Bird
Feeding Basics: Location, Location, Location! 
Before
choosing your bird feeder , consider these placement factors:
Your
Favorite Bird Watching Spots
Who To
Invite
The
Mess Factor
Potential
Dangers for Birds
Your
Favorite Bird Watching Spots
Where
do you want to watch the birds that you attract? Do you have a favorite window that you look out of often? It may be near an eating area, your favorite
chair, outside a second story window, or off the deck or porch. Pick a place that is convenient to reach to
add seed and clean year round. If you
can't see it or access it, you won't be likely to take regular care of it.
Who To
Invite
What
types of birds do you want to attract?
Sparrows, towhees and juncos usually feed on the ground. Finches and cardinals like to feed in shrubs. The chickadees, woodpeckers and titmice feed
in trees. Observe the local visitors
and place accordingly. If you want to
avoid overcrowding, congestion or competition and aggression at your feeder,
provide a variety of feeder types, placed away from each other and at different
levels. Use table-like feeders,
platform or ground feeders for ground feeding birds, hopper, tube or tube and
port feeders for shrub and treetop feeders, and suet feeders placed well off
the ground for woodpeckers, chickadees and nuthatches.
The
Mess Factor
Bird
feeders will make some type of mess.
Position the feeders where spilled seed and bird droppings won't be a
problem.
Potential
Dangers for Birds
Consider
the dangers you might be providing with the placement of your feeders such as
windows and predators. Approximately
one billion birds die in the U.S. yearly from flying into windows. They are fooled by the reflection of sky and
sometimes fly head-on into the glass.
Place the feeder within three feet of the window to encourage slower
flight upon approach. Drapes, or blinds
partially closed inside help the birds to "see" the glass. Some have tried decals and fruit tree or
fish netting on the windows to provide a visual clue for birds. Hang mobiles or windsocks such as the Mylar
Holographic Foil Windsock near the glass to provide reflection.
Cats
kill hundreds of millions of birds a year in the U.S. Cats that are allowed to prowl outside can pounce on ground
feeders and kill birds dazed after hitting a window. They are especially dangerous to fledglings on the ground in the
spring. Responsible cat owners will
keep their cats indoors to protect them from traffic, disease and
fighting. If you have cats that enter
your yard, avoid ground feeders and low hanging feeders. If you do use ground feeders, place them
away from brush or cover that the predator can hide in. A
well-placed appropriate Bird Feeder can provide nourishment for our feathered
friends as well as hours of Bird Watching enjoyment. Be ready to experience the "Enchantment of Life?" in your own
Backyard!
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