Tips on Attracting Birds to Your Backyard

Here at Q98.5 we take care of the backyard critters! Our resident critter caretaker Steve Summers can be seen here putting ears of corn on the backyard trees here at the radio station for the squirrels to enjoy!

Steve is more of a critter fella, I prefer attracting birds to my backyard. If you have NO or Slow bird activity, Here are 5 tips for attracting and feeding birds:

-1. Use quality bird seed: Very whole sunflower Kernels Important: Use Whole Sunflower Kernels

-2. Location: Avoid wide open areas in your backyard, place your feeder near bushes, trees, outdoor structures where birds can escape from predators and preen while they are flying back and forth from the feeder and safe cover.

-3. Height: Important: Not too high or too low, eye level 5'-6" or a little higher to 7'-8 feet maximum is a good rule of thumb.

-4. Water: Another reason for the birds to stick around your area. Water provides an all important need along with bird food. Use heated birdbaths during Winter.

-5. Patience: Very important: Depending on your environment (ie: you live in a wooded area, have no trees, live in a new development etc.) and other factors, birds will start using a new feeder ranging in time from a few days, a few weeks, to a few months or longer. Wild birds are creatures of habit and a new item in the yard takes time to investigate and become familiar with.

You can read more tip on attracting birds to your backyard, HERE