4
availability of their favorite
natural food. While
supplementing with various
kinds of birdseed is good, birds
have existed for at least 140
million years and have evolved
along with the native plants
that supply most of their
nourishment.
There are about 8,650
species of birds in the world,
796 of them in North America,
and some have very specialized
eating habits. Those that rely
largely on insects appreciate a
garden free of pesticides and
will devour many pests for you
safely and at no cost.
If you study the birds, you
will see that the shape of the
bill is one clue to what kind of
food they prefer. The bills of
seed-eating birds, such as
cardinals, finches, and
sparrows are strong, cone-
shaped, and often have some
kind of cutting edge to help
them get into the inside
kernel.
Contrast that with the
hummingbird, with his long
tube for reaching deep into
flowers, or the woodpecker
whose bill is hard enough to
chisel into wood, yet sensitive
enough to feel the vibrations
of insects behind the bark.
Robins don’t have such
efficient bills, but their
eyesight allows them to see
earthworms moving just
beneath the soil, while
swallows have strong wings
and wide bills to catch insects
right out of the air. To further
complicate things, baby birds
often require a different diet
from their parents!
The more you learn about
the birds in your area, the
more obvious it will become
that it requires variety to keep
them all satisfied.
No one garden will be
sufficient for all the birds, but
by choosing your plants with
care, you can develop a yard
that will attract many
different species.
Buying birdseed is still going
to remain a popular pastime,
and there are a number of
styles of feeders on the
market, as well as a variety of
seeds chosen to appeal to
different birds.
Seed preferences have been
studied at length, and the
most appealing overall seed is
black oil sunflower. Two other
popular seeds are niger
(commonly called thistle) and
white proso millet.
Buying specific seeds may
seem to cost more, but there is
a lot more waste with “all-
purpose" seed mixes which
include unpopular seeds and
fillers.
When eating seeds, different
birds prefer different types of
presentation. Some like to eat
up high, from feeders that
swing freely, while others want
a flat, stable platform at a
lower level. Still others prefer
to eat right off the ground.
As with your plantings, offer
a variety of feeders at
different levels to attract the
largest number of birds.
In addition to birdseed, you
might want to offer other
types of food, such as fruit –
including oranges, apples,
grapes, and fruit cocktails –
and nectar, most often offered
in hummingbird feeders.
Commercial mixes are available,
or you can combine one part
sugar to four parts boiled
water. Never use honey, as this
can cause illness, and clean the
feeder often to prevent bacteria
growth. Bread, table scraps,
and salted foods are not
recommended.
In the winter, when birds need
a diet higher in fat to maintain
sufficient body temperature,
suet can be offered. In the
warmer months, peanut butter
mixed with cornmeal is a good
substitute since it won’t spoil
so easily in the heat. It can be
spread right on the bark of a
tree to attract woodpeckers.
As with birdbaths, feeders
need to be in easy flight reach
of shrubs, but have open areas
around them for visibility.
They should be cleaned
regularly, and seed hulls should
be removed periodically from
beneath them to avoid the
formation of mold. The seed in
the feeders should be protected
from moisture. Some bird
species need grit in their diet to
digest their food and would
appreciate some sand nearby.
Nesting
A sure sign that you are
meeting the needs of birds is
their willingness to nest in your
yard. Mated pairs work very
hard to choose the right site,
and must consider many
factors including shelter,
safety, access to food and
water, and appropriate
conditions for fledging the
young. There must also be
adequate materials available
for actually building the nest.
This is often a problem today
because in addition to cutting
down dead trees which would
