Milwaukee Public Museum

by Nathan Kraukunas

EDITOR'S NOTE: This article is reprinted without illustrations from LORE magazine, a benefit of museum membership. ©1996 Milwaukee Public Museum, Inc.

There are over 60 million Americans who feed birds. Over one half-billion dollars each year is spent on bird seed, not to mention the cost of bird feeders, bird identification books and binoculars. Maintaining artificial feeding stations has become a very popular and enjoyable hobby. Birds, with their beauty, songs and ability to fly, give countless hours of pleasure.

Feeding birds is a very rewarding pastime and requires very little effort and skill. Even Milwaukeans with a small yard may enjoy this hobby. To start out, one or two feeders may be used, increasing the number yearly if desired.

Feeding

One may feed year round, but I recommend feeding only between mid-September and late April. Summer feeding may only attract non- desirable species such as European Starlings and House Sparrows, both non-native species and considered pest birds. Once you have started to feed the birds in the fall, it is vital to continue throughout the winter until spring. Many species of birds will become dependent upon your feeding station and an empty feeder for several days during the cold and snow of winter may cause the death of some birds. If you should leave town, have a neighbor or friend continue putting feed in your feeders.

The most popular bird seeds among most species of birds are the black oil-type sunflower seeds and the white proso millet seeds. These two types of seeds attract almost all seed-eaters. Other than seeds, you may attract birds with several different types of foods: beef suet (a winter insect substitute) hung out during the winter attracts woodpeckers, chickadees and nuthatches; sliced fruits used in the late winter or early spring attracts robins, orioles, tangers and thrushes; and peanut butter mixed with cornmeal or oatmeal attracts nuthatches, chickadees and wrens.

The black oil-type sunflower seeds, not only are the most popular seeds among birds, but also have more protein per kernel than striped sunflower seeds and therefore benefit the birds more in winter helping to keep their body temperature high. White and red millet, cracked corn and peanut hearts are also favorites of birds, white millet being very popular among sparrows and juncos. When purchasing bird seed it's best to go to a garden center, feed store or one of the local organizations or nature centers which sell seeds several times a year. The mixed bird seeds found in grocery stores may be of poor quality and contain seeds not really bird seed, such as milo, wheat, oats and rape seeds. Milo and rape seeds are rarely eaten and usually thrown out of the feeder by the girds. A good mixed bird seed will have 55% millet, 35% cracked corn and 10% sunflower seeds.

Feeders

Feeders may be purchased at the local garden center, nature center, through catalogues or be constructed with household items like milk cartons, coat hangers and the like, which makes a good children's project. I recommend the following feeders: a tube feeder of sunflower seeds for cardinals and chickadees, a second tube feeder for Niger (thistle) seeds for the finches and a platform feeder of mixed seeds for the other species. You may also add a suet bag and a small log with holes drilled into it for peanut butter.

Feeders should be located near a tree or bush, so that the birds may fly to a safe location to eat and to survey the area for possible predators.

In addition to feeders, it is important to provide a source of water for drinking and bathing. Water alone will also attract many species of birds. During winter, small heaters may be purchased for your birdbath to prevent freezing.

Problems in Feeding Birds

Several problems may arise while feeding birds. The first is the threat of avian diseases. To prevent the spread of any type of disease, feeders should be cleaned regularly, the ground beneath the feeders should be raked weekly to remove rotten seeds and shells. Store seeds in garbage cans to keep fresh and dry and to keep moisture out. The second problem is the presence of other animals looking for a free meal. Squirrels, raccoons, opossums and mice are just a few of the offenders with squirrels being the greatest pest. Depending on the type of feeder and its location, baffles may be effective in keeping squirrels out of feeders. Baffles may be purchased or made, but you probable will find that squirrels are ingenious in finding ways around these obstacles. Besides baffles you may try a feeding schedule to discourage squirrels, such a feeding later in the day when squirrels are less active. Or you may provide the squirrels with a separate feeding station, on a platform raised a foot or so off the ground, away from the bird feeders and stocked with corn, unsalted nuts, pumpkin and squash. This will give your birds a chance to feed in peace.

Bird feeding will help the birds obtain a free meal, and for people of all ages watching these wild creatures, even in the largest of cities adds pleasure and enjoyment and a bit of natural world to your life.

I have only touched a few of the basics of bird feeding. For further information, please see the suggested reading list.

Preferred Foods of some common Wisconsin Winter Birds

• American Crow – cracked corn, beef suet, white and red proso millet; ground feeder.
• American Goldfinch – hulled sunflower seeds, thistle seeds, oil sunflower seeds; hanging and platform feeders.
• American Robin – raisins, sliced apples, prunes, oranges, currants; ground and platform feeders.
• Black-capped Chickadee – oil and striped sunflower seeds, peanut kernels; hanging and platform feeder.
• Blue Jay – peanut kernels, all types of sunflower seeds; tabletop feeder.
• Dark-eyed Junco – White and red proso millet seeds, canary seeds, cracked corn; ground and platform feeders.
• Downy Woodpecker – beef suet; tree trunk and hanging feeders.
• European Starling – peanut hearts, hulled oats, cracked corn; ground and platform feeders.
• Evening Grosbeak – all types of sunflower seeds; platform feeders.
• Hairy Woodpecker – beef suet; tree trunk and hanging feeders.
• House Finch – oil and striped sunflower seeds, hulled sunflower seeds, thistle seeds; hanging and platform feeders.
• House Sparrow – White and red proso millet seeds, golden millet, canary seeds; ground and platform feeder.
• Mourning Dove – cracked corn, oil sunflower seeds, white and red proso millet seeds; ground feeder.
• Northern Cardinal – all types of sunflower seeds; platform and hanging feeders.
• Pine Siskin – all types of sunflower seeds, thistle seeds; hanging and platform feeders.
• Purple Finch – all types of sunflower seeds, thistle seeds; hanging and platform feeders.
• Red-breasted Nuthatch – striped and oil sunflower seeds, beef suet; hanging and tree trunk feeders.
• Tree Sparrow – white and red proso millet seeds; ground and platform feeders.
• White-breasted Nuthatch – striped sunflower seeds, beef suet; hanging and tree trunk feeders.
• White-crowned Sparrow – oil and hulled sunflower seeds, white and red proso millet seeds, peanut kernel and hearts, thistle seeds; ground and platform feeders.
• White-throated Sparrow – oil, striped and hulled sunflower seeds, white and red proso millet seeds, peanut kernels; ground feeder.
• Yellow-bellied Sapsucker – beef suet, cracked corn; tree trunk and hanging feeders.