May 8, 2021
May 8, 2021
he number of folks deriving pleasure from the birds in their yards is increasing exponentially and they want to know more about these incredible creatures. For example, where do birds sleep at night? How do they deal with extreme cold? However, it is also fair to say that not all interactions with birds are positive. How do you stop birds from hitting windows or woodpeckers from damaging your home? And while a large number of informational books and websites focused on how to attract birds to the backyard does exist, this fun hobby sometimes creates new and vexing problems. Should you provide bath water in the winter? What you should do if you find a baby bird? How shoudl you deal with hawks? Should you offer peanut butter and what things can you add to suet? With at least three decades of experience in teaching ornithology, feeding birds, and writing and lecturing on backyard bird biology and challenges, enjoy a visual presentation by Dr. David M. Bird as he attempts to provide answers to these thought-provoking questions and many more. Please note that this webinar will NOT be recorded.
Questions & Answers
From the May 8, 2021 webinar
- What do you recommend we use to clean our bird feeders? Take it apart and use a dishwasher on a hot setting or hand-wash either with soap and boiling water or with a dilute bleach solution (no more than 1 part bleach to 9 parts water). Rinse thoroughly and allow to dry before refilling.
- I mix my own food, using black oil and striped sunflower seeds, safflower and cracked corn. Is there anything else I could/should add to the mix (readily available bulk supply)? You could add some sunflower hearts or peanut kernels. Personally, I would drop the cracked corn unless you do not mind house sparrows, grackles and possibly even pigeons. But if you are not worried about these birds, consider adding some white millet.
- If I were to make my own suet, would meal worms be a good addition? Why not! You can buy dried meal worms.
- There's annual mosquito spraying in Kanata north. Isn't killing mosquitos reducing food for birds? Why is this spraying allowed to happen? It's voted on by the residents each year but shouldn't the residents be notified of the negative impact on nature to help them make an informative decision? Any program that kills mosquitoes is reducing the food supply for birds. Perhaps bird-lovers could attend the town meeting and vent their opposition to the programs. I have no idea what they are spraying, but I would want to know. Some pesticides are also harmful to humans.
- I'm trying to essentially create an ecosystem in my back yard. Is it really that terrible if wild predators come to my yard to fulfill the ecosystem? I'm not speaking of outdoor neighbourhood cats. Are you kidding me?! Go for it….anyone who likes birds of prey is a friend of mine. On the other hand, if you are attracting raccoons, foxes, coyotes, cougars, bears, etc., perhaps your neighbours might mind!!
- Should we feed suet to birds in the summer or only in winter? I offer suet all summer, but I use the rendered commercial kind that does not melt in the sun. Also, I offer it in the shade only.
- Bird feed also attracts mice and rodents and eventually they get into the house. Is there a way to continue to feed birds but keep the rodents away? Whether one feeds birds or not, mice will always try to enter buildings to accomplish two things, that is getting out of the cold weather and looking for food sources. And I must honestly say that finding mice inside one’s domicile is not a good thing. In fact, we have had them appear in all three houses we have lived in over the last 30 years and I take them very seriously, basically resorting to killing them with snap traps, which are very effective. It sounds like you are doing all you can to keep your bird-feeding operation from attracting mice, especially locating them 20 feet away from the building. I do not think that halting your feeding will stop mice from entering your condos.
Here is what I would do. First, I would look for any kind of entry holes, however small, and plug them up. Second, make absolutely sure that your feeders cannot be accessed by mice by hanging them or putting them on poles with baffles to keep the mice from climbing up. Third, it is always a good idea to make sure that your feeders have seed trays installed on them to prevent seed from falling on the ground. Fourth, consider offering only sunflower chips so that no hulls fall to the ground. And think about using my favourite Squirrel Buster feeder, the one that offers shelled mixed nuts. Not only do the nuts attract lots of birds, they stay on the feeder longer, the nuts last longer, and there is no mess below the feeder. Fifth, sweep the area below the feeders often to remove debris tasty to mice and keep the lawn cut short to prevent the mice from hiding in long grass. Sixth, store your seed in a mouse-proof container. I used a galvanized garbage can with a tight lid and I place a heavy rock on it to keep out the raccoons. - Shouldn't there be public education on light pollution and migrating birds? I could not agree more….I try to write and talk about it whenever I can. Check out the Fatal Light Attraction Program on the internet.
- Is it recommended to use diatomaceous earth in a Chickadee nesting box? Diatomaceous earth is practically non-toxic to fish and aquatic invertebrates. It is commonly encountered by birds and other wildlife, and it's not known to be harmful. However, no toxicity evaluations for wildlife have been done to my knowledge. Diatomaceous earth kills a variety of crawling insects including bed bugs, fleas, roaches, ants, and earwigs. Food-grade diatomaceous earth is apparently safe and can be ingested by animals and humans. The DE, microscopically, acts like tiny shards of glass and breaks up the exoskeleton of bugs, which dehydrates them and causes them to die.
- Any advice or concerns about concrete bird baths, including algae growth, etc.? They are actually my favourite bird bath! I suppose that algae does grow in them, but the idea is to occasionally scrub out your bird bath with a brush and rinse with a hose.
- Our yard is totally monopolized by House Sparrows. What’s the best way to deter them? Is it as simple as a food change? We generally feed sunflower chips in an attempt to attract a variety of bird pals. The best way to discourage them from feeders is to offer the right foods. Cracked corn, wheat, oats, millet and most mixed seed offerings are a definite no-no…those sunflower chips are obviously liked by the sparrows too. Your best food offerings are safflower seeds, nyjer (or thistleseed), suet, peanuts, and mixed nuts. If you wish to continue to offer sunflower seeds, do it in a feeder design that sways in the wind, as sparrows are more likely to get spooked by a moving feeder.
Keep in mind that house sparrows like to feed on the ground or on platform feeders, so keep spilled seed to a minimum. Perches shorter than 5/8 of an inch also help prevent house sparrows from perching on feeders. Adding rocks to your bird bath to break up bathing spots and getting rid of any dusty, gravelly areas where house sparrows like to dust-bathe might help. Discourage the little devils from breeding and roosting in your yard by eliminating any potential nesting cavities or wall ivy and keeping garage and shed doors closed when not in use. Finally, harassing the sparrows in their roosting spots in the evening just after they perch sleep for the night may also force them to seek safer locations elsewhere. - I was told it helps to keep your windows a little dirty, especially during nesting time. What do you think? Is it best to clean windows later, say, in summer? I am assuming that you are thinking that the dirty windows might be more easily seen by distracted young fledglings. Anything that lessens the chance of a bird striking your windows is a good thing. You do not necessarily have to suffer dirty windows to save birds. A more permanent solution entails adding strips of bird-friendly adhesive tape about 10 centimeters apart; see http://www.collidescape.org/abc-birdtape for details.
- Do hummingbird feeders attract wasps to nest in your home's eaves? If your hummer feeders are attracting a lot of wasps, then one could assume that this extra food source might be an enhancement to wasps to build a nest in one’s eaves. You can buy hummer feeders that do not allow wasps to gain access to the sugar water. To be honest, if one’s eaves are conducive to nest-building, they would likely build one whether one feeds hummers or not.
- Is it common to only see new species for only one day? I get so excited when I spot a new bird but they never stick around haha. As Rodger Tory Peterson, the guru for bird-watching, once said…”Birds have wings and thus, they can go anywhere they damn well please!”. Usually though, when a “new” bird shows up, they generally hang around for a few days at least, unless they don’t like the food or the safety in their surroundings.
- I've noticed a severe decline in winter feeding, including cardinals. If they aren't migrating, where are they going? It is really hard to say why birds are there one winter and not the next. It could be one or more of many reasons….changes in the food supply, the appearance of a predator in the area, birds dying for one reason or another and not being replaced right away.
- I've put out goldfinch feeders with nyjer seed, but have yet to see a goldfinch. Is there something else I need to include in my landscape? I have a pond, shrubs, native plants etc... Well, I guess that it depends on where you live. Take a look at the range map of the American goldfinch on the internet to ensure that they are found in your area. It really depends on the rest of the habitat around your property….the birds do have to find your feeders!
- What can I offer as an alternative to paint chips and mortar? A great question!! Pigeons, doves and many other birds must swallow grit in the form of small stones, sand and similar materials in order to break down seed coats and other foods before digestion can take place. Grit is often in short supply during the winter, being either covered with snow or frozen to the ground You can help winter birds along by providing pet bird gravel, sand and oyster shell (available at garden supply shops) in snow-free locations. It is best to keep grit separated from food, as it will be used slowly and may become contaminated with feces if it lies out too long. Calcium is especially important as winter turns to spring, since female birds utilize this mineral to produce egg shells. However, insects, the main source of calcium for many species, are often scarce at this time of the year. You can also supply calcium by mixing oyster shell and ground-up eggshells into your wild bird food.
- How to deter rats and attract birds? See my response to Question 7 on mice. Much of what I said applies also to rats. Which rats are you referring to….Norway rats or wood rats? You definitely do not want the former species in and around your home. I see wood rats, a more harmless species, occasionally in my yard; one lived for a while in my BBQ. While I would love to attract California quail to my yard with chicken feed in a ground feeder, my wife nixed the idea because of the possibility of attracting wood rats.
- I live in the Niagara region and I have noticed we see a few Blue Jays and Cardinals in the winter. I would like to feed them suet in the winter. SInce Cardinals like to perch I would like to purchase a suet feeder with a perch and roof to protect the suet. Any recommendations for a feeder? I can't seem to locate where to purchase a cage feeder with these features. Actually, cardinals are generally ground feeders and would much rather dine on a platform feeder rather than a tube feeder with a perch. I am not sure that suet is the way to go for either of these species. You will be better off offering either sunflower seed (or safflower seed if you have squirrels in your area) for the cardinals….and I have never met a blue jay that did not adore peanuts in the shell.
- I have king birds in my area and they like to build nests on my house, will they use nest boxes? or should I use deterrents. I do like them because they eat insects. While kingbirds have been known to use a vacant bluebird or tree swallow box, provided they can get access, it is very rare. I could write a book on how to stop birds from nesting on one’s home, but every house is different. Not to leave you hanging, visit this site to see if there is something helpful for your home: https://homeardent.com/ways-keep-birds-off-porch/
- This winter I put my Christmas spruce tree outside and dried my rose hips wrapped in peanut butter and seeds and hung on the tree. nothing came. not one. can you explain? Well, that is a hard one to explain, mainly because I do not know what else is attracting birds in your neighbourhood. Are there lots of outdoor cats in the neighbourhood? Do many of your neighbours feed the birds? Wish I could be more helpful to you.
- What about bird feeding at the cottage with racoons and bears around? A tough decision….both animals are very smart, very persistent, and will literally destroy your feeder(s) if they can reach them. You can indeed buy poles that are bear-proof (and by default, raccoon-proof); one of my friends in Port Angeles has one. Your best bet is to locate a nature or bird store in your area and ask if they sell such things. I am sure that they are available on the internet.
- Will the bald eagle at the back of my farm come after my sharp shinned hawk that lives in or around my windbreak at the front? It would be highly unlikely for a bald eagle to catch a speedy, healthy sharp-shinned hawk. While the eagles are stronger, they are not as agile.
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