hang it as it is or as a suet cake (suet ball).
e) pellets — are a mixture of suet, ground corn, wheat or other grain, and mealworm or dried berries
You can make your seed mix or suet cakes and see if the birds like it. This is an excellent activity for children as they can be part of the menu assembly and learn about the nature around us.
Don’t feed the birds with human food! Salty, spiced or sweet food is harmful, and so is pastry. Don’t feed with bad or mouldy feed. Peas, beans and lentils are good only for large waterfowl (swans, ducks).
What kind of bird feeders are there?
There is an excellent variety of bird feeders available on the market. Or you can be creative and make your own.
Unfortunately, bird diseases (trichomonosis — known as a bird feeder disease) spread mainly on some bird feeders thanks to the higher concentration of birds.
However, you can lower or eliminate the chances for birds to get sick by simply choosing the right type of bird feeder and cleaning and disinfecting it regularly.
You can choose from these types of bird feeders:
a) a plate — is the simplest, suitable for seed mixes, grain, nuts, or fruit. But the food can get wet and dirty, and it is recommended to clean it thoroughly to prevent spreading diseases.
b) a mug — a simple mug filled with seeds and grain is an excellent design. You can place it on the ground or a stump or hang it by its ear from a branch. When hanging, it can partially protect the food inside from the weather.
c) a house feeder —a classic wooden house-shaped feeder is probably the most popular. Its roof protects the food on rainy and snowy days. However, this type of birdfeeder is the least suitable as it is often made of wood and is the hardest to clean properly and disinfect to prevent the disease from spreading.
d) a tube feeder — is a plastic tube with a small roof and holes with a perch on the bottom (and in the middle in larger ones). The seeds and grains are protected from weather, and birds peck each seed from the tube so it can’t be stained.
e) a plastic bottle — you can also make your tube feeder. Cut a few holes in a bottle (so the bird can peck a seed out), and add a perch by each hole. Or you can 3D print the bird feeder that you mount on a plastic bottle.
f) a mesh feeder —is a feeder suitable for nuts and pellets. It can be cleaned easily.
g) a feeder for suet cakes — these feeders are usually made from wire or plastic in the form of tubes for multiple balls (without the net) or a cage for suet cake
Location is also a key element.
If you place a bird feeder on a pole in an open space in the middle of your garden, probably no bird will visit it.
Small birds like to be safe if there is a bird of prey, a cat, or even a jay or a magpie nearby. Hang your bird feeder on a tree or a shrub. The best location is by a group of trees and shrubs and at least 1,5 m (5’) from the ground so the birds can hide when necessary.
It’s not that hard to support your local wildlife. There are many easy options, like just buying and providing, to more complex ones. Birds will appreciate it, and you will have more natural surroundings, which benefits you too. To find more about helping nature in your neighbourhood, you can go to my other story.
And here are the benefits nature has on us.
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