frequently asked questions

Birds

1. Identifying

I saw a bird in my backyard and would like to know what it is?

Bird-watching has become a very popular pastime. Below are some guides that will help you identify your mystery guest. Try to remember its colour, any markings, and size; if its bill was long, short, thick, thin, curved or straight; and any other noticeable characteristics. These features will help when you try to identify your unknown bird.

Peterson First Guide to Birds of North America
National Audubon Society Sibley Guide to Birds
The Birds of Canada, Revised Edition for a comprehensive reference

Can you recommend a quality pair of birding binoculars?

In buying binoculars for birding, there are several things to consider such as power, weight, and quality.

Many really serious birders will opt for spotting scopes. These give great power (the ability to see birds in detail at greater distances) but are heavy and cumbersome and require a good tripod.

With hand-held binoculars, a higher scope will give greater magnification. However, if your hand shakes at all or if it’s windy, the movement is much more noticeable. For that reason, we recommend the 8x magnification. If you do your birding while hiking, you might want something that’s light and very portable. Someone who will be doing more slow-paced or stationary birding may prefer larger and possibly more powerful binoculars.

In deciding which binoculars to purchase, the first thing you should decide is whether to get regular or compact binoculars. Regular binoculars let in more light, allowing you to see the bird more clearly and to better distinguish colours. If you’re going to be doing some serious birding, you may favour regular-size binoculars. Test out various models in the store to find ones that are a bit lighter.

2. Birdfeeders

Is bird feeding safe?

With a bit of effort, people can easily provide safe and healthy feeding stations for their feathered friends.

CWF promotes the creation of habitat for wildlife, including birds, through the planting of native vegetation. Native trees and shrubs provide shelter for birds in addition to a source of natural food. Birds tend to prefer natural food sources to feeder foods. However, we recognize the enjoyment provided to millions of Canadians each year through bird feeding. It allows people to see birds up close and develop an understanding and appreciation for our native wildlife. Bird feeding has possibly allowed some birds, such as cardinals and tufted titmice, to extend their range.

During summer months, birds should be encouraged to use natural food sources. But providing additional food in feeders during winter can help non-migrating guests, such as the chickadee, survive our cold Canadian winters.

Birds can suffer health problems from poorly maintained feeding stations. That is why we encourage people to clean their feeders once a month using a 10 per cent solution of household bleach (one part bleach to nine parts water). Allow the feeders to dry completely before refilling with seed.

How do you make suet?

Suet is a great treat for birds. You can either buy commercially made suet or make your own. GardenGate Magazine describes a methodyou can use to prepare a lavish meal for your feathered friends. One point to remember is not to add pan drippings to your suet. The drippings contain salt and other substances that are harmful to birds.

You can use a wide variety of treats, such as acorns, oats, cracked corn, hickory nuts, even dried or fresh chopped fruit, when making suet. Experiment to see what your birds like the most and soon you’ll discover recipes your backyard birds love. If you find any recipes that your birds just can’t resist, let us know about them at contact@cwf-fcf.org.

Is the red dye used in commercial hummingbird food dangerous for birds? If so, how can we make our own hummingbird food?

It’s better not to add any colouring, including food colouring, to hummingbird food. Colouring is unnecessary and only serves to introduce chemicals into the bird’s diet. It’s actually the red dispenser of the feeder that attracts hummingbirds. Once hummingbirds know where the feeder is, they’ll have no problem finding it.

To make your own hummingbird food, boil one part white sugar to four parts water for five minutes. You can use the solution once it has cooled, storing any excess in the refrigerator. Do not use honey in the mix, since it can make hummingbirds sick. Artificial sweeteners are also harmful, they provide no sustenance for birds.

Fill one-third of the container and be sure to change the mixture twice a week. If the weather is very hot you should change it more often (every second day). When you change the mixture, clean the feeder with hot water to remove bacteria.

Hummingbirds can become dependent on feeders — be sure to maintain your feeder continually or phase it out gradually.

I would like to cover pine cones with peanut butter and roll them in birdseed to provide a treat for the birds. Is peanut butter safe for them to eat?

Birds love peanut butter but unfortunately peanut butter is so sticky it may cause problems for them. To reduce its stickiness, mix it with cornmeal, rolled oats, and/or cracked corn, to absorb the oil before putting it on pine cones.

What is the best feeder food for blue jays and woodpeckers?

Sunflower seeds are the best all-round seeds for the greatest variety of winter birds (both blue jays and woodpeckers will eat them). Suet is another good choice — woodpeckers love it. If you put out both suet and sunflower seeds, you should be able to keep these birds happy. For more information on attracting birds, check out our Web sites at:

http://www.wildaboutgardening.org/en/attracting/section3/index.htm#l2

http://www.wildaboutgardening.org/en/dig_dwell_den/section1/index.htm#l5

Birds are constantly throwing their seed on the ground, which is attracting an assortment of critters and mourning doves. What can I do?

Check the feed type you’re providing. If you’re using a seed mix, the birds at your feeder are probably tossing out the seeds they don’t like in search of the ones they prefer. This results in lots of seeds on the ground where doves and other animals will feast on them. It’s generally better to separate different seed types in different feeders. Black oil sunflower seeds are the best overall choice, but you can also provide smaller seeds (such as millet) in a platform feeder for the ground-feeding birds.

One problem with sunflower seeds is the seed hulls that are discarded on the ground. One solution is to place landscape fabric under the feeder so it’s easier to pick up and dump the hulls.

Another suggestion for spilled seeds is to have a larger tray on the feeder. You can attach a tray (such as a round pizza baking sheet) to the bottom of the feeder so there’s a greater catching surface. Be sure to clean the feeder regularly to get rid of old seed hulls.

With any feeder there will be some mess, which requires regular raking.

We used to have dozens of finches coming to our feeders but lately they haven’t been coming around. What could be the problem?

There could be several reasons why finches are not frequenting your feeder. Finches will visit feeders depending on the availability of natural food sources. Birds often show a preference for natural food over feeders. If there is an abundant supply of their preferred natural foods, they may absent themselves from your feeders while this supply lasts.

Some populations of finches migrate south in the winter so it could be that the population at your feeder has gone south and will not be back until spring. Other populations stay for the winter and may find your feeder at some point over the season.

Birds will stop coming to feeders if the food is mouldy. Check your feeder to be sure the food is fresh. It’s important to clean feeders regularly and ensure that seeds remain dry. If the food is mouldy, empty the feeder and wash it thoroughly. Make sure it’s completely dry before you add new seed.

If the finches you’re referring to are goldfinches, males lose their breeding colours in the fall, becoming brownish olive in colour, and so are less noticeable.

Do bird feeders encourage non-native bird species? During winter, pigeons, starlings, and crows scare off the other species at the bird feeders. How can I discourage these larger birds?

Certain introduced bird species, such as the house sparrow and the European starling, do cause problems for native species. That is why CWF emphasizes creating habitat through the planting of native trees, shrubs, and other plants, as opposed to simply providing bird feeders.

It’s unlikely we will be rid of non-native bird species. However, by following these tips, you can at least discourage them while helping native species.

• Offer suet cake in a wire suet holder that can be hung. Pigeons are ground feeders and will generally only feed at sturdy platform feeders. You can also purchase suet feeders that have a wooden top and wire mesh below — the only access is for the bird to hover underneath or cling to its underside. Woodpeckers can do this, but pigeons can’t.

• A number of commercial birdseed mixes contain high proportions of hulled oats, rice, peanut hearts, corn, millet, and wheat. Avoid the use of these mixes since these ingredients can attract pests such as pigeons, starlings, and house sparrows.

• If you have the space, try filling a number of different feeders with different types of food. If you put a mix of seeds in one feeder, it often leads to waste as birds will eat their favourite and spill the rest. Separating food types and feeders will help give smaller birds a chance to eat without being scared away by larger birds.

• Many smaller birds, such as finches, don’t require perches, but larger birds do. Hang tubular feeders with shortened or no perches to discourage larger birds. Finch feeders with tiny openings for Niger seed don’t allow the larger birds to feed but are great for goldfinches and other small birds.

• Offer sunflower seeds, since they are the favourite food choice of purple finches, cardinals, goldfinches, grosbeaks, juncos, chickadees, nuthatches, and many other birds.

• Feed blue jays separately with peanuts in the shell. The large shells of the peanuts seem to discourage pigeons, which are used to eating grains and smaller weed seeds.

• Use caged feeders that let only small birds in, weight-sensitive feeders, and tube feeders with small or no perches. These will all exclude crows in favour of smaller birds

How can I keep squirrels away from my bird feeders?

Squirrels are definitely an issue for many people who enjoy bird feeding. They’re wily and agile and difficult to outsmart.

The most successful method of thwarting squirrels is to mount the feeder on a pole with a baffle below the feeder. That way, the squirrel gets part way up the pole but can’t get around the baffle. Make sure the feeder is far enough away from any launching points, such as trees or fences, so the squirrels can’t jump to the feeder.

Where does Niger seed come from?

Niger seed actually comes from India, Ethiopia, and Asia. The plant is called Guizotiaabyssinica. It is one of the preferred foods of goldfinches.

Some natural food sources finches like include dandelions, coneflowers, Joe pye weed, sunflowers, and coreopsis. Keep in mind that it’s the seed they’re after, so let the flowers go to seed.

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