First, as with humans, food is always a popular way to attract birds to your birdhouses and your backyard. You can provide different kinds of food to cater to different types of species of birds. Some of these food include nectars, small insects, fruits, nuts and seeds. In addition to these food sources, you should also always provide fresh water to the visiting birds. Bird baths and small ponds are some good ways to provide the visting birds with water.
The fastest way to a bird's heart is through its stomach. By providing food and water to the birds, you are performing bird feeding. Bird feeding is also a great way to observe different species of birds and their respective unique characteristics. Bird feeding is particularly important to birds because it provides them with a source of food and water during periods when food and water are scarce such as winter time. However, bird feeding can be done all year round as it supplements the visiting birds with their food needs. As such, its a great way to attract more birds to your birdhouses and backyard.
So how can you use this knowledge to attract more birds to your birdhouses and backyard ? For one, you can choose a safer spot in your backyard and set up a simple feeding station. The spot you choose should preferably be away from predators. You can take some precautionary measures to make the chosen spot safer like installing a ultrasonic cat deterrant and making sure there are no food near the spot so as to avoid attracting hungry animals. You can encourage birds to visit your feeding station by placing bird food in different areas around the feeding station. You can then vary the distance and shorten it as time goes by.
As mentioned, you don't have to build or buy an elaborated feeding station. The most important factor that your feeding station should have is the ease in which you can maintain it. It should be easy to refill, it should display the food prominently to birds, it should also hold a reasonable amount of food so you do not have to keep topping it up with food and finally it should be able to hold more then one bird at one time. Some of the simple feeding station you can consider buying would be the tube-feeder in which the seeds stay dry and its design prevents spillage of food or you can choose the hopper type of bird feeders which dispenses food automatically when they are needed.
As for water, it is essential if you want to attract more birds to your birdhouses. You should note that different species of birds have different requirements of how deep they like their water source to be. For example, some species of birds like small puddles while other birds like bird baths that are relatively deep. Providing various depths of water will attract different species of birds. However, do take note that your water depth should not be more then 2 inches deep as some birds may drown and do not choose a bird bath with an elaborated and striking pattern or design at the bottom of the bath as it may confuse the birds and discourage them from using the bird bath.
Besides all the points mentioned above, you should also keep in mind the number one factor that influences the attractiveness of your birdhouse to visiting birds. What's the number one factor that people always don't take note ? Its the safety of your birdhouses to the visiting birds. If you are attracting a certain kind of species of bird, customize the entrance opening hole of the birdhouse to suit just the species of bird you want to attract. Removable of birdhouse perches and the reduction of backyard predators also play a big part in making your birdhouse safer and more attractive to birds.
Many households grow gardens, ornamental plants and bushes in their yard. There are any number for planting a yard. Besides the potential for growing fruit and vegetables and flowering plants, quite often, people are keen to invite birds to their yard. Watching theseamazing creatures flutter around the property is a real treat, nearly as gratifying as watching the garden mature.
Most birds are most likely to prefer cultivated areas that support trees, grasses and flowers, a yard is an ideal option for them. Tree branches offer roosts, giving the birds security from predators and a home to raise their young. Even standing tree stumps and logs can bring in birds, this is because insects use them as home bases and the birds control the insects.
Birds, just like any other animal need a water source. They will for their own sake populate areas that provide plenty of water. So, it's imperative that you provide the birds you attract with a place to drink. The water source can be either a hand dug or natural lake, creek, river or even a bird bath. Rocks with dents in them also make superb bowls for rainwater.
Water in your yard or garden will also invite insects that the birds will snack on. Insects are the top energy source of most bird species and this should not be ignored. As you know all to well, bugs are drawn to the things growing in your yard. They do cause insurmountable damage to your garden and need to be dealt with. Birds are the easiest way to do this. They're organic, cause no pollution and their voices fill the garden with sweet music.
Vegetarian birds are usually fed using specially designed feeders. Most are equipped with squirrel proofing, still, those crafty critters still find a way in. Birds come in a variety of shapes and sizes and eat different types of seeds. Bird feeders also are available in a variety of styles and shapes from small liquid Hummingbird feeders to larger feeding stations for Blue Jays and other species. If a gardener wants to invite a selection of types of bird, different kinds of feeders can be placed around the garden for each type.
Having all the plants in place, feeders set up and a water source developed, lots of birds will be welcomed to your yard. When they arrive, they'll be content to eat, drink and be happy all day long. Some of your new friends will make their home in trees near by. But most of them will nest somewhere else if there are no good locations given to them.
Birds, like us, have their preferences as to the type of house they live in. Most commonly, human constructed bird houses are lived in by Bluebirds, Robins, Chickadees, Wrens, House Finches, Flickers and Martins. By making available houses of the proper dimension and shape for each bird species, the homeowner allows the birds a safe home for their chicks. When the chicks are growing, its parents are able to find food close to the nest, thus keeping the baby within sight and well fed.
At most garden centers, birdhouses can be bought in a huge variety of sizes, shapes and styles. Since houses for birds are typically quite simple, they can be easily made by the average person. It's even an activity that a group of kids, such as a scouting troop, can do. Having built and installed their own birdhouse, kids and grown-ups alike will get a thrill out of watching new tenants move in.
To get the maximum benefit out of your property, birds are truly some of the best additions. They'll visit you if they can find the food, water and shelter they need. Year after year, they'll come back to lay their eggs, raise their young and act as your own personal exterminator.
Both Alvin Loh & Vin Dewolfe are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Alvin Loh has sinced written about articles on various topics from Celebrities, Home Management and Pets. Alvin is a avid bird watcher and likes to and collect