Feeding Birds in Your Backyard

The final step in birdscaping your yard is to provide your feathered friends with a source of food. For feeding birds, you’ll have to get the right bird feeders and pick the right bird seed. Another great way to attract birds to your yard is to plant flowers, trees, and shrubs that will attract birds. Keep in mind that feeding birds with variety is the key to a successful backyard habitat.

Use a Bird Feeder for Feeding Birds

By placing several different types of feeders throughout your yard, you will attract many different types of birds. Platform feeders, Tube feeders, Nyjer feeders, and Suet feeders will each attract a different type of bird. Hummingbirds need a special feeder that you fill with nectar instead of seed. Like birds, feeders come in a lot of different shapes and sizes. Which size or shape you pick is often just a matter of personal taste. Regardless of the type of feeder you select, you’ll have to clean it and refill it regularly.

Choosing a Bird Food for Feeding Birds

If you put out the right food, you can attract the types of birds you want in your yard. Some birds are opportunists and will eat a variety of foods. Others are picky eaters. Oil sunflower, Striped sunflower, Nyjer, Safflower, Millet, Peanuts, Cracked corn, Wild bird mix, Sunflower hearts will all attract different birds, so it’s important to know what the bird you want to attract likes to eat. For more information on which seed attracts which birds, check out our blog article on bird seed.

Feeding Birds by Landscaping

A well landscaped yard can give your birds even more food options. Some birds like to eat nuts, and others like to eat insects. You can use deciduous and nut bearing trees, butterfly, bee and moth plantings, fruit trees, berry bushes, dead trees, and brush piles as well as dust, grit and salt to attract a wide variety of birds.

Your Wild Bird Care Headquarters

Now that you know the basics of providing food, water, and shelter for your birds, you should try to make a long term plan to build up your habitat slowly over the years. Blain’s Farm & Fleet has everything you need to create a wild bird haven in your own backyard. Our friendly, knowledgeable store associates will be happy to help you find the feeders and food you need to transform your yard into an attractive and inviting place for the birds you want to see in your yard. Stay tuned to our Wild Bird Care blog for more great tips, tricks, how-to articles, and buyer’s guides.