5 tips for attracting birds to bird feeders
Tricks to attracting birds to a bird feeder can rely on luck, with patience being a key; though you can attract birds to a feeder sooner by using my tips to speed up the wait.
Tips for attracting birds to bird feeders would need more feeders to cater to nut, seed, insect and even fruit eating birds. Seed mixes go in tube feeders, nuts or suet goes in cage feeders - all this, plus fruits and scraps go on a open platform feeder. Group all bird feeders on a pole, while displaying them in the open.
Best tips I can provide you is to use more bird feeders to attract more bird species - of which all have their own dietary needs, just as their diet requires in nature.
What bird feeders to use must be at least one of a seed, peanut and suet - plus an open bird dish for dried mealworms, dried fruits or a mix of all bird feed - made to be suspended, preferably off a pole.
Center pole in the yard so its exposed to soaring birds flying over. In time birds will land nearby, then slowly develop the courage to feed off your bird feeders in the yard.
Its vital to display bird feeders to birds that are close by to show you are offering bird food at this time. Continue to replenish, clean and maintain bird feeders - even if they are not being used for the time being.
Group all bird feeders on a pole to attract wild birds for the first time, so more of the same species can feed in a flock.
Later you can hang a group of bird feeders in a tree if that is an area in the yard where birds tend to occupy the most during the day.
Birds eat all kinds of things in the wild, thus it must reflect on what you are feeding them in bird feeders.
Cater to all birds which would include seed mixes, peanuts, suet in fruit, nut and seed mix recipes... along with an option for birds to eat out of an open top platform feeder.
1. More feeders, more birds
Best tip I can give you for attracting birds to a bird feeder is using as many types of bird feeders as possible.
Birds won't be attracted to bird feeders because they've appeared out of know where, more bird feeders simply increases the likelihood birds will visit your yard, so more likely to feed of said feeders - if they are loaded with bird food they eat.
More bird feeders can supply up to four or five different kinds of wild bird food, thus you can feed a wider range of birds, similarly to what they would eat in the wild.
Birds that land or perch near your yard, and therefore are within range of your group of bird feeders - will in turn decide to check it out and feed - rather than realizing nothing they eat as part of their strict diet is available in your feeders.
More bird feeders means you can include more of their favorite bird food in multiple feeders.
It can be seed mixes or specialty seeds only like sunflower seeds, nuts or peanuts in their shell, suet of the fruit, insect or seed kind - plus dried or popular with birds' live mealworms - with a mix of dried fruits for fun.
2. Group all bird feeders on pole
Aim for as many as five bird feeders designed for five types of bird food, which should primarily include: seed mixes, peanuts, suet and dried mealworms.
Of these five bird feeders, why not include an open dish to cater to birds not adapted to hanging bird feeders. Refer to a hanging or mounted to a bird feeding station pole bird feed dish - or why not an open wooden bird feeder platform on a stand, to cater to all species.
When birds come to your yard, or indeed can spot a number of bird feeders situated close together - only then would they be happy to feed safely in numbers.
Feeders scattered around the yard can have its benefits, but for more of the same species to feed at your bird feeders, it would be best to allow them to feed near one another.
To do that you would group all your bird feeders together, preferably all suspended off a bird feeding station pole, or similarly a shepherds' hook.
Strategically position each bird feeder evenly apart, while placing an open dish above all else, to prevent birds pooping into the tray of food, or if it happens to be filled with water.
3. Display feeders in open
To attract birds to a brand new bird feeder relies heavily on attracting birds to the bird feeders they can spot in the air, as they pass over your yard throughout the day.
Once seen, birds will come down to perch near the bird feeders to check out what's going on, then proceed to perch on the feeder for a while. If all is safe and clear, these birds will soon be back to feed.
Bird can remember where bird feeders are in the neighborhood, thus you won't have too much trouble attracting them again... that is if you succeed in encouraging birds to use your feeders in the first place.
Display bird feeders out in the open to allow birds that soar the sky above to spot the bird feeders on the ground, as clear as day.
Bird feeders must be near natural vegetation or trees, which can be restricting, thus its better to prioritize a more open location for now, as to get them to at least use your bird feeders for now.
Only then when birds know you are a supplier of bird feeders, and therefore bird food, will they return to feed daily regardless of a more obstructed feeder location.
4. Add all types of bird food on tray
What many people associate more as a bird feeder, is the kind that holds seeds in a clear window tube, or peanuts and suet in a mesh or cage feeder.
When in fact a bird feeder belonging to a simple bird food dish can be more than effective - as its likely to be more successful then other feeders in use.
Bird dishes are just that, a tray that can hold bird food with a mesh base to allow drainage, while similarly this same style can be made as a bird bath, to hold water for birds to bathe and re-hydrate.
I therefore recommend adding all the wild bird food you would normally insert in a closed contraption, to be placed inside this bird dish tray.
Its the kind of bird dishes that come with bird feeding stations, to be mounted on the pole above other bird feeders.
You can use nuts, seeds and suet all together, or why not use a bit of that, and a bit of this until you know what works, and what is ignored by wild birds.
Similarly to a small, often made in plastic bird feeder tray, is the highly effective made in wood platform bird feeders, for use with busier yards, attracting a range of birds on various dietary needs.
5. Not forgetting ground eaters
Now that I believe I've given you all the advice you could possibly need to attract birds to a brand new bird feeder, and more... let's not forget about ground eaters.
Ground feeding birds may possibly take up more time in your yard than birds likely to forager higher up in trees. With that in mind you must offer ground feeding birds all types of feed on the ground.
Ground eating birds are mostly seed or insect eaters, so rather than use the suspended bird feeders, add an additional ground bird feeder to keep things more tidy, while preserving the bird food on the ground for longer.
On this ground platform bird feeder, use quality seed mixes with additional dried mealworms.
To cater to ground eating birds diet, this should include what they need, but there's certainly no harm in adding more options, including peanuts - in or out of shells - suet and dried fruits, specifically for use the summer.
Be sure to only use an open top ground platform feeder, just as you would a platform feeder on a stand - so therefore all birds, big and small will be capable of using it.
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