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An Easy Guide to Attracting, Identifying, and Understanding Your Feeder Birds

Edwin Blair

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Published in The Stokes Birdfeeder Book: An Easy Guide To Attracting Identifying And Understanding Your Feeder Birds

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Bird watching is a popular pastime enjoyed by people of all ages. It's a great way to connect with nature and learn about the fascinating creatures that share our planet. One of the best ways to attract birds to your backyard is to provide them with a bird feeder. Feeders can provide birds with a reliable source of food, especially during the winter months when natural food sources are scarce.

In this guide, we'll teach you everything you need to know about attracting, identifying, and understanding your feeder birds. We'll cover topics such as:

The Stokes Birdfeeder Book: An Easy Guide to Attracting, Identifying and Understanding Your Feeder Birds

by Lillian Q. Stokes

4.3 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	5738 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Print length	:	100 pages

How to choose the right bird feeder
What types of birdseed to use
How to attract different types of birds
How to identify feeder birds
How to understand bird behavior

How to Choose the Right Bird Feeder

The first step to attracting birds to your backyard is to choose the right bird feeder. There are many different types of bird feeders available, so it's important to choose one that's right for your needs.

Here are a few things to consider when choosing a bird feeder:

The type of birds you want to attract. Different types of birds prefer different types of feeders. For example, hopper feeders are good for attracting ground-feeding birds like sparrows and juncos, while tube feeders are good for attracting perching birds like chickadees and goldfinches.
The size of your backyard. If you have a small backyard, you'll want to choose a smaller bird feeder. If you have a large backyard, you can choose a larger feeder or multiple feeders.
The amount of time you want to spend cleaning the feeder. Some bird feeders require more cleaning than others. If you don't want to spend a lot of time cleaning your feeder, choose one that's easy to clean.

What Types of Birdseed to Use

Once you've chosen a bird feeder, you need to decide what type of birdseed to use. There are many different types of birdseed available, so it's important to choose one that's right for the birds you want to attract.

Here are a few of the most popular types of birdseed:

Black oil sunflower seeds: Black oil sunflower seeds are a favorite of many birds, including cardinals, chickadees, and goldfinches.
Safflower seeds: Safflower seeds are a good choice for attracting birds like cardinals and grosbeaks. They're also resistant to squirrels.
Mixed seed: Mixed seed is a good option if you want to attract a variety of birds. It typically contains a mix of black oil sunflower seeds, safflower seeds, and other types of seed.

How to Attract Different Types of Birds

Now that you know how to choose a bird feeder and what type of birdseed to use, you're ready to start attracting birds to your backyard. Here are a few tips:

Place the feeder in a visible location. Birds are more likely to find your feeder if it's in a place where they can see it easily.
Keep the feeder clean. Birds don't like to eat from dirty feeders, so it's important to clean your feeder regularly.
Provide a variety of food. Birds have different food preferences, so it's a good idea to offer a variety of food in your feeder.
Be patient. It may take some time for birds to find your feeder, so don't be discouraged if you don't see any birds right away.

How to Identify Feeder Birds

Once you've attracted birds to your backyard, you'll want to be able to identify them. This can be a fun and challenging task. Here are a few tips to help you identify feeder birds:

Pay attention to the bird's size and shape. Different types of birds have different sizes and shapes. For example, cardinals are larger than chickadees, and goldfinches are smaller than sparrows.
Look at the bird's color pattern. Different types of birds have different color patterns. For example, cardinals are bright red, and chickadees have a black cap and white cheeks.
Listen to the bird's song. Different types of birds have different songs. For example, cardinals have a clear, whistling song, and chickadees have a high-pitched, chattering song.

How to Understand Bird Behavior

Once you've identified the birds that are visiting your feeder, you can start to learn about their behavior. This can be a fascinating topic. Here are a few things to look for: