December 22, 2005

Isn’t fascinating to watch a hummingbird gracefully hovering over the ground as it feeds on a honeysuckle? How wonderful it feels to be awaken by the joyful song of a bird, rathern than the horrendous buzzing of an alarm clock.

How do you go about selecting a bird feeder? What do you put in the feeder? Well, it’s not hard to find these answers. Here are some tips and miscellaneous information about wild bird feeding.

First, you want to find out which birds inhabit your area. This can be accomplished by taking a picture of the bird. You can then search for information about the bird on the internet, or at the library. You can also find information about what to find that certain type of bird on the internet, or at the library. In addition to these resources, you can visit a store that sells bird feeding supplies. If the clerk can’t help you, you may be able to find a limited amount of information on the wild bird feeder, or wild bird feed packaging. Many packages will state what type of birds the feeding supplies are to be used with, but it doesn’t hurt to research this beforehand.

Now, do not take a look at the feed and make judgments. It is a fact that birds do not have nearly as many taste buds as humans. There is also reason to believe that because the food is in their mouth such a short time, they may not put much emphasis on tasting at all. In fact, most birds are found to choose their food more on a basis of nutrition than taste. There is even a debate as to whether birds can smell, or whether they rely on their poor sense of smell for eating purposes.

Do not take the information above as a statement that birds will eat anything. On the contrary, they are just as picky as humans as to what they will eat and even where they will eat. According to the web site www.birdfeeding.org, “The Chickadee will fly to a feeder, grab a seed and carry it off to the nearest branch to bang it open to eat.” Other types of birds may prefer to eat theirs on the ground. This is not a sign that they do not like their food, just that they prefer to dine a certain way.

One thing to note is that most birds are territorially. This means that they do not want to share their area with other birds. This is why birds will cock their heads to the side before eating. They are taking one last look to make sure the area is free of predators and other birds.

Another aspect you may not considered, are the windows you have around the bird feeders. Wild birds will sometimes run into windows if they can not tell that they are there, especially when startled and in a hurry. The likely hood of wild birds running into your windows can be reduced by placing curtains, and lighting in a way that reduces the reflection of the sky.

Now that you have considered the following, it is time to start enjoying the wonderful world of nature that most of us take for granted every single day.