During the cold and dark winter months, you sometimes need a splash of color and activity to brighten up the view from the comfort of your home. Creating a habitat for backyard birds can help bring a little joy and activity to a winter view that you can enjoy from the warm comfort of your own home. While I may seem as simple as putting a birdfeeder in your yard and waiting, there are a few nuances that will get birds flocking to your yard!
Feeders
To make your backyard bird habitat successful, you will need to pay attention to what feeders you select and how you maintain them. To attract birds, you will need a variety of different feeders hung at different heights and in different areas around your yard. To protect against the biggest nuisance of a backyard bird habitat, make sure to buy feeders that are squirrel proof. This will prevent them from stealing the feed you put out and scaring birds away! Make sure to keep your feeder fully stocked from the beginning to end of winter and clean it periodically with soap and water to ensure your birds won’t get sick!
Location, Location, Location
Once you’ve picked your feeders, it’s time to place them throughout your yard! There are a few tips to keep in mind when placing your feeders. If your feeders aren’t squirrel proof, make sure to place your them at least 10 feet from trees. This will prevent squirrels from jumping from branches onto feeders and raiding the contents. At the same time, try to keep the trees within a short flight of feeders so the birds will have a short flight to safety if they become scared. Even though it is winter, birds still love flowing water! It your yard has any natural or artificial water features, try setting up feeders there.
Food
However, birds don’t just love birdseed! Birds are attracted to areas with varied food sources available. On top of the standard peanuts and mixed seeds, many backyard birds are drawn to suet, fruit, even mealworms! Make sure to offer a variety of different kinds of seeds, extremely small fresh or dried fruits, or other foods that birds eat in the wild.