g.city
02,07,07, 20:47
How to Feed Birds
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Food for Thought
Feeding birds can make a huge different to survival rates through the winter months but it’s also very important to feed during the mating season and when fledglings are being reared. The advice given these days is to feed all year round. Don’t feed all winter and then stop in the Spring – this is the time that birds really need extra calories close to the nesting sites they have set up. A small bird, such as a finch needs to eat 30 per cent of their bodyweight in food each day just to stay alive.
Nutritious and Delicious
During the breeding season birds need more protein. This is usually met by feeding on seeds, cereals and buds that appear in the spring but if those food sources are scarce or difficult to get at then the number of eggs that hatch will be lowered and fewer chicks will survive. Protein can be found in things like mealworms and other live foods. If you want to encourage a wild bird to feed from your hand then live mealworms are one of the best ways to do so. If you can’t face the thought of feeding live foods then dried mealworms are another option but don’t offer too many mealworms in the breeding season. There is good evidence that chicks can’t digest the tough outer surface of the mealworms and as the adults don’t realise this they will continue to feed mealworms but the fledglings will not get any nutrition – effectively they will starve in the face of plenty. Early in the season mealworms will help get the adult birds in good condition for breeding but thereafter, once chicks are born, offer only small quantities each day. If you are feeling very adventurous you could also buy a special ‘live insect’ dispenser. These are usually available from people who deal in reptiles. Load the dispenser up with live crickets and watch the birds stand outside waiting for their ‘fly-through’. Slightly gruesome perhaps but that’s nature!It may sound strange but boiled hen’s eggs given little and often are also helpful as these are good sources of protein. Remember to keep the feeding area completely clean and remove the food after 4 hours if you do provide eggs. Another option that can tempt insectivorous birds is soaked good quality dry puppy food. Again, don’t overdo it as these are quite high protein foods – little and often is the key.
Suets You!
Peanuts are one of the most popular bird foods and the first choice of most bird lovers. A great source of energy, peanuts are especially good in winter and during breeding but do offer them only in a peanut feeder. It is believed that chicks can choke on whole peanuts brought back to the nest. It’s always worth buying the best quality peanuts you can afford – birds are very sensitive to the slightest trace of mould and the better the peanut, the more birds you will attract.Another favourite is suet. Suet balls are the most widely available and again good high energy foods but do take them out of the green netting as bird limbs can get caught up and broken. Feed suet balls in a suet holder – these are not expensive and ensure that this food can be offered in complete safety. There are good suet blocks available these days with added fruit, insects or seeds. You can also make your own suet cakes by mixing melted fat with seed and letting it set. Suet block holders are the best way to offer these foods.
In The Mix
There are many different seeds that can be given to birds. You can either choose a seed mixture or single seed types. The most popular single seeds are sunflower seeds which are good sources of energy. Sunflower hearts are more expensive but great value for money as the husk of the seed has been removed, ensuring that there is no mess left behind in the garden. Well worth trying is nyjer seed – a very thin, black, lightweight seed. This is a great one for the smaller finches and will help attract goldfinches, siskins and a number of other really attractive small birds into the garden. The lovely thing about goldfinches is that they spend lots of time sitting on the feeder and will even feed in flocks. Put out a nyjer seed feeder and the chances are that every time you look out of the window you will see three or four of these delightful finches specking away, with several more queuing up. Other foods worth looking at include pinhead oatmeal, raising and sultanas. If you opt for a seed mixture, beware of cheap deals. These mixtures are often loaded with low quality cereals and will just attract hordes of pigeons to your garden. Small beaked birds like small seeds so look for millets and other ‘small-bite’ seeds in the mix. Good quality seeds should look plump, round and shiny. Is there a ‘golden rule’ of bird feeding? Well there are probably three.
Always offer fresh drinking water.
Clean your feeders out regularly and keep bird tables spotlessly clean.
Offer lots of different foods in lots of different ways to attract a greater variety of bird species.Now fill up your feeders, our feathered friends need you!
http://wildaboutnature.shop121.co.uk/product_images/medium/istocksparrow.jpg (http://wildaboutnature.shop121.co.uk/product_images/fullsize/istocksparrow.jpg)
larger image (http://wildaboutnature.shop121.co.uk/product_images/fullsize/istocksparrow.jpg)
Food for Thought
Feeding birds can make a huge different to survival rates through the winter months but it’s also very important to feed during the mating season and when fledglings are being reared. The advice given these days is to feed all year round. Don’t feed all winter and then stop in the Spring – this is the time that birds really need extra calories close to the nesting sites they have set up. A small bird, such as a finch needs to eat 30 per cent of their bodyweight in food each day just to stay alive.
Nutritious and Delicious
During the breeding season birds need more protein. This is usually met by feeding on seeds, cereals and buds that appear in the spring but if those food sources are scarce or difficult to get at then the number of eggs that hatch will be lowered and fewer chicks will survive. Protein can be found in things like mealworms and other live foods. If you want to encourage a wild bird to feed from your hand then live mealworms are one of the best ways to do so. If you can’t face the thought of feeding live foods then dried mealworms are another option but don’t offer too many mealworms in the breeding season. There is good evidence that chicks can’t digest the tough outer surface of the mealworms and as the adults don’t realise this they will continue to feed mealworms but the fledglings will not get any nutrition – effectively they will starve in the face of plenty. Early in the season mealworms will help get the adult birds in good condition for breeding but thereafter, once chicks are born, offer only small quantities each day. If you are feeling very adventurous you could also buy a special ‘live insect’ dispenser. These are usually available from people who deal in reptiles. Load the dispenser up with live crickets and watch the birds stand outside waiting for their ‘fly-through’. Slightly gruesome perhaps but that’s nature!It may sound strange but boiled hen’s eggs given little and often are also helpful as these are good sources of protein. Remember to keep the feeding area completely clean and remove the food after 4 hours if you do provide eggs. Another option that can tempt insectivorous birds is soaked good quality dry puppy food. Again, don’t overdo it as these are quite high protein foods – little and often is the key.
Suets You!
Peanuts are one of the most popular bird foods and the first choice of most bird lovers. A great source of energy, peanuts are especially good in winter and during breeding but do offer them only in a peanut feeder. It is believed that chicks can choke on whole peanuts brought back to the nest. It’s always worth buying the best quality peanuts you can afford – birds are very sensitive to the slightest trace of mould and the better the peanut, the more birds you will attract.Another favourite is suet. Suet balls are the most widely available and again good high energy foods but do take them out of the green netting as bird limbs can get caught up and broken. Feed suet balls in a suet holder – these are not expensive and ensure that this food can be offered in complete safety. There are good suet blocks available these days with added fruit, insects or seeds. You can also make your own suet cakes by mixing melted fat with seed and letting it set. Suet block holders are the best way to offer these foods.
In The Mix
There are many different seeds that can be given to birds. You can either choose a seed mixture or single seed types. The most popular single seeds are sunflower seeds which are good sources of energy. Sunflower hearts are more expensive but great value for money as the husk of the seed has been removed, ensuring that there is no mess left behind in the garden. Well worth trying is nyjer seed – a very thin, black, lightweight seed. This is a great one for the smaller finches and will help attract goldfinches, siskins and a number of other really attractive small birds into the garden. The lovely thing about goldfinches is that they spend lots of time sitting on the feeder and will even feed in flocks. Put out a nyjer seed feeder and the chances are that every time you look out of the window you will see three or four of these delightful finches specking away, with several more queuing up. Other foods worth looking at include pinhead oatmeal, raising and sultanas. If you opt for a seed mixture, beware of cheap deals. These mixtures are often loaded with low quality cereals and will just attract hordes of pigeons to your garden. Small beaked birds like small seeds so look for millets and other ‘small-bite’ seeds in the mix. Good quality seeds should look plump, round and shiny. Is there a ‘golden rule’ of bird feeding? Well there are probably three.
Always offer fresh drinking water.
Clean your feeders out regularly and keep bird tables spotlessly clean.
Offer lots of different foods in lots of different ways to attract a greater variety of bird species.Now fill up your feeders, our feathered friends need you!