Tens of millions of Americans feed wild birds as part of a way to connect with nature and enjoy hearing their sweet sounds chirp and providing relaxation during daily lives.
Food provides birds with energy-conserving energy during cold weather or migration, while providing them with a valuable source of protein.
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Sunflower Hearts
Sunflower hearts, or Helianthus annuus seeds with their hard husk removed, are an energy-saving treat for birds with soft beaks like Blackbirds, Goldfinches and Song Thrushes. As sunflower hearts contain high levels of energy and oils which provide extra fuel during winter, sunflower hearts make an excellent offering to give birds.
Striped sunflower seeds with their shells left intact may be difficult for birds to open and can produce unsightly waste at your feeder, as well as attract unwanted pests such as squirrels.
To avoid this issue, consider mixing your striped sunflower seeds with other forms of wild bird feed or installing a ground feeder sanctuary to stop larger birds and squirrels from accessing it directly. Doing this may even save money since fewer striped sunflower seeds will need to be bought!
Suet
Suet is a high-protein food that draws woodpeckers, chickadees, nuthatches, and titmice to special feeders hung high off the ground, safe from dogs’ reach. For optimal results in winter use processed suet cakes available from stores selling bird feed or make your own suet cakes at home.
Make your own suet by mixing peanuts, raisins and cornmeal together in a mold. Or you could stuff the mixture into log feeder holes or pinecone crevices – or add chopped apple, vegetable oil and beef fat to extend its shelf life. Table scraps such as stale bread (not moldy!), overripe fruit, eggs cheese and various crumbs provide excellent sources of protein as well. However avoid foods high in salt or spices that could potentially harm birds.
Traditional Wooden Bird Table
An old-fashioned bird table can be an excellent way to lure wildlife into your garden. Useful year-round, it is especially valuable during autumn and winter when food sources may become limited.
A wooden bird table is an effective and straightforward way to attract more wildlife into your garden, providing a good alternative to placing out sunflower hearts or suet blocks that may turn rancid in hot temperatures.
This Natures Market bird table comes with full instructions and has been treated for some weather protection. The timber has already been cut to size for easy assembly. With a sloping green overhung roof that keeps its feeding area dry, this wooden bird table attracts various wild bird species into your garden and is sure to become an invaluable addition for any garden, large or small!
Bird Feeder
Bird feeders (also referred to as bird tables or tray feeders) are outdoor devices designed to supply seeds and food items to wild birds, such as sunflower hearts or seed mixes, in an outdoor environment. Bird feeders may be suspended or set on perches for easy use and may contain various items including premium aflatoxin-tested peanuts, suet fat balls and sunflower hearts designed to attract many types of species of birds.
To attract colorful songbirds, berries and dried fruits should be added to the feed mix. Hummingbird feeders may offer sugar water (created by mixing one part sugar with four parts boiling water and boiling briefly) or ready-mix nectar packets and bottles for feeding purposes.
People tend to believe it is necessary to continue providing birds with food even if they will be absent for extended periods, however research shows that birds will not starve when their food supply is interrupted and will find suitable feeding stations themselves.
