3
on how often it rains. Feeding
hummingbirds requires cleaning
at the very least, weekly,
preferably more often – two or
three times a week. Sunflower
and suet feeders may need to be
cleaned only once a month.
Feeders made of plastic,
ceramic, and glass are easy to
clean. Wash them in a bucket of
hot, soapy water fortified with a
capful or two of chlorine bleach,
then give them a run through
your dishwasher.
Use the same regimen with
wood feeders, but substitute
another disinfectant for the
bleach so your wood won’t fade.
Food Capacity
The ideal feeder capacity varies
with your situation, and the
types of birds you want to
attract.
If you feed hummingbirds, big
feeders are not always better.
One hummingbird will drink about
twice its body weight (less than
an ounce) each day.
Early in the season, hummers
are territorial and won’t share a
feeder. A 16-ounce feeder can be
wasteful, or indeed lethal,
because artificial nectar (sugar
water) can ferment in the hot
summer sun.
If you see only one hummer in
your yard, a two-ounce feeder is
more than enough. On the other
hand, if you live in the Southwest,
and have 34 hummers in your
yard, a 16-ounce feeder may not
be big enough.
If you opt for a large volume
seed feeder, be sure to protect
it from the weather and keep it
clean. If, after months of use,
the birds suddenly abandon
your feeder full of seed, it’s time
for a cleaning.
How Many Birds.
If too many birds at your
feeder becomes a problem, you
can control their numbers by
putting out smaller amounts of
seed, by using specialty seeds,
or by using restrictive feeders.
If you fill your feeder only when
it’s empty, the birds will look for
food elsewhere. They’ll return as
long as you continue to fill it.
You can virtually eliminate
visits by birds you’d rather not
see by offering seeds they won’t
eat. Be selective in your choice
of seeds.
If you use more than one
type of seed, put them in
separate feeders. This will
reduce wasted seeds, as birds
will toss unwanted seeds out of
a feeder to get to their
favorites.
Birds that visit your feeder
have very specific preferences.
Most prefer sunflower. Some
prefer millet. A few prefer
peanuts. None seem to prefer
the other grains used in the
mixes: corn, milo, red millet,
oats, wheat, and canary seed.
If you want to feed only
cardinals, doves, and white-
throated sparrows, switch from
black oil sunflower to safflower.
If you want only finches and
an occasional dove and white-
throated sparrow, try niger
thistle.
If you want only jays,
titmice, and white-throated
sparrows, try peanuts.
Another way to discourage
unwanted birds is to use
specialty feeders that, for
the most part, allow only
“select" birds to feed.
The most non-selective
feeders are the tray,
platform, or hopper feeders.
You can encourage small
birds with feeders that
restrict access. Wood
feeders with vertical bars and
feeders covered with wire
mesh frustrate the larger
birds.
Tube feeders without trays
also restrict access to small
birds. Remove the perches,
and you’ve further selected
only those birds capable of
clinging – finches, chickadees,
titmice, and woodpeckers.
Add vertical perches to
tube thistle feeders, and
you’ll limit accessibility
primarily to the goldfinches.
If starlings are a problem
at your suet feeder, you can
discourage them by using a
suet feeder with access only
at the bottom. Starlings are
reluctant to perch upside
down. Chickadees and
woodpeckers don’t find that
a problem.
