Feeder cages allow the appropriate to feast and can prevent unwanted dinner guests such as squirrels, deer, and raccoons. FEEDER BASICS Color winter views outside your windows and help sustain birds with feeders but consider some do’s and don’ts.

Jacelyn Downey spring and fall migrations, and nest- What do I Feed the Birds? ird watching is a popular activity ing birds utilize feeders during the There are three types of food Bwith 47 million people (20 per- summer. Feeders are most beneficial that will attract the majority of our cent of the U.S. population) identify- during the winter when natural food bird species. Most popular is black ing themselves as bird watchers. supplies are scarce. oil sunflower . Many birds will Unlike other types of watchable Perhaps the best place to start throw out all the others in mixed wildlife, birds can be seen year-round is to decide which critters you don’t feed just to get to this seed. Save the in every habitat in rural and urban want to attract. If in an area where mess, unnecessary cost, and unwant- settings – often right next to one’s there are bears, plan to put bird feed- ed feeder bandits by simply buying home. ers out only from November through this seed alone. This type is usually While most wild birds rely on wild April unless feeders can be hung 10 put in a hopper feeder. foods for a majority of meals, more feet high and 4 feet from structures. Hopper feeders are great be- than 100 North American species Raccoons, squirrels, and deer will cause they hold a large amount of supplement their diet with bird seed, also be attracted to feeders, espe- seed, most birds will feed from them, , fruit, and nectar from feeders. cially if and other food types and they are easy to fill. The down- Stack the deck in your favor to see are constantly falling to the ground. side is that if moisture seeps in, the these birds by simply offering them a To avoid this, only offer seed-type seeds can get moldy, which can kill nutritious snack. favorites of the birds you are trying to the birds. These feeders are extreme- Birds will visit feeders during the attract, and avoid seed mixes. ly vulnerable to unwanted visitors

FALL 2014 5 A FAMILY THAT FLOCKS TOGETHER Feeding birds is a great fam- ily project. Children are natu- rally drawn to the excitement Finally, suet and mashed nut- of seeing the birds and learning butters are great for chickadees, about them by watching them. , and woodpeckers. Suet is Get started by involving the simply animal fat – usually from beef, whole family to build your own but hunters can use wild game fat as feeder using recycled materi- well. Suet is fed in small square cages als. Consider reading “The Night designed especially for suet cakes, Tree” by Eve Bunting this winter. vegetable sacks, or in mesh bags used It tells a story of a family that to package onions, oranges, and other selects a tree in the woods each fruit. Hang the cage or sack because Christmas to decorate with ed- unlike larger, unwanted birds that need ible food for birds. a platform to access food, gravity Another great way to include defying chickadees, nuthatches, and the family is by participating in woodpeckers can easily hang from the a citizen science project such mesh or wire. Another way to discour- as Project FeederWatch (http:// age moochers is to hang the feeder feederwatch.org/) or the Great from a board so the arms of squirrels Squirrels, like this one raiding a hop- Backyard Bird Count (http:// and raccoons can’t reach it. per feeder, are a notorious nuisance gbbc.birdcount.org/). for birds and the people trying to feed Some Birds are Picky Eaters them. Keeping feeders away from Some birds call for specialized trees and other jumping off points food types. can help as well as “baffles” or cones such as squirrels. Putting a cone-like require nectar that placed on top of and beneath feeders. baffle underneath the feeder and can be supplemented by making a Both platform and ground feeding are keeping them away from trees – solution of one part white sugar also the easiest ways to feed pesky since squirrels can jump down onto to four parts water. Boil or microwave wildlife such as deer, raccoons, squir- them – will increase protection. the solution briefly to sterilize and dis- rels, and bears, so carefully moni- The next most popular food is solve sugar crystals, but do not add tor the visitors to be sure you aren’t nyjer or thistle seed. This tiny black red food coloring since the red on the “feeding” a problem. seed is favored by goldfinches, pine feeder is enough to attract birds. siskin, and redpolls, which are all The best way to provide hum- The Risks of Feeding common winter birds in Wyoming. mingbird food, however, is by plant- Bird feeders also present risks This seed is fantastic because it can ing nectar-rich flowers such as to birds, potentially increasing the be fed in a specially designed tube penstemon and other native plants. chances of window collisions, pre- feeder or “sock” with small seed “Plants with Altitude,” a guide for dation, and exposure to disease. holes that prevent the little seeds Wyoming gardeners, is available to According to a recent study, cats kill from falling on the ground. Unwanted help select plants or go to http://bit. an estimated 1.4 to 3.7 billion birds larger mob birds like blackbirds and ly/wyomingwildscapes for ideas. each year. Avoid feeding birds if your starlings are discouraged from get- To see cedar waxwings and ori- cats aren’t kept indoors. Placing feed- ting the seed. This is key because oles, put out orange halves or dried ers a few feet from windows or add- thistle seed is one of the more expen- fruit. For robins and , try ing window clings or light catchers sive seed types. Further discourage mealworms. These types of food can will help prevent collisions. Storing mob bird assaults by encasing these be fed on a platform feeder. Ground feed in metal containers will decrease feeders with “cages” made from feeders, such as turkeys, will eat the chances of mouse, insect, and chicken wire. cracked corn thrown on the ground. mold infestations.

Jacelyn Downey is an educator with Audubon Rockies and is constantly surprised and amazed with the antics of the birds outside her windows. She can be reached at (307) 756-3941 or [email protected].

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