Learn About Bird Feeders

Before we zero in on backyard bird feeding endeavors, let's start with a quick recap on bird anatomy: They do not have hands with which to hold their food and they do not have teeth with which to grind. As observed by Darwin while tramping about the Galapagos Islands, birds are equipped with hard beaks and tongues that have adapted to the demands of their preferred foods, the food that serves their niche, be it hard shelled nuts or sticky nectar. Some birds have claws that are adapted to hold food that is being torn with fierce beaks, while others grasp onto perches near less challenging food such as berries and seeds.

Since most backyard birders do not have easy access to a large frozen lake and a ready supply of fresh road kill they generally do not cater to the carnivorous Bald and Golden Eagles who are superbly equipped to see their food at a long distance, to grasp it with strong talons, to tear at it with hooked beaks, and to digest the decaying meat and gristle.

Similarly, backyard birders will not usually serve a smorgasbord of live rodents in the hope of drawing in a hungry owl or a passing Harrier.

Getting back to familiar territory, the backyard birder is mostly interested in attracting small to medium sized birds, ones that are usually classified as songbirds and migrants, and that are readily adapted to the same habitat that we enjoy. These birds typically feed on one or more of the following: seeds, nuts, local fruits, suet, larva and small flying insects.

Buying and positioning a bird feeder is a project that many people of all ages have enjoyed but the questions of which one to get can be mindboggling and force a person to think about what it is they are trying to accomplish. Questions such as What bird am I trying to feed, what size feeder do I need, what style would be suitable, where shall I put it, how high off the ground, which direction should it face, do I need to provide water, and what about routine maintenance? Will it attract unwelcome critters? Will the birds become dependent on it for the rest of their lives? All good questions and easy to answer with a little research. Regarding water – yes, yes and yes.

Start with the basics and see what happens. Positioned near sheltering bushes, a sturdy hanging feeder that contains a decent supply of seeds such as sunflower or “mixed seeds” mounted on a hook or hanging from a tree or attached to a shepherd's crook plant hanger is a good start. Most backyard birds are well acquainted with the principles and will quickly find the new and easy source of food and soon you will be enjoying chickadees, cardinals, wrens, titmice, jays, finches and a variety of blackbirds. These birds have beaks that can crack and dispose of the husks and their feet allow them to grasp the tiny perches. Leave it up year round, keep it well stocked, keep it clean and keep a pair of binoculars handy because you never know what might show up. A rare sparrow would be a treat.

You will notice that some birds, such as the cardinals, feed underneath the feeder, gorging on the fallen pieces that other birds have dislodged or dropped. You may also notice moments of absolute silence, a sure indicator that a hawk is close by, looking to prey on one of your backyard birds. Watch them scatter when the hawk streaks through grabbing at the weakest specimen in its pantry.

Some see putting up a feeder as an opportunity to accessorize and decorate their already pretty backyards. A color coordinated decorative feeder with roof tiles, a tasteful front porch and painted to match or accent the owner's property is another source of endless fun. Watching Mr. and Mrs. Chickadee dining out or stocking up on groceries for their brood in the equally decorative bird house can be a source of great delight.

Others are not content to peer out of the house at a feeder mounted in the backyard. They want to see what's going on up close and invite the birds into their kitchens. These birders enjoy window feeders, being wooden boxes that fit in a window and are equipped with a one-way mirror on the back side facing the kitchen table. The birds fly in from the yard and being completely unaware of their hosts, will gorge themselves in plain view only inches away. The birds are so close that these birders can quickly identify behaviors and characteristics that enable individual birds to stick out from the crowds.

Some species of birds have grabbed our collective attention and our fascination. A good example is the Hummingbird family, members of which have readily adapted to carefully mounted hummingbird feeders. Usually plastic, red and bulbous, with multiple access points, the hummingbird feeder caters to the hummingbird's anatomy and their need for liquid nourishment. Hummingbirds have long beaks and tongues for reaching deposits of nectar found at the base of flowers. Hummingbirds typically do not perch when feeding, preferring instead to zoom in, hover and zoom out. A hummingbird feeder placed close to house but near a garden of red flowers is very likely to reward the host with fantastic displays of flight and balance.

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