Have a great looking garden? Add more color and beauty to your garden by making it appealing to birds. Wondering where to hang those bird feeders, so the winged visitors feel safe and comfortable? You might think that finding a suitable place for the feeder is a simple task. However, there are certain things you need to keep in mind before placing the feeders. This tutorial will take you through some of the considerations to keep in mind while you put the bird feeders in your garden. The location of the feeder would decide if you will have a lot of these winged visitors flying into your garden. If the birds find it safe in your garden, they are sure to make frequent visits.
Here are some of the points you should consider while keeping bird feeders in your garden.
Distance from windows
Reports suggest that over 100 million birds die due to window collisions every year in the US. While it is ideal for keeping the feeder at a safe distance from the windows, bird experts believe it is safe to keep the feeders close to windows because it will minimize the impact of the collision with the windows. When birds take off after feeding, they tend to fly away at relatively less speed and thereby reduce the possibilities of a fatal collision. You can install the feeders at say 3 feet away from your picture windows. Otherwise, you can also consider to keep them at a farther distance of 30 feet away from your windows.
Closer to natural shelter
Shrubs and trees in your garden not only give them a beautiful resting place but also provide the birds cover from predators. Make sure you place the feeders that are easily accessible for the birds from the green cover. The vegetation also helps in deterring the winter winds; thus, the birds can bank upon this as a year-round hiding place. You should also make sure not to locate the feeders in the midst of dense foliage or closer to branches as this might even invite the curious ever-hungry squirrels to eat the bird seeds. Ten feet, according to bird experts, is a safe distance from the green cover that would make an ideal spot. For ground-dwelling birds such as sparrows, you could stack brush piles loosely near the bird feeders to give them a safe hiding place.
Away from pets
Most homes will have pets like cats or dogs. When you place the feeder, make sure they are not in the area where your pet frequents. No matter how calm or inviting your bird feeders might look, if the feeder birds sense threat from cats or dogs, they are sure never to set foot in your garden. Cats are more likely to chase away or attack these winged visitors, so keep your little kitty in the warmth of indoors.
Quiet place
Keep the feeders in a quiet place initially, so the birds are not intimidated by the human presence. Once they find the food source, they are more likely to visit the garden and will get used to the surroundings.
Within your sight
What is the fun of having a hummingbird feeder when you are not able to watch them fly around, this especially applies to hummingbirds as they are wonderful to watch. Place the feeders at a place where you can watch them from a distance. Perhaps you can place the feeders in such a way where you can witness the bird activity from your kitchen window. This will surely provide better ways of attending to the otherwise mundane kitchen chores.
Initially, you may not witness a lot of bird traffic to the newly found food source. However, if you feel that no birds are visiting your feeder even after a week of its installation, you can try scattering seeds over the garden area to attract them to the feeder. Placing a birdbath will also attract birds, especially during summer. Planting some bird-friendly vegetation such as sunflowers, cinnamon fern, dogwoods, serviceberries, etc. might also help to get more avian visitors to your garden.
Try your luck by experimenting with the different types of feeders until you get noticed by the avian lot. This tutorial is sure to give you’re a starting point on how to start with bird feeders. Let us know about your experiences with the bird feeders. Also, please share with us how this article helped you in setting up the feeders. You can also give in your suggestions to make this article more helpful for other bird enthusiasts—happy bird feeding with your newly installed bird feeders.
