Tips on using water to atract more birds to your backyard!
There is no better way to get birds flocking to your yard than a good source of fresh water. A bird's need for water through every season of the year is so strong that even species you never expected will be attracted to a strategically placed water source.
Having a birdbath is an advantage to anyone who enjoys observing nature in general and bird behavior in particular.
The most natural spot for a bath is close to the ground, but water at higher levels not only appeals to some species, it reduces the bird's exposure to cat attacks. Soaking-wet birds are no match for feline agility. Putting a birdbath near trees improves security against raptors. Plus, branches are an easily reached perch from which to preen in safety.
Locate your bath in a shady part of your yard. This will keep the water at a cooler, more refreshing temperature in hot weather.
To get birds accustomed to the bath, try placing a feeder within five feet of the bath. Birds will notice the water as they go to the feeder.
Birdbath water should be changed every few days to insure a fresh, clear supply. Place birdbath fillers in a bath to ensure birds have a safe footing. Do these things, and birds will flock to your "community pool".
Add motion to water to attract more birds!
Motion on the water's surface or the noise of falling water is like a magnet to the birds. Add a bamboo or brass pump kit, and move water in any bath, barrel, or pond.
Drippers, misters, or small pump-driven fountains that keep the water moving have the added benefit of preventing mosquito eggs from hatching.
Hummingbirds love to zip through the "mist" created by a mister. Besides hummers zipping through the mist, you can attract warblers (who don't normally visit feeders) and many other birds to stop by for a refreshing "Leaf Bath". Watch how they use the wet leaves as a wash cloth.
Tips to attracting cardinals to your backyard!
That red bird with the big beak really has it made. During the holidays, just about everyone receives its picture-It might just be the number one Christmas card pinup! The Northern Cardinal, as this bird is officially called, is popular for good reason. No other bird looks so good against freshly fallen snow. Both the male and the female sing a pleasant, simple song that's often countersung
(the male answers the female on a slightly different pitch).
Cardinals seem to prosper even with the habitat alterations accompanying our home-building efforts. Few other songbirds reward us so richly or rapidly if we scatter a few handfuls of their favorite seed on the ground or on a low feeding table.
Seed:
The preferred seeds of the Cardinal are - Black Oil Sunflower, and Safflower, or a mixture of both. The Cardinal's large bill also allows them to crack open the larger striped sunflower seeds.
Housing:
The Cardinal will not use nest boxes. Provide viney, fruit bearing shrubbery, as described under More Cardinal Facts, for best results in attracting nesting Cardinals.
Feeders and feeder placement:
The Cardinal is really not a hard bird to please. Provide his favorite seeds and the Cardinal will often be your first bird to feed in the morning, and the last at night. In the Spring, you'll enjoy seeing the male Cardinal offer the female a carefully selected seed as part of their "Mate Feeding Ritual".
Cardinals are "ground" feeders; however, they will feed on flat surfaces. Thus, wood platform feeders (hopper, fly through and open platform) placed five feet or so above ground level are ideal to attract them. Note that the perches on most tube feeders are too small to allow Northern Cardinals to comfortably feed. To attract Cardinals, you must attach a tray.
More cardinal facts:
The word Cardinals, which means "principle," comes from the Latin "cardo" for "a hinge or pivot". This bird is named for its color, which matches the robes of Catholic Cardinals.
Cardinals have greatly increased their breeding range over the past 80 years. Cardinals do not migrate, but simply keep pushing farther North and West as suburbs and bird feeders proliferate. Cardinals are one "red light" you'll want to attract!
The Cardinal ranged throughout most of the Eastern and Central states, the entire South, and much of the arid Southwest. Cardinals prefer dense, shrubby habitat-If you provide that in your backyard, you keep the Cardinals happy! They nest in shrubs and viney tangles at least twice every summer. If the shrubs (such as junipers, dogwoods, honeysuckle and viburnums) provide fruit-all the better!
Tips to attracting bluebirds to your backyard!
"Somewhere over the rainbow, Bluebirds fly." That famous lyric from the "Wizard of Oz" helped immortalize the beautiful Bluebird. Since early colonial times, people have loved Bluebirds because of their beauty, their feeding in open areas around houses and farms, and their endearing habit of
readily nesting in man-made boxes.
In the U.S. there are three different types of Bluebirds. The Eastern Bluebird that occurs East of the Rockies is by far the most numerous. Across the Western one-third of the U.S.A. you will also find Mountain Bluebirds and Western Bluebirds. One important thing to remember when providing housing for Bluebirds-You need to provide larger floor space and entrance holes in diameter for Western and Mountain Bluebirds. A 4" by 4" floor is adequate for Eastern Bluebirds, but a 5" by 5" floor is recommended for Mountain and Western Bluebirds. The entrance hole should be 1-1/2" in diameter for Eastern Bluebirds, and 1-9/16" for Mountain and Western Bluebirds.
All Bluebirds are cavity nesters. Once common in rural and suburban areas, Bluebird populations declined by as much as 90% from 1920-1970. The decline was due to two things: The loss of nesting habitats, such as tree holes, rotted out fence posts and old orchards; and the introduction of the starling and house sparrow in the last half of the 1800's. These two species, introduced from Europe, competed heavily with the Bluebird for existing nesting cavities. Utilization of a sparrow trap is often critical to Bluebird breeding success.
Now you too can make a contribution to conserving these beautiful birds by putting up nest boxes in appropriate habitat. The key to attracting Bluebirds to nest in your yard is having plenty of potential nesting locations, food, and water. Bluebirds do prefer more "open area" so if your yard is heavily wooded you'll enjoy many other nesting birds, but probably not Bluebirds.
The female will lay four to five light blue eggs that will take thirteen to fifteen days to hatch. The male brings food to his mate and the young during the critical first few days of feeding. They act like tiny hawks, in their slumped hunting position, waiting patiently for an insect or beetle to show itself. It then pounces on it and brings the food back to the nest. Providing a T-shaped perching cross ten to twenty yards in front of the nest box can sometimes help attract Bluebirds.
Food:
A Bluebird's primary diet is insects and fruit. Planting native plants like American Bittersweet is a great way to attract and help Bluebirds. Another super way to attract and help Bluebirds is by feeding mealworms. At 50.4% protein, they are an excellent nutrition source.
You can start feeding mealworms in a cup or pan - But because many birds like 'em and will eat you out of house and home, most people graduate to a Bluebird Feeder. In a Bluebird Feeder, the bird has to go through an entrance hole to find the worms and few birds besides the Bluebird will do so. You might spend weeks trying different presentations of worms before Bluebirds learn to dine regularly, but the results are worth it, as Bluebirds are delightfully trainable-Even to the point of responding to whistles and other calls when your feeder is refilled. Bluebirds have also been trained to eat Sunflower Kernels from Songbird Essentials Spiral Feeders!
Tips on attracting hummingbirds to your backyard!
In the United States, you can find over 16 kinds of Hummingbirds. For people East of the Rockies, the most prevalent by far is the Ruby-Throated
Hummingbird. In fact, the Ruby-Throated Hummingbird is the most widely distributed of the world's 338 species of Hummingbirds, all of which occur ONLY in the Western Hemisphere.
The Ruby-Throated Hummingbird is often found between woodland and meadow. However, it has
adapted well to human development, but only if there is shelter, space and food. Thus, it is frequently seen in suburban backyards with mature trees and shrubs, in wooded parks, and around farmsteads.
The keys to attracting Hummingbirds are to provide food, help for nesting and misters (water) for them to fly through.
Nesting:
A hummingbird nest is not much bigger than a quarter, and often it contains just 2-3 eggs no bigger than small peas. It's typically hard to see, as it blends in well to the tree branch it's attached to, and is made of fine animal or plant down and moss or lichens.
Water:
Hummingbirds, like many birds, need and are attracted to water. One of the best ways to attract hummingbirds is with a mister that emits a fine spray.
Did you know...?
Hummingbirds are extremely loyal to feeding sites. A hummingbird that feeds in your yard one year will return to that feeder the next. If you aren't attracting as many hummers as you want, read on! As the male Ruby-Throated Hummingbird is so territorial, one key is to offer lots of feeders. No matter what kind of feeders you decide to use, remember two golden rules: Keep the feeder clean and the nectar fresh. Hummingbirds keep their distance from fermented nectar.
Fun hummer facts:
- Hummingbirds beat their wings about 78 times per second. During a display dive, their wings can beat up to 200 times per second.
- They take about 250 breaths per minute.
- Their hearts beat about 1,260 times per minute.
- they have 1,500 feathers.
- They consume half their body weight (1/8lb) in food every day. That would be like an average kid eating about 40 to 50 pounds of food a day!
- During migration, they must fly 500 miles nonstop over the Gulf of Mexico to reach their wintering grounds in Mexico and Cental America. To make the trip, they must eat enough so they weigh 1 1/2 times their usual weight.
- They can fly at speeds of 60 miles per hour and can fly fowards, backwards, up, down, sideways, and even upside down briefly, but they can't walk.
- Average life span is 3-5 years - Maximum 12 years.
Tips to attracting orioles to your backyard!
Because of their strikingly beautiful black and orange or yellow plumage, their distinctive whistle, spring songs, and their amazing suspended nest,
Orioles are quickly becoming one of Americas favorite birds. While over eight species of Orioles can regularly be seen in the United States, we'll deal mainly with three species - Baltimore, Bullocks, and Orchard. All United States Orioles show variation on the theme of black with yellow or orange plumage.
Except for in the Southeast, all Orioles are tropical migrants. While migrations vary from year-to-year, Orioles generally arrive in the South in early spring, Midwest in early May, and further North soon afterward. It is very important that you have Oriole feeders up and ready, or often they will pass you by for better feeding grounds. It is equally important to have nesting materials out and ready to help encourage Orioles to nest in your yard. Although studies are still being done on how much we can tempt Orioles to nest in backyards, by summer's end, migrating Orioles are headed back south to their tropical winter homes in Central and South America. it does appear that Baltimore Orioles ranges are expanding, while Bullocks and Orchard Orioles are declining. All Orioles need and benefit from your help.
Nesting:
Where nesting material is available, Orioles will defend an area of several acres and start building a pendulous nest. You can help encourage them by offering long strips of twine or horse hair.
Orioles make a pendulous nest with the females normally taking 5-8 days to do all the weaving. The male defends their territory and occasionally checks out the construction of the nest, but offers little help or expertise. The nest may be as much as 8 inches in length and is often supported from the tips of branches that hang out over open areas such as rivers or roads. The female will lay 4-5 pale gray to bluish eggs, which she alone will incubate until they hatch in 12-14 days. Both parents feed the babies until they fledge in another 12-14 days. By summer's end, all will have departed for a warm winter stay in South America.
Feeeding Orioles:
Orioles migrate at night so they are tired, cold and hungry when they arrive in your yard. If you wait until you see them, you are too late to attract a maximum number of Orioles to your yard. Oranges are one of the keys to attracting Orioles: Cut oranges in half and provide them "juicy side out".
You can also attract Orioles up close by offering Oriole nectar, jelly and fruit on feeders by the house and patio. Many people feed jelly year-round , as not only Orioles, but Woodpeckers, Robins, Warblers, and others enjoy it.
Tips to attracting clinging birds to your backyard!
The Clinging Birds include those with strong feet that make it easy for them to run up and down a tree trunk or to grasp onto a small surface to retrieve
an insect or gnat. These include the Woodpeckers, Titmouse, Chickadees, and Nuthatches. Many people refer to the last three families of Clingers as the "polite" birds, as they often take one seed, fly off and eat or store it, and then come back for another. For this and other reasons, Clingers are often some of the most entertaining and desirable birds to attract to your yard, patio, deck, and even window. As a group, they are naturally curious and will often be the first visitors to your feeders.
These birds all use and will respond to nest box placement in your yard - Especially when dead standing timber is in short supply. Do these things and Woodpeckers will soon be providing a "rhythm" section in your yard with their drumming, while the rest of the Clingers will entertain you with their acrobatic antics.
Seed:
Like most other birds you want to attract, the Clingers love black oil sunflower seeds, or better yet, hulled out sunflower kernels. What's good is that their clinging ability lets you provide sunflower kernels in feeders like the "Clingers Only" that other birds have trouble using.
Provide peanuts or tree nut pieces, and every Clinger in the neighborhood will make sure they stop and visit you!
High-Energy Suet is a favorite of Clingers. Either provide the white suet from a butcher, or present one of the available cakes. The best cakes are those that contain only suet, peanuts, and peanut butter!
As Clingers can hang on a suet log feeder, suet logs are a great way to feed Clingers. Often, this is the most used feeder in a backyard!
The clinger family includes:
Chickadees
Across the United States, Chickadees are frequent backyard visitors. In fact, they are often the first visitors to a new feeder. The most common Chickadees include the Black-Capped and Carolina. Place a nest box near a wooded area and it may become a home to a brood of six chicks. The youngsters are perfect miniatures of Mom and Dad, complete with caps and bibs. Chickadee nests are easy to identify, since they always use a nest box or natural cavity. The nest is a cup of woven grass lined with soft green moss. Chickadees are exciting and entertaining to watch and are well worth the effort to attract into your backyard.
Nuthatches
These are small, stout, tree-climbers with strong woodpecker-like bills and strong feet. They have sturdy, square-cut tails, but don't use them for bracing like woodpeckers do. They habitually go down trees head first. Most common Nuthatches include: the White-Breasted and Red-Breasted. Also seen in parts of the United States are: Brown-Headed and an often confused cousin, the Brown Creeper. Nuthatches will utilize houses and will come to feeders.
Titmouse
Actually the Chickadees are a member of this family. The Tufted Titmouse is the most common. It is a small, gray, mouse colored bird. Many say it looks like a miniature cardinal. It has a distinctive "Peter-Peter-Peter" call.
Woodpeckers
These chisel-billed, wood boring birds have stiff spring tails that act as props when climbing. Red-Headed, Red-Bellied, Pileated (the original "Woody Woodpecker"), Downey, and Hairy Woodpecker, and their cousins, the Northern Flicker and Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker are the most common backyard visitors.