Bird feeders are very useful to keep the birds around you well fed. But, in order to do that in the right way, it takes time, effort, money and dedication. Let’s try to understand how this can be important for both birds and people.
First of all, having a bird feeder will help breeding species around your backyard by increasing the amount of food available, and by supporting adult birds spending less time and energy looking for food for their offspring. This can also assist local bird populations that can be under pressure from other reasons.
Then there are several other benefits that bird feeders can offer. Here are some of them:
- Enjoyment. One of the most obvious benefits and goals of having bird feeders is the pleasure of witnessing their behaviours, colours and listening to their songs.
- Art and creativity. The bird feeders can offer good opportunities to explore new skills and improve creativity. This can be photography, painting or sketching.
- Connection with nature. In urban areas, the bird feeders are sometimes the best, or even unique, way to see and interact with wild birds.
- Healthy distraction. In the same urban environment or not, observing birds in the feeders is a good way to disconnect from the routine and relax. It is a good alternative to birdwatching in the field that can help people’s mental health. Additionally, it can also be a good inspirational break.
- Natural pest control. The presence of bird feeders is likely to increase bird diversity and at the same time invite them to the natural food resources that can be undesirable for you. Examples of this include insects, worms, spiders, or even other seeds on the ground.
- Pollination. This is another aspect where birds can help you turn your backyard healthier. The constant presence of birds will assist with flower pollination.
- Education. Having bird feeders can be a very powerful education tool for all ages. Spending time observing wild birds feeding in your backyard will help to learn about several aspects related to birds and ornithology, such as identification, behaviour, phenology, diets and songs. Moreover, it will also help people be more aware of environmental and nature conservation.
Nonetheless, placing a bird feeder in your garden or backyard is not a guarantee for all these benefits. As we mentioned in the beginning, there’s lots of work to do if you want to create something helpful for the birds and joyful for you. To achieve that, here are some things you should consider:
- Choose carefully the food you want to provide and opt for high-quality to attract more birds and keep them coming back.
- Adopt the food accordingly to the season and the bird’s nutritional needs, taking into account breeding, migration and winter season for instance.
- Vary the food provided as much as you can to attract more species. Some of the things you can include are seeds, nuts, fruits and nectar.
- Create different designs to favour different species and try to keep them predator-free. It is very important that the birds feel safe in the feeder.
- Be creative and find ways to protect your feeders from non-bird guests.
- Keep the feeders clean and sterilised. It is crucial to avoid spreading diseases among your visitors.
Finally, we invite you to check the following ideas and examples of bird feeders to get inspired to create some for the birds in your garden or backyard.
https://www.housebeautiful.com/design-inspiration/g32292871/homemade-diy-bird-feeders/