Bird- table or bird feeder is a platform on which food for birds is placed, usually in a garden. Bird feeders offer the best way to turn your own backyard into a mini oasis for the wild birds in your area. The grains placed in them are often of different varieties, to accommodate the taste of different species of birds. Most birds like a mix of millet, safflower, sunflower and thistle.
Aside from offering a food treat to the birds, bird feeders offer a visual treat to humans. They allow you to attract more rare species in your own yard than you would find in a bird sanctuary. To capture the essence of bird behavior, modern bird feeders are fitted with web cams. Bird feeders come in different varieties and design depending upon the species of bird they cater to. Some varieties include ground feeders, seed tube feeders, humming bird feeders, suet feeders and oriole feeders.
Seed feeders with tubes or hoppers are among the most popular choices. They easily attract finches, siskings, nuthatches and chickadees. They have separate compartments to house different types of seeds. The suet feeder looks like a cage covered by plastic. It is this plastic that contains a cake or suet. Suet is basically a bird feed containing animal fat, which prevent the feed from turning rancid and protect it from the adverse effects of moisture. Most people hang them from tree tops or windows to maximize the view. The types of birds they attract include woodpeckers and flickers.
Unlike the seed feeders Humming bird feeders offer the feed in a liquid form. This usually consists of sugary syrup solution that is particularly preferred by humming birds. To attract the bird, the solution is painted in bright color. Beware of the fact that some coloring agents are harmful to birds.
Oriole feeders come in a bright orange color. They also provide liquid food. They are customized for new world orioles which have an extremely sharp and long beak and tongue. Apart from the quality of the feed provided in a feeder, the success of a feeder largely depends on the strategic location on which it is placed, its remote proximity from intruders like squirrels and cats. Squirrels are also notorious for stealing bird food. This can be remedied by having feeding stations that can sustain the small weight of a bird but not anything heavier.
In spite of the various advantages it offers to the birds, feeders still do have their own negative impacts on the bird community. The water and feed if not maintained clean would lead to spread of diseases among birds as they come in contact with one another. Feeding can also lead to an ecological imbalance by promoting the growth of a particular species over others. So go get yourself a bird feeder and experience the vicarious thrill experienced by our avian fellow mates.
Aside from offering a food treat to the birds, bird feeders offer a visual treat to humans. They allow you to attract more rare species in your own yard than you would find in a bird sanctuary. To capture the essence of bird behavior, modern bird feeders are fitted with web cams. Bird feeders come in different varieties and design depending upon the species of bird they cater to. Some varieties include ground feeders, seed tube feeders, humming bird feeders, suet feeders and oriole feeders.
Seed feeders with tubes or hoppers are among the most popular choices. They easily attract finches, siskings, nuthatches and chickadees. They have separate compartments to house different types of seeds. The suet feeder looks like a cage covered by plastic. It is this plastic that contains a cake or suet. Suet is basically a bird feed containing animal fat, which prevent the feed from turning rancid and protect it from the adverse effects of moisture. Most people hang them from tree tops or windows to maximize the view. The types of birds they attract include woodpeckers and flickers.
Unlike the seed feeders Humming bird feeders offer the feed in a liquid form. This usually consists of sugary syrup solution that is particularly preferred by humming birds. To attract the bird, the solution is painted in bright color. Beware of the fact that some coloring agents are harmful to birds.
Oriole feeders come in a bright orange color. They also provide liquid food. They are customized for new world orioles which have an extremely sharp and long beak and tongue. Apart from the quality of the feed provided in a feeder, the success of a feeder largely depends on the strategic location on which it is placed, its remote proximity from intruders like squirrels and cats. Squirrels are also notorious for stealing bird food. This can be remedied by having feeding stations that can sustain the small weight of a bird but not anything heavier.
In spite of the various advantages it offers to the birds, feeders still do have their own negative impacts on the bird community. The water and feed if not maintained clean would lead to spread of diseases among birds as they come in contact with one another. Feeding can also lead to an ecological imbalance by promoting the growth of a particular species over others. So go get yourself a bird feeder and experience the vicarious thrill experienced by our avian fellow mates.
