Bird Feeding Experiment

Attract a New Species

• If you have spotted a migrating bird or native bird a few houses down, start providing a small feeder with their preferred food to see if you can attract them to your birding area. For example, if you normally feed only seed or seed mixes, try setting out suet feeders for species such as wrens and nuthatches. Also, if you are not currently feeding nectar eaters such as hummingbirds or orioles try hanging one 2-ounce feeder to see if they can find their way their.

Preference Of Food

• There are several different varieties of seed and suet mixes that offer different nutrients, flavors and textures to backyard birds. Try setting up different food stations with different seeds mixes to see which type of seed mix is preferred. There are also shelled seed and species specific mixes such as corn, sunflower or safflower only. Seasonal feeder stations answer the dietary needs of birds based on their season needs such as feeding meal worms during the summer months when protein needs are higher for newly fledged chicks.

Seed Specific Stations

• Seed-specific feeding stations allow for bird watchers to see what types of seed attract the largest number of species. For example, setting up a sunflower or oiled sunflower feeder can reveal how many different species of birds enjoy eating that particular seed. Securing suet feeder stations can also reveal what particular birds enjoy suet. And, for nectar eaters, try using fruit pieces to see if only orioles will eat on them or if other fruit eaters such as robins will enjoy feeding on them as well.

Considerations

• If birds are no longer using a once active feeder, try cleaning it with a mild bleach and water solution. Rinse several times and allow to dry before refilling it. Having large numbers of birds feeding throughout the year brings the risk of bacteria. To control bird populations, try feeding smaller amounts or less often to encourage low numbers and move feeders one foot each year to promote ground absorption of seeds, hulls and bird waste.