– Garth Ruff, OSU Extension Henry County
Finch are seed eaters!
This time of year, I enjoy sitting back and winding down in the evenings by watching birds fly around the house. One way to attract songbirds to a garden or backyard is by putting up a bird feeder.
Birds lead highly energetic lives and require large amounts of food to maintain their daily activities. At this time of year, birds are raising young and are in need of energy-rich, nutritious foods. During the winter, the need for food becomes even more important. The chickadee, for example, must forage for food from dawn to dusk in order to have enough energy to survive the cold night. Many of the feeders, seed selection, and feeder placement tips that follow can be utilized during the cold winter months as well.
First off, it’s important to realize that different birds prefer different types of food and also forage for said food differently. Therefore, to obtain a variety of birds at feeders, aim for diversity of feeders and the types of food within them. This is not hard to do as there are many different types of feeders available on the market.
Hanging feeders will attract species that forage for food in trees and shrubs, where they are accustomed to clinging to swaying branches or hanging upside down to reach food. Chickadees, titmice, nuthatches, finches, jays, and goldfinches commonly visit such feeders. Fill these feeders with sunflower seeds (hulled seeds for less mess, black sunflower seeds preferred) or the tiny, black thistle seeds. If choosing a mix of seeds, the most popular among birds contains white millet, cracked corn, and sunflower seeds. For additional diversity, consider hanging a mesh bag of a nut mixture to attract jays and woodpeckers. During the winter, suet in hanging metal cages is a favorite of woodpeckers, titmice, and nuthatches.