The presence of birds creates a pleasant atmosphere for the home by filling the space with an array of colorful creatures foraging and singing in the garden. Birds are attracted to an area when there is an abundance of food supply readily available to them especially during the winter months where the shortage of seed, insects and fruits make foraging difficult for them. Birds require food as a source of energy and warmth during the winter months.
There are various ways to attract our feathered friends to your garden, and these projects need not cost you an arm or leg to do.
Make a simple bird feeder.
You can make a very simple bird feeder by hanging a coconut shell filled with food on a sturdy tree, patio or plant. Alternatively you can also use a transparent plastic tube of container (which can be recycled from your kitchen use or purchased from a shop) and do the same.
Here is an example of how to make a simple hanging bird feeder:
You will need:
- A small plastic jar (a jam jar works well).
- dowel (round wood).
- wire or string.
- Waterproof glue.
- Wash the plastic jar and make sure it is dry.
- Cut a hole at the side of the jar about 1 inch in diameter about 1 to 1.5 inches above the bottom of the jar.
- Cut a small hole that is big enough to insert the wood dowel (make sure it is a snug fit that\’s not too loose) below the 1 inch hole.
- Insert the dowel into the small hole and glue it in place.
- Run string or wire through holes made on the middle of the lid in a loop that will allow you to hang the feeder onto a support or tree.
- Fill the jar with food for the birds and cover the lid
Platform Feeder
Sink a pole into the ground topped with a wooden platform, making sure that the platform is at a comfortable height for you to reach.
To stop seeds from rolling off the platform, nail edges around the platform.
Tip: To reduce waste and save you the trouble of cleaning up a mess (birds are messy eaters), use or build a feeder that has a tray underneath that will catch spills.
Do not overfeed too many birds at one time. Mass feeding is unsanitary and even dangerous to the birds themselves. You want to attract birds and encourage them to forage for their food, not literally hand feed them that they become totally dependant on your feed. Attracting large flocks of birds can cause harm to the birds by promoting the spread of contagious diseases, bacterial infections and even death.
What to feed the birds with
Fill the platform with bird treats, such as birdseed, fruits and nuts. Occasionally, you can also include crumbs from stale bread, cookies or cake. Birds also thrive on dog food, especially the large birds, and this is a cheaper alternative to seeds.
Toss in some egg shells too as birds use these grits to digest seed. Crumble the eggshells and mix them in with the seed as a grit-alternative. They are also great calcium supplements for the birds.
Below is a list of foods that you can provide the birds with. Certain birds have different preferences according to area and food availability. When you know what their preferences are it will help you attract specific birds to your garden.
| Type of food | Birds they attract | Information |
| Sunflower seeds | Gold Finches, House Finches, Purple Finches, Cardinals, Bluejays, Scrub Jays, Chickadees, Nuthatches, Titmice, Mourning Doves, Buntings, Grosbeaks, Juncos and Sparrows | High energy and nutritious food source packed with protein and fat. These seeds also leave less waste than some other seeds. |
| Thistle Seeds | Goldfinches, House Finches, Purple Finches, Redpolls, Siskins, Juncos, and Mourning Doves | highly nutritious seed rich in protein and fat. |
| Safflower Seed | Cardinals, Mourning Doves, Finches, Grosbeaks, Jays, Chickadees, Nuthatches, Titmice, Song Sparrows, and White-throated Sparrows like Safflower | High in protein and fat |
| Millet | House Finches, Mourning Doves, Cardinals, Buntings, Juncos, Towhees, Blackbirds, Pigeons, Song Sparrows, White-crowned and White-throated Sparrows, and English Sparrows | Popular mixed blend filler; use the white variety |
| Corn | Bluejays, Mourning Doves, Juncos, Blackbirds and Sparrows eat corn. Upland game birds like Pheasants, Turkeys, Partridge, pigeons, starlings, cowbirds and Grouse love corn | |
| Peanuts | Bluejays, Scrub Jays, House Finches, Cardinals, Woodpeckers, Magpies, Chickadees, Nuthatches, Titmice, White-crowned and White-throated Sparrows | High nutritious for birds; they also attract squirrels (if you want them in your garden, opt for roasted peanuts as raw peanuts are harmful to them. |
| Fruits | Robins, Thrushes, Catbirds, Mockingbirds, Orioles, Tanagers, Waxwings, Bluebirds, Kingbirds, Woodpeckers, Crows, Blackbirds, Sparrows, some Warblers | Use apples, oranges, grapes, berries, bananas, melons, and raisins (do not mix too much raisins) |
| Suet bird feed | Woodpeckers, Nuthatches, Chickadees and Titmice | Rich in proteins and fat; these are ideal for wintering birds. |
| Peanut butter | Mourning Doves, Song Sparrows, White-crowned Sparrows, White-throated Sparrows and House Finches | High in protein, fat and oil |
| Mealworms | Bluebirds, Wrens, Robins, Cardinals, Woodpeckers, Chickadees, Nuthatches and Titmice | Preferred live, only if you have the stomach to watch the birds eat worms. |
More Reading:
Feeding Wild Birds:
summer.http://www.avianweb.com/feedingwildbirds.html
Inviting Wildlife into Your Garden:
http://www.avianweb.com/attractingwildlife.htm
