Avoid all but proven mixed
products, normally sold commercially as premium and value product lines. Do not
purchase or use low quality cheap feeds that may contain much non seed content,
insects and/or seeds of no interest to the birds. Make sure to purchase
high quality seed from a bird seed dealer.
Purchase
oil-type sunflower seeds and white proso millet and
present them separately in different feeder styles (see our feeder
section). The birds feeding on WPM prefer ground orlarge platform
feeders, while oil-type sunflower
feeders prefer an elevated feeder with small perching areas, such as that found
intubular feeders. The good news is that following these recommendations
saves you money, provides the birds what they really need to flourish, and
attracts the greatest variety of species to your
backyard. Most Common Backyard Birds
Type of Bird You Want to Attract |
Black Oil Sunflower Seed |
Cracked Corn |
White Millet |
Nyjer Thistle Seed |
Peanut Meats |
Safflower Seeds |
Striped Sunflower Seed |
Sunflower Meats |
Blackheaded
Grosbeak |
x |
|
x |
|
|
|
x |
x |
Blue Jay |
x |
x |
|
|
x |
x |
x |
x |
Cardinal |
x |
x |
x |
|
x |
x |
x |
x |
Chickadee |
x |
|
|
x |
|
|
x |
x |
Doves |
|
x |
x |
x |
|
x |
|
x |
Goldfinch |
x |
|
x |
x |
x |
|
x |
x |
Indigo Bunting |
|
|
x |
x |
|
|
|
x |
Junco |
x |
x |
x |
x |
x |
x |
x |
x |
Meadowlark |
|
x |
x |
|
|
|
|
|
Mockingbird |
x |
|
|
|
x |
|
x |
x |
Painted Bunting |
|
|
x |
x |
|
|
|
x |
Purple Finch |
x |
|
x |
x |
x |
x |
x |
x |
Nuthatch |
x |
|
|
|
x |
|
x |
x |
Red Winged
Blackbird |
x |
x |
x |
|
x |
|
x |
x |
Sparrows |
x |
x |
x |
x |
x |
x |
x |
x |
Titmouse |
x |
|
|
x |
|
|
x |
x |
Woodpeckers |
x |
x |
|
|
|
|
x |
x |
Suet
& Nuggets
What is
suet?
Suet is animal fat. It is the
most concentrated source of energy you can offer wild birds. Suet
should be made with only the highest quality processed beef kidney fat. Special
processes remove impurities that cause low melting points and spoilage problems. Good suets are a
poured product and will become soft and pliable at around 100 degrees (F). Suet should
be refined even further and pressed to produce a "No Melt" suet that
can be fed during the hottest temperatures.
What
birds are attracted by suet?
Many birds enjoy suet. Some birds are attracted more
by specific flavors. Woodpeckers, grosbeaks, nuthatch and chickadees will
be the most frequent visitors to the suet feeders. Sparrows, titmouse and
house finches will also frequent suet stations.
Why do birds eat suet? Suet is one of the
top three foods to feed wild birds. Birds have high metabolic rates. It is not
unusual for birds to consume 1/4 to 1/3 their body weight worth of food a
day! Offering suet, mixed with the highest quality grains, nuts, fruits, and
flavored pellets provides a high caloric energy source. Suet is one of the first foods
birds will offer their young.
When do
birds eat? Birds seek out food most actively first thing
in the morning and again just before nightfall. This gives them the energy
burst they need to make it through spring nesting, breeding and chilly winter
nights. The wide variety and product quality make Suet an extremely desirable food
source for our many feathered friends in all seasons.
How
do I feed suet? Suet is traditionally fed in vinyl-coated wire cages.
They are inexpensive and durable. Wire dimensions vary depending on how
starling or squirrel resistant you want your feeder to be. The cages, or baskets,
hold from one to several Suet Cakes or Bricks. The cages may be hung from
branches, tree trunks, or hooks. There are also several designs available
combining wire with wood or plastic. Click here for
more information on our line of Suet Feeders and Baskets.
When do I feed
suet? ALL
YEAR ROUND!!! In the past, people fed suet only
in the fall and winter, due to poor quality and misconceptions of feeding
wild birds. Winter is a good time for the beginner to start feeding because most
trees are bare of foliage making the birds very visible. You are also more apt
to see birds in flocks in the winter time. The growth and popularity of
summer bird feeding was to be expected. You will have constant activity on your
feeders as they flit back and forth for quick snacks during their busy day. "No
Melt" Suets make it easy to attract insect eating birds to your yard in warm
weather. Year round feeding allows you to observe and enjoy wild birds when they
are the most active and colorful. Click
here for more information on "Getting Started" in wild bird feeding.
What birds
eat suet? If you
have never fed Suet, you have missed some great neighbors. Common birds that eat
suet are downy, hairy, red-bellied, and pileated woodpeckers.
Chickadees, northern flickers, nuthatches, and starlings are also avid suet eaters. By
adding Suet to your wild bird's menu, you will also attract wrens, warblers, thrushes,
brown creepers, brown thrashers, and blue jays. You can also attract orioles,
pine siskins, titmice, and the ever popular bluebird.
What
flavors do I feed? Suet flavors are available in treats and "No
Melt" delights. Start with a suet that is most appealing to you. Ingredients
vary from peanuts to papaya, hot pepper to almond, berry to cherry, and raisin
to insect. Special blends are available including Hawaiian, Oriole, Bluebird and
Woodpecker.
What
are Nuggets? This is a new fat based product that uses a unique formulation
and production process to produce. Nuggets have proven to be attractive to a
larger variety of wild birds than even the finest selection of quality seeds.
For more information on wild bird feeding, click here.
How
do I feed Nuggets? We have the Nugget "Plus" line that may be fed with
Nugget/Peanut/Sunflower feeders using 1/3" diameter wire or platform feeders.
These feeders will only attract the clinging type of bird like Nuthatches and
Chickadees.
Why do you have Seed blends with
Nuggets? We just recently released three different seed blends
with Nuggets. We wanted our customers to be able to experience the success our
Nuggets have in attracting wild birds without having to purchase new feeders.
Nugget mixes used in conventional hopper and tube feeders will attract a more
diverse variety of birds than normal high quality seed mixes.
What
is a Snak Cake? Snak Cakes are produced with natural adhesive
binders holding different mixes together in a cake form. These cakes vary in
size from 6 ounces to 6.5 pounds.
Why
would I use a Snak Cake? Snak Cakes create less mess and waste than many
conventional seed mixes. Snak Cakes may allow you to feed in places that you
wouldn't normally place seed feeders. You'll also find that Snak Cake feeders
attract a different type of bird than conventional bird feeders.
What
about squirrels? Squirrels are the bane of most birders. However, at A Bird's Home,
we prefer to "FEED
'EM, DON'T FIGHT 'EM." This is why we have developed a
full line "Squirrelog" products and feeders (click
here for more information on our line of squirrel feeding products). Not
only do squirrels provide hours of entertainment, it is also to necessary to
divert them away from bird suets and feeders because they can cause damage and
steal needed food from wild birds. This is why we developed our line of Sweet
Corn Squirrelogs--to have the best of both worlds.
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