When I was 12 years old, my father and I built a bird feeder. Even though I had no special interest in birds at the time, it was a fun project. However, when house sparrows and evening grosbeaks flocked to the new feeder within days, my curiosity was immediately piqued. One morning I noticed that one of the “sparrows” looked different. It had a tinge of yellow on the sides and fine streaks. When my father borrowed a bird guide from a naturalist friend, I tentatively identified the visitor as a dickcissel. Although the friend was skeptical at first—unbeknownst to me, this was a very rare bird—he came over and, with great excitement and heaps of praise, confirmed my identification. My pride swelled even more when at least a dozen other birders also dropped by to see it. This experience with a backyard feeder was the beginning of my life-long interest in birds.
Inviting birds to your yard is a wonderful way to brighten winter days and all the other season as well. Well-maintained feeders that offer a variety of foods can attract a wide variety of resident birds as well as species that only show up during migration. And, as I discovered all those years ago, you can never be sure just what fascinating bird might pop in.
Your feeder set up
Most of the enjoyment of having bird feeders is getting good views of the birds that come to dine. Ideally, feeders should be placed close to a window where you spend a lot of time. You should also try to find a location near natural shelter like evergreen trees or shrubs. Many birds shy away from eating in an exposed areas with nowhere to take refuge. You may also want to plant more trees and shrubs in a good feeder location. Conifers are especially attractive to birds.
The easiest way to hang your feeders is by purchasing a feeder pole system. It consists of a pole with a squirrel baffle and hanger arms. As long as squirrels can’t jump from a nearby branch or roof, this kind of system will keep them off the feeders.
Don’t make the mistake of limiting feeding to the winter months. I have my feeders out from early October through late May. In this way I’m able to attract migrants that are passing through. These include a host of different sparrows in the fall and spring and Baltimore orioles, rose-breasted grosbeaks and ruby-throated hummingbirds in May. To attract orioles and hummingbirds, you’ll need to put out your nectar feeder. Orioles also love cut oranges.
The seed of choice
Black oil sunflower seed is popular with nearly all of the birds that come to feeders. These include jays, cardinals, chickadees, nuthatches and sometimes even woodpeckers. If you only have one feeder, fill it with this one. Although more expensive, you might also consider hulled sunflower seeds which are the seeds without the shell. Goldfinches love these. An advantage to hulled sunflower is that there are no shells to rake up off the lawn.
If squirrels present a challenge, look for a feeder model with a weighted squirrel guard. The weight of the squirrel forces the perches to drop down and close the feeding holes. As long as you’re able to keep squirrels away, there’s also the option of buying a hopper feeder which usually holds more seed than tubes.
You might also want to consider a window feeder. They offer great, up-close views of the birds and keep them safe from window collisions. I have a clear plastic hopper model with suction cups on my office window.
Other menu items
Birds also love shelled peanuts. They are high in protein and a favourite of nuthatches, woodpeckers, chickadees and Carolina wrens, to name a few. You’ll need a wire mesh tube feeder that the birds can cling to while they feed.
Nyjer feeders are also a popular choice. Nyjer is a tiny black seed grown in India and Africa that’s a favourite of birds like goldfinches, siskins and redpolls. You can purchase either a plastic tube with small holes and perches or a tube made from a fine metal mesh.
Beef fat, usually referred to as “suet”, is another high-energy food that attracts birds, especially woodpeckers and nuthatches. Commercial suet often contains seeds, peanuts and dried fruit and is usually sold in square cakes which can be placed in a metal cage. Look for a model that forces birds to hang upside-down while feeding. This will keep starlings from devouring everything.
Some birds like juncos and both white-crowned and white-throated sparrows rarely go on feeders. To attract these ground feeders, spread white millet seed on the grass or on packed-down snow under the feeder. Just scatter it sparingly enough so the squirrels don’t get too much.
Finally, if starlings and grackles are consuming all of your sunflower seed, you might try offering safflower seed. Although most of your favourite birds like cardinals will enjoy it, blackbirds aren’t big fans.
Maintenance and more
Feeders should be cleaned about once a month to remove wet, moldy bird seed and bird droppings. Use a three-to-one water-vinegar solution or a nine-to-one water-bleach solution. This will help prevent the spread of bird diseases.
If window collisions become a problem, try putting bird collision deterrent markers on the window(s). They consist of dot patterns and are sold as easy-to-apply, long-lasting tape. Go to featherfriendly.com for more information.
And, please don’t worry. Feeding birds won’t prevent or delay their migration, and the birds won’t become dependent on you for food.
An excellent resource for feeding birds can be found at allaboutbirds.org.
Great Backyard Bird Count: Let bird researchers know what’s coming to your feeder by participating in the Great Backyard Bird Count which takes place from February 14 – 17, 2025. This community science event engages bird watchers of all levels of expertise to create a real-time snapshot of the whereabouts and relative abundance of birds in mid-winter. Go to birdcount.org for details.
