Feeding birds what food can you leave out for birds
Benefits of Feeding Birds
Depending on the number of feeders you have, the types of foods you offer and the birds that take advantage of your generosity, there are many benefits of bird feeding you can enjoy.
Feeding birds can be a fascinating educational activity for all ages. By changing feeder styles and food types you can learn more about the birds that visit, and just observing the birds will help you learn about behaviors, identifications, personalities and other aspects of your local avifauna and how birds change season by season.
Feeders
A large number of birds eat seeds and will be attracted to your garden if you hang up a peanut or seed feeder. Many different types and sizes are available, made from metal and plastic. Some even have a 'cage' around them to discourage squirrels and larger birds.Winter and early spring is the most important time to feed birds, as this is when their natural food is scarce.
Feeding birds in the spring and summer may help them to raise their chicks more successfully. Remember, always put peanuts in a rigid mesh feeder, as large pieces of nut can choke baby birds.
Poor quality peanuts can carry the aflatoxin fungus, which kills birds if they eat it. Make sure you buy peanuts that are guaranteed aflatoxin-free from a reputable supplier.
Feeder care
Birds can become ill from leftover bits of seeds and hulls that have become moldy or from droppings that have accumulated on feeder trays. Therefore, you should clean your seed feeders about once every two weeks, more often during times of heavy use or during warm and damp conditions. Research has found that scrubbing debris off feeders and then soaking them for 10 minutes in a diluted bleach solution is more effective at removing bacteria than using soap and water alone.Other ideas
Fill the holes and cracks of a post or
suspended log with fatty food, such as suet, for agile birds, such as
tits, nuthatches, woodpeckers, treecreepers and even wrens.
Thrushes and dunnocks prefer to feed on the ground. For these birds, scatter food on the lawn or use a ground feeding tray or hopper well clear of cover to avoid lurking cats. Remember to change the area you scatter the food over every few days, and never put out more than is eaten the same day to avoid attracting vermin.
If you put food such as apples on the ground, space it out in different places in the garden. This will reduce competition between birds so that more birds can feed at any one time. If there is snow on the ground, clear small areas before putting down the food.
Thrushes and dunnocks prefer to feed on the ground. For these birds, scatter food on the lawn or use a ground feeding tray or hopper well clear of cover to avoid lurking cats. Remember to change the area you scatter the food over every few days, and never put out more than is eaten the same day to avoid attracting vermin.
If you put food such as apples on the ground, space it out in different places in the garden. This will reduce competition between birds so that more birds can feed at any one time. If there is snow on the ground, clear small areas before putting down the food.
