This article was co-authored by Jeff Jones and by How.com.vn staff writer, Hunter Rising. Jeff Jones is a Bird Specialist based in Nashville, Tennessee. He is the writer of BirdOculars, a website dedicated to helping people become better birders. He has over 18 years of experience and specializes in feeding birds and wildlife. Jeff experiments to find ways to encourage birds he wants to study and his website help others to do the same.
There are 12 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page.
This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources.
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Your bird feeder is all set up in your yard and filled with delicious seeds—so why haven’t your feathered friends stopped by for a meal yet? There are tons of simple things you can do to get birds to come to your feeder and even attract some new species to your yard. Once you finish reading this article, you’ll know all the best tricks to make birds eat from your feeder and keep them come back for more.
Things You Should Know
- Scatter seeds near your feeder to help birds see them better.
- Try switching feeds. Try sunflower seeds for all birds, millet for doves and sparrows, thistle seed for finches, peanuts for crows, and suet for chickadees.
- Place your bird feeders close to plant cover where birds can hide from predators and build their nests. Keep a small bowl or bird bath with water nearby.
- Throw away any seeds that have been sitting out for 2 weeks or longer, and then clean your bird feeder.
Steps
Expert Q&A
Tips
- Check your feeders during the early morning or around dusk since that’s when birds are usually more active.[15]Thanks
- Birds don’t use feeders as much during the summer, fall, and early winter since they could eat other natural food sources.[16]Thanks
Warnings
- If you see a bird that has closed eyes, breathing problems, or fluffed feathers, it may be sick.[17] Take your feeder down until any sickly birds disperse so they don’t spread diseases when they eat.[18]Thanks
- Keep pet cats indoors so they can’t hunt any wild birds that come to your feeders.[19]Thanks
References
- ↑ https://extension.psu.edu/winter-bird-feeding-the-basics
- ↑ https://www.wildlifedepartment.com/sites/default/files/2021-10/Attracting%20Birds%20to%20Your%20Backyard.pdf
- ↑ https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/UW192
- ↑ https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/UW192
- ↑ https://today.oregonstate.edu/news/experts-it%E2%80%99s-ok-leave-bird-feeders-avian-flu-outbreak-reaches-state
- ↑ https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/UW192
- ↑ https://www.fws.gov/story/feed-or-not-feed-wild-birds
- ↑ https://www.johnson.k-state.edu/natural-resources/agent-articles/wildlife/attracting-birds-to-your-backyard-bird-feeder-basics.html
- ↑ https://wildlife.unl.edu/pdfs/selective-bird-feeding.pdf
- ↑ https://www.tn.gov/twra/wildlife/birds/backyard-bird-feeders.html
- ↑ https://www.tn.gov/twra/wildlife/birds/backyard-bird-feeders.html
- ↑ https://gl.audubon.org/news/dos-and-don%E2%80%99ts-winter-bird-feeding
- ↑ https://www.mass.gov/news/attract-birds-to-your-yard-naturally-this-spring
- ↑ https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/UW192
- ↑ https://extension.psu.edu/winter-bird-feeding-the-basics
- ↑ https://extension.psu.edu/winter-bird-feeding-the-basics
- ↑ https://vet.tufts.edu/tufts-wildlife-clinic/found-wildlife/what-do-if-you-found-sick-or-injured-bird
- ↑ https://www.fws.gov/story/feed-or-not-feed-wild-birds
- ↑ https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/UW192
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