Idaho Department of Fish and Game : Tips for feeding winter birds

IDAHO FISH AND GAME
Headquarters NEWS RELEASE
Boise, ID

Date:

January 11, 2016

Contact:

mike demick
[e-mail]
[phone]

Feeding wild birds is one of the most popular outdoor activities in the U.S., and the Idaho Department of Fish and Game encourages bird enthusiasts to keep a few things in mind to help assure successful bird feeding.

'The location of your feeder and what food it offers is very important for attracting birds,' said Deniz Aygen, Idaho Fish and Game watchable wildlife biologist. 'To attract a variety of birds, many bird watchers use a variety of feeders and foods in several different locations.'

The following are additional suggestions for successful bird feeding:

• Place feeders in a quiet place near cover to protect feeding birds from weather and predators. Move feeders if you notice birds striking windows.
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• Birds can be particular about what and where they eat. Sparrows, juncos and doves typically feed on the ground or on a flat platform, while other birds prefer an elevated feeder. Some ground-feeding birds prefer corn, milo or millet, but sunflower seeds are also a popular food. Adding finch or thistle seed can attract pine siskins, goldfinches and house finches. Insect-eating birds, such as woodpeckers, chickadees and nuthatches feed on suet or peanut butter mixtures.
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• If possible, provide water nearby. Specially designed heaters are available to prevent freezing. Once water and food are offered, try to continue through the winter, but don't be concerned if you miss a few days, since feeding birds are mobile and are probably visiting other feeding stations besides yours.
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• Clean feeders regularly to prevent disease by using one part liquid chlorine household bleach in nine parts of lukewarm water to make a 10 percent bleach solution. Make enough solution to immerse an empty, cleaned feeder completely for two to three minutes. Allow to air dry. Store seed in tight, waterproof containers to prevent mold and to deter rodents.
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• If you live in an area shared with bears, you might consider bird feeding only in the winter, when birds need it most and when the bears are inactive. Remember feeding wildlife, other than birds, is not recommended. If food set out for birds is being eaten by other wildlife, move the food to a safe location or discontinue feeding.

Interested in counting birds at your feeder? Project FeederWatch, a citizen science project, is a winter -long bird feeder study that helps track bird movements during the winter, as well as long-term trends in bird distribution and abundance. The project also tracks the kinds of foods and environmental factors that attract birds and how disease is spread among feeder birds. For more information and to sign up visit the FeederWatch website at http://feederwatch.org.