Ultimately, birds can be a great way to quietly enjoy the natural ambience of your neighborhood.
How familiar are you with the wild birds in your area? Do you know how to attract them to your yard? It seems simple enough: hang a feeder and wait. But there really is more to it. Everything from squirrels to plants can affect the birds coming to your feeders, so it’s not a bad idea to have a plan when it comes to how you can best accommodate the wild birds visiting your yard.
What are the kinds of birds you want to attract? This area has no shortage of interesting species, and, in general, you want to pay attention to the standard things, regardless of species: Birds like to have a safe environment; making sure they have native plants for coverage is important. Keeping feeders out of the reach of predators like roaming cats is also crucial.
Hummingbirds: Here’s a bird that’s easy to love! It’s one of my personal favorites. There are about 18 different species of hummingbirds in Arizona, some of which are incredibly rare. Hummingbirds like nectar; there are lots of different recipes for nectar available, and you can even purchase it pre-made. Hanging lush red flowers next to your feeder will help hummingbirds find the feeder quickly. In fact, these birds are pretty smart – they are really good at finding your feeder, regardless of where you place it. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be tactful with feeder placement, though! Keep your feeder out of windy areas that may cause it to tip and spill nectar, which attracts insects. And, don’t forget to place your feeder next to a window so you can get a detailed view of these little guys! There is a less likely chance for a window collision when the feeder is closer to glass because they are unable to build up speed. If you have lots of birds coming to your feeder, expand! Place your feeders far enough apart that there won’t be any fights for nectar.
Hummingbirds are unique because they like liquid feed, but what about the finches, warblers, wrens, doves and other species? High-quality birdseed usually includes black oil sunflower seeds, Nyjer (thistle) or milo. Nyjer is often fed in small-hole feeders, which makes it accessible for birds with smaller beaks. Sunflower seeds can be fed in tube feeders, which make the seeds accessible to several different types of birds. Be sure to hang feeders at least five feet off the ground and close enough to windows to enjoy the visitors without compromising the safety to the birds. Window collisions can be avoided by placing feeders close enough to the window that the birds can’t gain enough speed on liftoff to cause a collision, or far enough away that the birds can’t even see the window.
Ultimately, birds can be a great way to quietly enjoy the natural ambience of your neighborhood. Investing in quality seeds and feeders is only part of the process – be sure to do your research if you’re looking to attract a specific species! Arizona sure has plenty to enjoy. FBN
By Cheyenne Brown
Cheyenne Brown is the marketing manager for Olsen’s Grain.
