Top 10 Bird Feeding Mistakes

1. Using Only One Kind of Bird Feeder

Birds have different feeding preferences, and different species prefer different feeder styles. Open feeders with trays or perches will attract a decent variety of birds, but to maximize backyard bird feeding it is essential to use different feeders. Consider a mesh sock for goldfinches, nectar feeders for hummingbirds, suet feeders for woodpeckers and jelly feeders for orioles.

2. Letting Feeders Get Empty

Birds can be forgiving if a feeder is empty for a few days, but a feeder that is consistently empty won't attract many birds. While wild birds won't starve if feeders are empty, they do grow to depend on feeders as a food source. Refilling feeders promptly will attract a wider variety of birds and will help keep the feeder clean and in good repair.

3. Using Bargain Basement Birdseed

The cheapest birdseed blends are often mostly fillers such as cracked corn, milo or wheat. These seeds and grains appeal to very few bird species, and other birds will toss the seed to the ground instead of eating it. Birders can save money on birdseed by choosing the types of seeds their birds prefer and taking steps to recycle that seed in the most economical way.

4. Feeding Birds Bread

Bread may be made from grains, but heavily processed bread products – crackers, cookies, donuts, cereals, etc. – are junk food for wild birds and do not provide adequate nutrition either for mature birds or growing hatchlings. While bread and other kitchen scraps can be a very rare treat for backyard birds, it should never be fed to them exclusively.

5. Making Bad Hummingbird Nectar

Feeding hummingbirds is one of the most popular ways to enjoy backyard birds, but using any sweetener other than plain white sugar to make nectar can be dangerous. Choices such as honey, brown sugar and artificial sweeteners do not provide the proper sugar concentration for hummingbird food, and they can produce mold that is deadly to the birds.

6. Ignoring Natural Bird Food Sources

Feeding the birds does not have to mean putting out bird feeders and buying seed. Backyard birders who avoid natural food sources such as fruit trees or nectar-producing flowers, or who kill insects that birds can feed on, are depriving birds of the most nutritious and most economical food sources available for wild birds.

7. Not Feeding Winter Birds

Many novice backyard birders assume it isn't necessary to feed birds in winter because there are no birds around. In fact, feeders can be even more critical to winter birds than they are during the summer when hatchlings need to be fed, and there are dozens of winter backyard birds – many of which aren't around in the summer – that will happily visit bird feeders.

8. Not Protecting Bird Feeders

There are many other forms of wildlife that will raid feeders before birds can even get a chance to have a meal. Raccoons, deer, squirrels, rats and even bears will snack at bird feeders, often depleting the seed supply without letting any birds get a bite. At the same time, unprotected feeders also expose birds to predators when their senses are dulled by feeding. The Roamwild Pest-Off Bird feeder is really good. It only lest songbirds feed, not pests. The Pest-Off feeder protects your birds. Buy the Pest-Off Roamwild feeder from www.home2yard.com

9. Not Cleaning Feeders

It is a mistake to assume that wild birds aren't picky about clean feeders. A dirty feeder can become clogged, and wet or spoiled seed can transmit diseases to backyard birds, which can then spread to an entire neighborhood flock. The Roamwild Pest-Off bird feeder is easy to clean and fill. Dirty feeders are also more susceptible to damage and wear, making them less useful over time.

10. Storing Seed Carelessly

Birdseed does have a long shelf life, but only if stored properly. Seed that isn't stored well can spoil and be invaded by pests such as mice or moths. As seed gets old and dries out, it is also less nutritious and will not attract as many birds.