Beyond the Bird House - Creating the Perfect Backyard Habitat For Bird Feeding

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Bird feeding is one of the most popular hobbies in the United States-second only to gardening. So it is only natural that many people combine these two hobbies into one endeavor. When a garden or yard is planned and maintained with the needs of native wildlife in mind, it becomes much more than just a backyard. It is a "backyard habitat."

Creating a backyard habitat for birds is an enjoyable and easy process. Birds require four basic things to survive: food, water, protection from predators and the elements, and a safe place to raise their young. If possible, leave some of the land on your property untouched. This allows some of the natural habitat to remain intact. Of course, that may not be a realistic option for many people. Most landscapers are well-educated on how to include natural plants and eco-conscious features in today's landscape design. Select plants that offer food, fruit, insects, ground cover, shelter, seeds and nesting sites.

Even if your yard is well-established and "starting from scratch" is not an option, there are other things you can do to help attract and maintain birds in your backyard. Find out what plants are native in your region. Native plants will best match the diets and habitat requirements of the birds that live in your area. Call a local gardening club for suggestions. Most gardening enthusiasts are eager to share their knowledge and maybe even a cutting or two to get you started.

The easiest way to attract birds to your yard is to provide water. Fresh water is a magnet for attracting birds. Offer clean water every day, and clean you bird baths and water sources regularly. Birds need water to drink and bathe in throughout the year. Plan on using a bird bath de-icer (a small heated element that keeps water in a bird bath from freezing) if your region experiences freezing temperatures in the winter.

Refill your birdbath every day and clean every other day. DO NOT USE BLEACH! Elbow grease is the best way to clean the bird bath. Regular cleaning will keep mosquito larvae away, which you and the birds will surely appreciate. You can also purchase special devices that create vibrations on the water that will keep mosquitoes from laying eggs. The vibrations are gentle and do not pose any problems for the birds. There are other ways to offer water--such a garden pond or fountain. Fountains are a good choice because they naturally feature moving water that deters mosquitoes and other insects. The sound of flowing water from a fountain or waterfall will also serve the purpose of announcing your "oasis" to the birds in the area. It is also a relaxing and soothing sound that makes your garden a peaceful retreat.

If you choose a bird bath for your water source, it should not be deeper than 3 inches. It is also best if they have a textured bottom and sloping sides. It does not matter if you choose a hanging bird bath or one that sits on a pedestal or the ground. Be sure that you position the bird bath in a location that offers the birds some protection from predators. An open area is the best choice since predators will be unable to sneak up undetected on bathing birds.

Once you have water, you also need to supply food. Not all birds will eat seed. Some eat insects and others, like hummingbirds and orioles, prefer nectar. Offering a variety of feed will help attract a variety of birds. If you are only going to use one type of feed, it's a good idea to offer a quality mixed seed. Some inferior mixes contain a lot of cheap fillers that birds do not eat. The birds will simply kick this seed out of the feeder and make a mess on the ground below. If you want to avoid a lot of mess below your feeders, look for feed that contains only the meats of seeds. Finches will eat a specific kind of seed called "nyjer" seed (it was incorrectly called "thistle" seed for many years). Nyjer seed requires a special type of feeder, so be sure to know what kind of seed your feeder is meant to dispense.

Offer as many feeding stations as your yard can hold. Space your feeders 30 to 50 feet apart at different elevations. Multiple feeders deter aggressive birds from dominating the stations, and providing ground feeders allow the timid species a place to feed. Make sure your birdfeeders are within short flying distance of cover and perches. Birds need to be able to fly to some place safe if a predator appears. Finally, make sure you frequently clean your feeders so seed will not mold. Thoroughly wash them with soap and warm water. Sterilize with a solution of 1 part bleach and 4 parts water. Rinse them completely and let dry. Keeping your feeders clean is an important step in ensuring that your backyard birds are healthy and free from disease.

After taking care of the basic needs of feeding the birds and providing water, you can also add bird houses to provide habitats for birds to nest and raise their broods. Buying a bird house that is designed for specific species is a good idea if you are trying to attract a certain species of bird. Make sure that the bird house you are buying is made with untreated lumber or non-toxic paint. Bird houses should have ventilation holes and holes in the floor for drainage. It is also important that the bird house has a panel that can be opened so you can clean out the bird house. Mount your bird house high enough to discourage predators and consider using a predator guard to protect vulnerable eggs and chicks from raccoons and snakes.

Dead trees are considered to be eyesores to people, but for birds they are a terrific food source and offer cavity-nesters a place to build a nest. Only remove them if they pose a safety threat. Excavating species (also called "primary cavity nesters") like woodpeckers will carve out a cavity that other birds (called "secondary cavity nesters") will use once they become vacant. It is also important to never use insecticides. They eliminate spiders, caterpillars, beetles and other insects that are a very important protein source for birds and their young. Sometimes the best way to create a habitat for wildlife is to leave the one that already exists as natural and unaltered as possible.

Keeping birds safe from predators is not always easy. Using predator guards is helpful for keeping nests and eggs safe. Natural predators are part of the ecosystem too, and you should not try to interfere too much with the natural order of things, but domestic cats sometimes pose the biggest threat to backyard birds. If a neighbor allows their pet cat to roam the neighborhood, you can ask them to have the cat wear a collar with a bell on it. This allows the birds to have a warning when danger is approaching. If predators such as raccoons become too aggressive or bold, you should call your local Animal Control office to remove the animal safely.

Attracting birds to your backyard is immensely rewarding. You will have the pleasure of watching nature interact. You will become aware of the various subtle changes in bird behavior throughout the seasons. Creating a backyard habitat is not only an environmentally friendly way to share your living space with natural wildlife, it also creates a soothing, restful oasis that can help you enjoy your world more fully.

Create a Backyard Habitat For Wild Birds With a Bird Feeder

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With a little imagination and very little effort, you can transform your backyard into a natural habitat for birds. Whether you're an avid birdwatcher, or simply want to invite nature a little closer to your home, birdfeeders put down the welcome mat for our avian friends.

According to the Audubon Society (audubon.org), a bird feeder comes in one of four basic designs. Ground feeders are flat and open, have a screened bottom, and rest off the ground and should be situated ten feet from nearby trees or bushes so that birds can fly away from any predators. Ground feeders can be made squirrel proof by utilizing wire mesh over the bird feeder.

Tube birdfeeders are cylindrical in shape and typically have openings that allow birds to access the seeds. They should be hung off the ground and, for maximum enjoyment, near a window so that family members can witness the wild birds that come to visit.

Suet and hopper bird feeders are typically shaped like houses. A suet bird feeder, made for wild birds that peck at the seed mixed into the suet, is usually hung, while a hopper bird feeder can either be hung or placed on a post for easy access by wild birds. A hopper bird feeder contains a large quantity of seed, which is released when the wild bird steps on the feeder trigger. Hopper birdfeeders attract both small and large birds, including the cardinal.

Unlike the tube and hopper birdfeeders, the thistle bird feeder is designed with very small holes, allowing only small-beaked finches to access the food. Thistle birdfeeders should be hung, and can be made squirrel proof.

The Audubon Society also provides helpful tips on making your backyard friendly to hummingbirds by populating it with humming bird feeders. They suggest that you use several humming bird feeders and fill each with sugar water, being careful to avoid using red food coloring and honey. In addition, you should change the solution in the humming bird feeder weekly, or more often in hot weather.

It is certainly possible to make your own bird feeders, but there are several great birdfeeders available on the market, including those made by Droll Yankee, Opus, Woodllink, and Duncraft.

To get the most out of your bird watching experience, the Audubon Society suggests that you utilize several different types of bird feeders and that you place them at various heights and locations. In this way, you will attract a wide variety of wild birds. In addition, be sure that your efforts to create a backyard habitat don't harm the birds you are trying to attract. Keep birdfeeders three feet away from windows to avoid collisions, and make sure to keep your cat indoors.

St Francis Bird Feeders - A Natural For Your Backyard Birds

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One of the favorite activities of bird lovers and just folks who want to put a little bit of nature back into their yards is to put out bird feeders and bird baths in order to attract the local bird population. There are few things that match the simple pleasure of listening to the birds singing in your yard and watching their interaction as they take their turn around the feeders.

The type of feeder that one selects will often make a simple statement about the owner and the ambience they are trying to create in their yard. One can choose to go with a simple rustic design for a feeder, or something quite ornate and stately like a replica of a Victorian mansion.

But for many a simple statue or likeness of St. Francis is the perfect choice. The story of St. Francis and the local wildlife of his times are many. The source of this was the fact that Francis and his followers took a vow of total poverty and often lived in the wild.

One of the most famous was of a wild wolf that was causing a lot of problems for a local village, threatening not only the livestock but the citizens of the village itself. St Francis spoke to the wolf and made a pact with it such that the local villagers began to feed it and it was essentially domesticated and was no longer a threat.

Another equally popular one and probably the source of his association with bird feeding is a time when he was traveling with his followers, and stopped to preach to the birds that had gathered about the goodness of the Lord and how he provides for each of us just as he cares for for the birds of the field (echoing the passage from St. Matthew). The birds stayed and listened to him, and the story followed from there, and today he is considered the patron saint of animals and the environment.

It's these images that account for the popularity of St. Francis bird feeders. You can find them in many styles, from simple statues with birds perched on his shoulders, holding a basket as a feeder. Others feature a larger bowl at his feet for a feeder. Another style is a plaque with a dish extending out from the plaque as the feeder. There are also some that combine a bird bath with a feeder.

A Favorite Backyard Bird - The Chickadee

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The Chickadee is a familiar and welcome visitor to most backyards in the United States. Varieties of this bird are found across the entire US. A member of the titmouse family, there are five variations in the US. Mexican, Chestnut Backed, and Mountain Chickadees reside in the western states. The Black Capped and Carolina Chickadees cover most of the US from New Jersey to Kansas and south from Texas to Florida. I mention these two together because they are so similar, even at close range they are hard to distinguish. It would appear they have a hard time themselves as Black Capped and Carolina Chickadees have been known to breed with each other in areas where they overlap.

This active friendly bird will visit almost any backyard birding area and become a year round resident. After becoming regulars at your feeders during spring and summer, most will winter in the same area they had their summer nests, provided the weather doesn't turn too harsh. Even then, they will migrate only a short distance and return when it warms. For year round backyard birding, the chickadee is hard to beat. These birds have a cheerful call and song and provide hours of entertainment checking the trees and shrubs for insects.

Insects are the food of choice for the Chickadee.They eat live insects, eggs, and larvae while hopping or hanging, even upside down, in trees and shrubs. They sometimes make quick short flights and catch insects on the fly. They also enjoy berries, fleshy fruits, suet, acorns, and seeds. This friendly bird is a regular at our tube and platform bird feeders. We see them taking one sunflower seed at a time from our bird feeder and flying a short distance to open it. They enjoy our blueberry bushes, pine cones, and muscadines as well.

Chickadees can be trained to eat from your hand. It will take patience and consistent offerings, but these birds will slowly begin to come to you. This occurs more often in colder weather when the food supply is more scarce. This chickadee enjoys a variety of foods and can be enticed with various offerings until you find the one which work for you. Try various nuts, seeds, or fruits at about the same time each day. The inquisitive chickadee will get closer and closer until you find them eating from your hand!

Chickadees nest naturally in hollow trees or old woodpecker sites. They can be attracted to man made birdhouses. Obtain a birdhouse made for them and place it in a pine, elm, aspen or birch tree. We have them nesting in houses attached to our wood fence. Just be sure you have a sturdy house, rough sawn for the bird to cling to, and protect them with predator guards at the entrance. A chickadee house should come with tree shavings. While not used for the nest, it looks at this as proof this is a proper nesting site.

This bird is easily attracted and a favorite of many backyard bird watchers. Offering several varieties of food will keep these visitors happy. Provide sheltering shrubbery, water, and natural or man made birdhouse nesting sites and you will have an entertaining songbird dancing, singing, and performing upside down acrobatics for years to come. If you are fortunate enough, the Chickadee will reward you with eating from your hand.

Bird Feeders and Bird Houses - How to Properly Care and Maintain Them For Backyard Birding Fun

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Outdoor bird feeders and birdhouses are extremely popular with bird watchers and birding enthusiasts. For many there is nothing more exciting than getting up in the morning and watching birds nesting and feeding in the backyard. Children and adults alike are able to learn a great deal about birds by watching them each day. What many bird enthusiasts do not realize is the fact that owning a bird feeder and bird house requires more effort than just stocking it with seed. In order to keep the birds safe and healthy, homeowners must do what they can to properly set up and maintain these items.

The first step in protecting birds is placing birdfeeders and birdhouses in a safe location. Place bird feeders in a very open location that gives birds a chance to see, and react to, any predators like house cats. They can also be hung from poles making them virtually inaccessible. When hanging a bird house always place them in a high location away from any potential perch that can be used by predators like cats. Even if you do not own house cats it is important that you follow this advice since neighboring cats can easily get into your back yard and attempt to attack what they consider to be easy prey.

In some situations hawks will be attracted to your bird house or, more than likely, your bird feeder. If you notice a hawk coming near your bird feeder several times a week take it down for a few days and keep a look out for the hawk. Once the hawk has come, not seen a buffet, and left, put it back out. The hawk will leave your yard alone once it believes its free meal ticket has been called in.

The second step you can take to ensure the safety and health of the birds your feeders and houses attract is to keep everything clean. This is one thing that many people forget and overlook. While most people are used to cleaning indoor bird cages they do not think to clean outdoor bird houses. A bird house, after time, can attract and develop parasites which could cause sickness and disease to spread among the birds nesting in it. You should clean your bird house at least once a year or twice a year to be perfectly safe.

Bird feeders need to be cleaned much more often because of the number of birds coming and going on a daily basis. Remove any seeds from the ground around your birdfeeders and bird houses to discourage birds from attempting to eat it. Also empty and clean the bird feeders once or twice each month while constantly replacing the seed with fresh, dry, bird seed to keep the birds from eating moldy seed which can make them sick.

Outdoor birdfeeders and birdhouses can be fun for the entire family. They give you a chance to observe many different types of birds without having to leave your yard. In order to enjoy this special treat for a long time it is important that you and your family work hard to maintain a clean, safe, environment for your birds.

Adding Goldfinches, Cardinals & Other Birds of Color to Your Backyard Retreat is Easy - Here's How

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When it comes to turning your backyard into a getaway or retreat, what is the first thing that comes to mind? Is it a private outdoor oasis, complete with water features and an outdoor kitchen? Or is it adding a terraced effect with exotic plants, detailed retaining walls and hardscape patios and walkways that make you feel that you are enjoying the seclusion of a five star resort? Your home should be your haven, the place where the world stops at the beginning of your driveway and your retreat begins.

To add exotic color to your outdoor haven, I have two words; Bird Feeders. You will be intrigued by the various types of birds you can attract to your yard. By attracting these birds, you will add color, sound, wildlife and create a sense of seclusion.

There is more to attracting birds than just nailing a bird house up to a fence post or hanging one off a tree limb. The species of birds you attract depends on the type of feeder you choose, the placement of the feeder in your yard and the type of feed you put in the feeder.

Here are five categories of birds you may want to consider. All come with their own distinct colors, sounds and traits.

1) Goldfinches: These birds are yellow in color, with the males being more vibrant in the spring season. They are small in stature and shy by nature. You can use everything from Thistle sacks, which are inexpensive and easy to reposition in the yard to small "clinger" only feeders to various types of triple-tube feeders. For the sake of the length of this article, I will give you a resource you can go to and learn more on the various types of feeders. The type of feeder is important to the type of birds you are trying to attract, but even more important is the type of feed you use to draw specific species to your feeders.

Goldfinches are partial to fine chopped Sunflower hearts and Nyjer seeds; Nyjer is a black seed cultivated in Africa & Asia and are high in calories and oil content. Another source of nutrition and a strong attraction for Goldfinches occurs in the autumn when the blooms from plants such as Marigolds and Zinnias are long past their pretty stages of summer. These create great feed for Goldfinches, so be sure to leave these in your garden or yard and you will attract flurry of activity from the Goldfinches, as they are storing energy for the winter.

2) Cardinals: A regal bird with its pointed crown and vibrant red color trimmed in black mask and neck. If you have ever seen a cardinal up close, you would remember it. It has a look like no other bird, in my humble opinion. Whether against the green of summer leaves or the white of winter's snow, Cardinals are a splendid attraction to any setting. Here is how you can seduce them to your haven. They like feeders either low to the ground or with a platform they can eat from when hung from above. This is due to the fact they are a larger bird and require some space to maneuver. They do not eat from tube feeders, like Goldfinches, unless the tube feeder has a tray on the bottom for them to perch on. Their favorite feed is Sunflower or Safflower seeds; their big bill makes it easy for them to crack these seeds. The addition of a bird bath is another draw for the cardinal, as they love water.

3) Blue Birds: The nesting sites of Blue birds differ according to your region of the country. For your specific region do a little research and determine the best type of nesting site to build to attract these brilliant blue colored birds to your private retreat. They prefer open spaces so they can feed on insects, their main nutrition source. Another favorite of the Bluebird is live meal worms, so you may want to keep some on hand if this beautiful bird is going to be added to your yards color pallet. For winter nutrition, Bluebirds feast on the berries from Bittersweet & Holly. Again, the addition of a bird bath to provide a water source, especially in winter, will help coax the Bluebird to your backyard paradise.

4) Orioles: An orange bodied bird with black head and back, its wings have traces of white and yellow mixed in amongst black. Orioles are shy birds that migrate to South America for the winters. A great tool in the attraction of Orioles is oranges. Cut a few oranges in half on secure them to a gate or fence top and use them to bait the orioles into your yard. Another weak spot for Orioles is jelly, they love jelly. You can go to your local bird store and pick up an adapter that fits over the open end of a jelly jar and viola; you have a feeder for the Orioles you hope to draw in to your backyard. Due to the fact that Orioles are shy birds, start off by setting the feeders further away from active areas and then slowly move them closer, once you began to gain their confidence. This will give you the pleasure of watching this beautiful bird up close; I guess you can say "You'd have a Bird's Eye view". I know, really bad, but I couldn't resist. Once you notice the Orioles you can leave twine, yarn and strands of hair for them to find and use in building a pendulum nest they will use for the season. Oranges, jelly and hosts who do not disturb them, they will love you for the season.

5) Woodpeckers: Last, but not least, in this selection of vibrantly colored and distinctively different birds; Woodpeckers are showy birds with colored plumage. Described as a clinger, because of its ability to grab on with its feet and attach itself to the sides of trees with no or little effort. They have spiny tail feathers, which aides them in climbing and resting on tree trunks. Typically go up and down tree trunks scrounging for insects, it is advisable to hang your feeders for these birds close to the trunk at first, to get their attention. Once you have their attention, you can move the feeder further out on the limb away from the trunk. Tree nuts and peanuts is the secret to luring these birds to your collection of featured wild life. Beware though, once a Woodpecker begins its assault on the tree of its choice; it could get noisy for some time to come.

So there you have it, you have added gold,red, blue,orange and the rhythm of the Woodpecker to your Backyard Getaway. For more information on this subject I recommend The Backyard Bird Company. Take a minute and Google them, they are jam packed with great information.

For more landscaping and backyard retreat ideas, visit insideoutadditions.com.

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