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Food For Birds

With all the choices these days, it can be confusing to know what type of bird food to buy. Bird food and bird feeders can be purchased at gardening stores, hardware stores and even at grocery stores.

Different birds eat at different levels – some feel more comfortable eating on the ground, while others prefer to eat higher up, so place a variety of feeders at a variety of heights to attract a larger variety and number of birds. Keep a journal and record which feeder attracts what types of birds.

Before purchasing a bird feeder, examine it closely. You should buy a bird feeder that is rain and snow resistant so that the food for the birds will remain fresh. Also, try opening the bird feeder to ensure that it is easy to fill and clean out. If the bird feeder requires too much work to fill or clean, chances are you won't do it and then you won't attract as many birds as you would like to.

Here's a break down of the different types of food available for birds.

Bird Seed:

Bird seeds are the most common food placed in bird feeders. While there are many different kinds of bird seeds, black sunflower seeds are the most common because the majority of birds will eat them. If you do place bird seed out for birds to eat, make sure that the seeds are unsalted. Also, store bird seed in a cool, dry place to ensure the freshness of the seeds.

Suet:

Suet is when berries, seeds and other ingredients have been mixed into meat fat. Suet is popular with nuthatches, chickadees, blue jays and woodpeckers and is commonly offered to birds in the winter. Be careful if you put suet out in the summer, as the heat can turn the fat rancid very quickly. To create your own suet, first melt the meat fat, which can be bought at your local butcher shop. Next, add berries, seeds and other ingredients to the fat and mix well. Remove the mixture from heat and allow it to harden.

Nectar:

Nectar is a water and sugar mixture that is offered to hummingbirds. To create your own hummingbird food, bring 4 parts of water to a boil and add 1 part sugar. Stir and allow the mixture to cool before filling hummingbird feeders. Change the mixture every three to five days in order to prevent bacteria and mold from growing. Hummingbirds are readily attracted to the colour red, so in the past it was common practice to add red food colouring to homemade hummingbird food. This addition is unnecessary as most hummingbird feeders have a red base, which is sufficient to attract hummingbirds. If you want to ensure that hummingbirds will come to your feeder, plant some flowers with red blooms nearby or tie red ribbons to the hummingbird feeder.

 

 

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