How to attract birds to apartment balcony
To get birds to come to a higher up balcony location as oppose to a backyard on the ground uses a near identical strategy, only we must apply them all.
How to attract birds to apartment balcony must depend on a feeder available on a deck mounted bird feeder pole with a bird bath double feature. Utilize seeds, nuts, suet, plus mealworms to attract a wider range of birds, while making sound with a fountain in the bird bath, plant vibrant flowers in a railing planter.
It can take time with a lot of patience when finding ways to attract birds to a much higher up balcony, as its far beyond a wild birds cruising attitude when seeking out food in the wild.
And before I go on any further its essential you do find out your particular apartment complex allows use of bird feeders or wild bird equipment on your balcony.
Why it matters is because we are going loud, thus the equipment used along with flowers will be seen by neighbors and therefore your to landlord who may come calling.
Prior to decorating your balcony in wild bird attracting products, be sure you have landlord permission by referring to your tenant agreement.
If you are in a second or thirteen floor apartment, I believe there's difficulties to overcome in regard to birds ignoring too high locations to feed.
Bird feeders are an essential piece of an equipment to use but its not the end of the world if you can't use one. What you will do instead is balance bird food across your balcony railing to feed birds without a feeder.
And as a bird feeder and therefore bird food won't be spotted by most birds, we should at least try and get their attention by planting colorful flowers.
Plant flowers in a balcony flower planter that hangs over the railing so it can be seen.
With a bird bath keep it 2 inches deep while inserting in a solar powered fountain, to attract birds with running water. Solar fountain bird bath tend to work in direct sun only, thus you'd have to use a corded bird bath fountain to generate power.
With all this to consider, the birds you do attract to an apartment balcony may be what you intended, yet pigeons can come to a balcony which you'd need to deal with.
Bird feeder double feature
How else can you attract wild birds to a backyard with anything but food, which is precisely what you are going to use to tempt birds to your apartment balcony.
Bird food is the key as always and as such, we can get birds too come to a balcony of all sizes - with any obscure location in a high rise or if its a six floor apartment complex with a balcony tucked away.
What you must do is let wild birds who will be willing to come to your balcony, is let them know bird food is readily available.
How to offer up all kinds of wild bird food in the limited space of a balcony, is on a bird feeder to keep it tidy.
You can't use a regular bird feeder pole that is self-balancing because of space is limited, yet we can still hang regular bird feeders just as they were intended too, on a bird feeder pole or tree branch.
What you can buy is a balcony bird feeder or a deck mounted bird bath, in which it would have a bracket for hanging one or two bird feeders on - or better still an open dish will be made available for all kinds of bird food.
We can't rely on a hanging bird feeder only because that limits what birds who can use it to only a few. Instead then, you will learn how to attract different birds to feeders that can hang, yet an open dish is favorable to all birds.
Mount bird bath on rail
Similar to a balcony or deck railing pole is a bird bath that can be mounted, often with a bonus bird feeder pole bracket.
Why I believe you must prioritize use of a bird bath on the balcony is because to attract birds to such an unusual location - you may need to with the sound of running water.
I can assure you songbirds love the sound of water and as such, can be attracted to it if in need of a quick bath or if to hydrate.
What is the best deck mounted bird baths are wide water dish options with a flat base.
Reasons for a wide flat base is so we can place a solar powered bird bath fountain feature in the actual water. Now I will say to use solar powered fountains you need direct sunshine - or else a shaded apartment side would need a wired fountain feature.
Be sure the deck mounted bird bath is hanging over and out of the railing on the balcony, as we want birds to see it - rather than if it was tucked away under the cover of the balcony.
Birds can spot a water source with the glistening of water, of which this will be created by the fountain feature.
Meanwhile in any spare dish a mix of bird food can be added without the need of investing in an additional railing mounted bird feeder pole.
Scatter mix bird food across railing
Idea behind attracting birds to an apartment balcony that may be some way out of a birds range - is to make it big, noisy and colorful.
While I recommend you continue to make use of a bird feeder pole, bird food can be placed on the balcony railing, of which most of you will have one.
I can say most deck or balcony railing bird feeder or bird bath poles are compatible with most widths or sizes - yet a bird feeder pole doesn't have to be used - with bird food placed directly on the balcony railing to be accessible to all.
It can depend on the width of your balcony railing but overall, you can expect to scatter all kinds of bird food along the length of the railing.
Utilize popular bird food that is sure to attract the most common backyard birds to your apartment balcony. With that you must include a seed mix, plus peanuts, suet pellets and dried mealworms.
Bird food must be used up quickly before it rots thus its vital to only use a bit at a time, which can avoid waste.
Without use of a bird feeder when only putting bird food on the railing; be respectful of your neighbors below who can be showered in wild bird food dust.
Stick-on window bird feeder
In addition to a regular bird feeder along with a double feature bird bath screwed on to your balcony railing, you can at least introduce a new kind of bird feeder.
How to attract birds to an apartment balcony with a window bird feeder can be difficult even in a house; thus its vital this stick-on window bird feeder is stuck onto an adjacent window in your apartment, rather than a balcony window.
Balcony windows are usually sunken in thus is unlikely to be seen by any passing bird.
Bird feeder equipment you have setup already on the balcony is doing its job, so a window bird feeder is not a replacement - nor should it be considered as a bird feeder to use on its on - when attracting birds to your apartment.
We want birds who fly by your apartment balcony to spot a bird feeder on the reflective glass, of which this hanging out wide bird feeder can get their attention.
Employ an open dish window bird feeder type or if you like there's an option for a stick-on window bird feeder bracket - of which any bird feeder can be hung off it.
Risk of an apartment window bird feeder is it may come falling to the ground, risking the safety of people below. Its vital then to anchor any window bird feeder with wire which would be tied inside the window.
Birds love suet so I'd recommend attracting birds to the window with suet pellets in the tray - or hang a suet bird feeder off the bracket - stocked up with suet cakes or fat balls.
Hang railing planter
Songbirds can be attracted to vibrant flowers in the wild because they contain seeds which come to eat.
With that in mind you can think about landscaping your apartment balcony - with landlords permission of course - with flowers actually planted in soil within a planter.
Not any planter mind you as we need the colorful flowers to be seen, thus a railing planter it what you need.
Don't be concerned about sizing or compatibility issues as there would be a balcony railing planter made to fit all railings. Its simple to use as it hooks over the width of the railing for a safe yet stabilized placement.
You'd then lay the soil while planting bird attracting flowers from the seeds, then in a few months expect an abundance of flowers brightening up your balcony. And that is why its vital to seek permission - as its sure to be spotted by anyone on the ground.
Prioritize sunflowers as the seed is favored by many birds, and with that you can actually pick out your sunflower seeds yourself to replenish the bird feeders that happen to be hung up close by.
Bugs and insects can become a nuisance with nectar flowers so for certain people the idea of using flowers to attract birds to your apartment balcony will be cut short.
Give hummingbirds space
Information I have laid out for you thus far to attract wild birds to a balcony, or should I say a balcony railing, is aimed at your common backyard birds.
What bird species require more attention is hummingbirds of course, and while hummers tend to fly at mostly tree top height - a higher apartment will probably miss out.
What I can tell you is hummingbirds are unlikely to feed with other birds, such as Titmouse, Chickadees or Finches who can also come to your balcony - of which you'd need to create an hummingbirds own space.
Small balcony space won't have the option yet a balcony layout that goes around a corner is sure to benefit.
Either way, you can at least mount a bird feeder, bird bath double feature pole on one side of the balcony - along with a hummingbird feeder location only 5 feet apart if it must.
Hopefully regular birds feed at certain times to allow hummingbirds a bit of space.
Hummingbird feeder should be away from other feeders thus its vital a nectar filled, hummingbird feeder is hanging up on a pole rather than placed on the railing - where it risks dropping to the ground.
Nectar flowers can also attract hummingbirds so pick your flower species carefully.
As a hummingbird feeder made to hang can by hung off a window bird feeder, thus we can keep the hummers far away from other birds after all.
Conclusion
How you attract birds to a backyard is with bird food available in a bird feeder, if its thrown over the lawn or with seed filled flowers.
Of which we'd need to apply these tactics for attracting birds to an apartment balcony, but with a difference of course. At this time we won't be using the obscure balcony floor, as we utilize the must seen balcony railing higher up.
What you can begin with is what is referred to as a deck or balcony mounted bird feeder.
Its a double feature bird food dish with the mount part screwed on to any shape or width balcony railing. In addition to this there can be a pole bracket in which a regular hanging bird feeder can be hung off.
At which point you are going to favor the open dish as its accessible to all birds who show willing - along with their favorites in seeds, peanuts, suet and dried mealworms.
To use a bird feeder dish mounted to the railing can keep it all tidy, although you can put bird food along the balcony railing if you must; which may be the alternative if the landlord turns down your application for a bird feeder on the balcony.
You can also make use of an additional apartment window to apply a window bird feeder.
With that it can be difficult to attract birds to a balcony higher up if it stays quiet with static wild bird equipment in use.
I then suggest you use a deck mounted bird bath, which is similar to a bird feeder pole mounted to a railing - only this time we can get birds attention with water.
What you must do is add the water for birds in the bird bath bowl as normal, while making use of a wide, flat base bird bath so we can add a solar powered bird bath fountain feature in the water.
Result of this would be birds being attracted to the sound of running water high up on the balcony.
Share this article:
