Birdwatching has become a popular hobby for people across the United States. Many homes have bird feeders, and people enjoy seeing what kind of birds they can attract. Sadly, people often don't understand the rules of attraction for birdwatchers and only see a small portion of the birds that actually live in their area.
The first thing you will need to do is find out which birds live where you live. Decide which of them you would like to see in your yard. Then lastly, learn about their individual needs so you can meet those needs.
Bird feed
Rule number one for birdwatchers is that you must use the type of bird feed for the birds you want to attract, especially if you want to see something other than just an ordinary bird. Only a few kinds of birds eat the bird seed that can be purchased at the store. For example, hummingbirds are attracted to red flowers, so you could plant flowers with red blossoms around your yard or hang up a red humming bird feeder with sugar water in it.
Bird feeders
Did you know that birds need different types of feeders? This is rule number two for birdwatchers. Only a few types of birds will eat food that is scattered on the ground. There are platform feeders, suet feeders, window feeders, hanging feeders and nectar feeders.
A platform feeder is usually placed up off of the ground on some type of stand. It can be a rectangular-shaped board with small sides around it to keep the food from falling off. Some people simply use a large shallow pan or bowl and set it up off of the ground.
Window feeders can be used to attract a variety of birds depending on the type of feed you put in it. The advantage to these feeders is that they bring the birds up close to your house so you can see them better.
If you prefer the smaller birds over the larger birds, you may want to choose hanging feeders. These are especially attractive to song birds. They are usually clear tubes with holes in the side. Some of them have small perches on the sides as well.
If you have squirrels in your area, you may want to choose a squirrel-free feeder. This will keep you from wasting bird feed on animals that you really don't want to attract. Upside-down feeders will also keep away larger birds who don't like to hang upside down.
Birdbaths
Birds need water in order to survive. So rule number three for birdwatchers is that you must provide them with a source of water. The birdbath should be shallow, but provide enough water that the birds can bathe themselves. Warblers, thrushes, robins and orioles enjoy water more than other birds.
It's not difficult to clean hanging bird baths and other types of bird baths and should take no more than a half hour. When you buy your bird bath, it should state how often it needs to be cleaned. |
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Make your own birdbath from copper easily and save on the pricey catalog version if you are willing to invest a little time and energy into this project. |
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Make a homemade bird bath easily that will attract many species of birds from household objects. Follow this step-by-step guide for a beautiful bird bath for your back yard. |
Do you know how to go about identifying backyard birds that can be helpful? Hummingbirds eat aphids off of leaves and flowers, as well as gnats and fruit flies. |
Invite birds to your yard with a solar bird bath. It will look stylish and it will bring the birds. |
Adding plants that attract birds to your existing garden will result in winged visitors that come for the blossoms and foliage, the seeds and even the insects that are drawn to the same plants. |
Study a list of state birds to learn the types of birds near you. Then, grow plants that attract birds to your hanging bird baths. |
