If, like all environmentally conscious people, you are looking for ways to help the environment, feeding the birds can be an environmentally friendly and enjoyable pastime. According to Nature Canada, bird feeding, especially during the winter months when berries, insects and seeds are scarce, can have a positive impact on bird populations. The practice is inexpensive and requires only three things: a feeder, food and water.
FEEDERS
There are basically four types of feeders:
-
Hopper, or house, feeders cater to the widest range of species.
-
Tube feeders target smaller birds like American Goldfinches.
-
Platform or tray feeders are especially attractive to larger species like Blue Jays, Northern Cardinals and Mourning Doves and ground-feeding birds like sparrows and juncos.
-
Suet feeders will attract European Starlings, woodpeckers, nuthatches and other species.
FOOD
-
Sunflower seed (black-oil or striped) is palatable to most birds.
-
Nyger (also known as niger or thistle seed) is especially appreciated by finches.
-
White proso millet is highly desirable, while red millet is less so.
-
Many birds like cracked corn but it can become toxic when wet, so feeders must be cleaned out after the rain.
-
Birds are said to love peanut butter but it can stick to their mouths (it can be mixed with cornmeal to alleviate this problem). Peanut butter becomes rancid in warmer temperatures and should only be fed in cool weather.
-
Birds need grit to digest their food. This can be provided in the form of dirt, sand, ground eggshells or products sold for caged birds.
-
Fruit : r aisins, bananas, currants and sliced apples attract mockingbirds, robins, bluebirds, and waxwings and orioles enjoy sliced oranges.
-
Berry-bearing bushes, shrubs and trees can attract otherwise scarce birds, especially in winter. Examples include serviceberry (Amelanchier spp.), elder (Sambucus spp.), mountain-ash (Sorbus spp.), nannyberry (Viburnum lentago), and crab apple (Malus spp.).
FEEDING TIPS
-
When it comes to food, only put out the amount per day that you can afford. The birds will adjust to this quantity. If they empty the feeder within an hour, do not refill it. Continue with the planned amount the following day.
-
Put out food in the evening, especially in the winter when birds need to eat first thing in the morning to withstand the cold. This is particularly important in extreme cold and during snowstorms.
-
To attract shier species such as Blue Jays, place feeders further away from the house.
-
Avoid golden and red millet, wheat and barley, which birds do not like but are often used as a filler in store brands. Do not feed stale bread, as it is not very nutritious and quickly becomes mouldy and toxic.
WATER
A birdbath, consisting of a shallow pool on a pedestal, provides birds a place to drink and splash around. Check it often and clean as necessary. If you notice that the birds are not visiting your birdbath, put a stone in the water, which creates ripples, making it more visible to birds.
PITFALLS
-
Squirrels can eat a large amount of food and may cost you money. However, providing them with a fresh bowl of water and sprinkling peanuts on the lawn in the morning could keep them from being a hindrance.
-
Suet and seed may attract other wildlife and people’s pets, including free-roaming cats that kill birds.
-
If wild animals prey on the birds, I’m afraid that is nature’s way and must be respected.
-
If birds repeatedly hit your window, move your feeder closer to the window (less than half a metre away). You can also hang large (4″ or more) colourful art in the window using suction cups or investigate some of the solutions provided at http://www.flap.org/new/prevent.htm.
Ornithologist experts agree that bird feeding neither prevents birds from migrating nor makes them dependent on you for food. Migration is prompted mainly by daylight length and weather. Birds have many different food sources, so if your supply runs out, they will use another source.
There is no better way of passing the time than watching birds peck, preen and frolic while making a contribution to the environment. And, if this enjoyable pastime turns into a passion, why not contact your local birding group to take your new hobby a step further?
MORE INFORMATION ON BIRDFEEDING
Nature Canada: http://www.naturecanada.ca/bird_cons_involved_winter.asp
Project FeederWatch: http://www.bsc-eoc.org/volunteer/pfw/index.jsp?lang=EN&targetpg=index
BIRDING GROUPS
Bird Protection Quebec: http://www.pqspb.org
Montreal Field Naturalists: http://montrealfieldnaturalists.wordpress.com/about
Regroupement QuébecOiseaux : http://quebecoiseaux.org
