1. When To Feed Birds? It is best to provide food all year long. Especially important is February through August, when natural grasses and fruit bearing trees are not mature and birds are nesting and producing young. During the winter months, it is often difficult for birds and wildlife to find adequate food sources.
2. What About Water? Clean fresh water should be provided at all times. During winter months water sources are often frozen. A birdbath with a water heater will supply all outdoor pets, including wild birds with needed water. During the summer, drinking and bathing water is important for birds.
3. Constant Food Source? Once you start providing food for wild birds, make sure to keep your feeders full all the time. Birds will constantly return to feeders.
4. How Will Birds Find My Feeders? Birds find food by sight. Place feeders in easily seen areas. Be patient and the birds will come. To have many birds on a frequent basis can take a year or two, depending on your geographical area and the migration patterns of the birds. Birds are constantly searching for food sources. If you don't seem to be attracting birds, make sure you have the right food. If you purchase inexpensive mixes containing a lot of milo, millet and corn, you may not attract the more desirable songbirds. If you have a good food available and still are not attracting birds, try tying a piece of tin foil on top of the feeder. A little glint from this foil will catch their eye. Open water will sometimes attract birds more than a bird feeder.
5. How Much Will The Birds Eat? Songbirds have a very high metabolic rate and a body temperature of 109 degrees. They need to eat constantly in order to store up energy for cold winter periods and they need to eat frequently in summer months to burn off excess heat. Some birds will consume more than their body weight on a daily basis.

6. Insect and Fruit Eaters? During the winter months, birds such as woodpeckers, wrens, bluebirds and others have a more difficult time finding food sources. Providing wild bird food that contains nutmeats and real fruit (not just fruit flavor) is important. Birds in urban areas often have trouble finding insects.
7. Do I Need Trees, Shrubs, and Flowers? Many birds prefer to have cover from shrubs and trees. Cardinals, for example, prefer low thick shrubs and will come to feeders that provide this cover. Flowers are important for attracting the nectar eaters such as orioles and hummingbirds.
8. What Types of Food Do Wild Birds Eat?
   

J&L's Wildbird Pricelist

Hummingbird Tips

Hummingbird Facts | Attracting Hummingbirds |
Hummingbirds drink nectar, a sweet liquid inside flowers. Like bees, they are able to assess the amount of sugar in the nectar they eat; they reject flower types that produce nectar which is less than 10% sugar and prefer those whose sugar content is stronger. By providing either a source of flowers, or a source of nectar, you can attract and keep hummingbirds in your yard.

Nectar is a poor source of nutrients, so hummingbirds meet their needs for protein, amino acids, vitamins, minerals, etc. by preying on insects, and spiders. Hummingbirds are very beneficial in keeping the insect populations under control.

Hummingbirds Are Fascinating Creatures

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