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It is a common sight to see bird feeders set up in homes especially during the winter months. For some these can serve a year-round purpose too. Bird feeders, as literal as their name, are devices placed outdoors to supply bird food to birds. For a feeder to be successful everything depends on where it is placed and what kinds of seeds are offered. It may sound a bit silly but birds too have their own preferences when it comes to seeds. Different species have different preferences.
The most common seeds that bird feeders are filled with include Thistle, Safflower, Sunflower, Millet, Rapeseed, and Canola seeds. Most of the time a person will make use of a bird feeder to attract birds for purposes of bird watching. There are some people who even place webcams on their feeders to record the birds who may flock to the feeders.
Hummingbird Feeder
There are different kinds of bird feeders. The food that is placed in the device is not limited to seeds although these are the most common and most popular feeder type. There are hummingbird feeders wherein seeds are replaced by a sugar solution for the hummingbirds. To protect this liquid nourishment from ants the edges of the feeder are smeared with petroleum jelly.
Oriole Bird Feeder
Then there are oriole bird feeders which supply artificial nectar to new world orioles. For these birds other possible foods include fruits so there are times when people make use of grape jelly or half an orange in their bird feeders. A suet feeder is another version which is usually fabricated to have a metal cage lined with a plastic coating. This bird feeder contains a block or cake of suet ideal for woodpeckers and other insect-eating bird species including nuthatches and flickers. The suet is high in fat making birds feel warm in the cold winter months.
Suet Feeder
Bird feeders are usually accompanied with bird baths. These should be placed in locations that are free from hiding spots for cats and other predators. In addition, the location should also be one that is easy for the birds to reach. Because there are lots of possible foods that bird feeders can be filled with there is less competition among the birds for nourishment. One can have a number of bird feeders in the home.
Having bird feeders around is a great way not only to attract birds if you are an avid birdwatcher. Having them around can help a lot of birds especially during the winter when they cannot get food as easily as they can during the warmer seasons. But there are some negative impacts associated with bird feeders as well.
Cardinal Feeder
While there is nothing wrong with feeding birds, they can easily contract and spread possible diseases when they gather at the bird feeders. There are times when a poorly maintained feeder can also promote illnesses for these animals. Birds that use feeders can also fall prey to predators like cats and may also figure in accidents getting injured when they fly towards windows.
Even if these are possible scenarios there are steps which you can take to ensure that your bird feeders only do good and promote less harm for the birds. The first thing you should do is have a regular schedule for the disinfecting of your bird feeders and bird baths if you have these too. Then you should also check to see if any food has gone rancid or moldy.
Always make sure that the bird feeders are placed in positions where crowding is less likely to happen. Place them as far from windows as possible. To reduce accidents where birds fly into windows you can cover a portion of the windows with a wooden lattice or apply some window decals.
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