One thing that frustrates us when we put a bird feeder in our garden is when we need to attract more birds to drop by. Due to this, we cannot help but ask ourselves, neighbors, and bird lovers, how to attract birds to a new feeder.
Little did we know that offering different food varieties, selecting different locations where to put the feeder, and using unique feeders attract birds the most.
Like us, birds will keep coming back if you feed them well and offer them the comfort and warmth they need. Want to attract and feed diverse bird species in your garden? Flip through the extensive guides below to get started!
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How to Get Birds to Feed in New Feeders?
Sometimes, when luck is on your side, it won’t take long for birds to start feeding on your newly set feeder. However, not all days are your best, so you need to be more patient to wait for a few weeks before you get birds to feed.
Here are some helpful tips and tricks to get birds to come to the bird feeder:
1. Initially discard old feeders.
Put the new feeder in an area where the old bird feeders are and ensure that its location is safe and secure for birds dropping by. For birds to try your newly-installed feeders, remove the old feeders where you put the new bird feeder momentarily.
2. Birdbath
Putting a birdbath near the bird feeding station makes it more enticing for your winged guests to visit often.
3. Tasty meals
One effective technique to lure more colorful and adorable birds to visit your feeder is to provide them with their favorite food.
Filling your feeder with seeds, fruits, nuts, and mealworms will make them return for more.
Sprinkle some popular seeds on the ground, above the new feeder, or neighboring platform.
4. Feeding platforms
Birds like it best when they can eat comfortably, so putting suitable feeding platforms will constantly lure them.
8. Berry-bearing plants and seeds
Birds love berries and seeds, so planting more around your garden can bait countless hungry wild birds.
Now you know the simple guides to attract more birds to a new feeder, keep it up! Continue maintaining a safe, secure, and nourishing habitat for these flying animals, even if you’ve already lured plenty of them.
What Attracts Birds to a Bird Feeder?
There are plenty of ways to lure diverse bird species to your feeder, and some of the primary ones include the following:
Food varieties
Do you feel fed up eating the same food every day? Let me remind you; birds feel disinterested, too, when offered the same food daily. Most birds are easily drawn to seeds, insects, and fruits. The reason why it’s crucial to offer them different food varieties in the feeder is to satisfy their discerning palate.
If you want to attract siskins and goldfinches, the best option would be Nyger seeds. Meanwhile, offer sunflower seed hearts if you want more robins, green finches, sparrows, and tits to drop by in your feeder.
Sunflower seed hearts are massively successful and enjoyable for these types of birds! Once they see the food and notice other birds pecking or fighting over these seeds, more birds will come over!
This method is one great way for other birds to discover the new feeder!
On a different note, as observed, it looks like peanuts are not most birds’ cup of tea, as they hardly touch them. Woodpeckers take a bite of nuts but only visit a few times. On top of that, you can offer your feathered buddies with fat mixed with fruit or mealworms if you want them to frequent your feeder.
Utilizing different types of feeders
Did you know that different bird species prefer feeding in unique ways too? Wouldn’t it be beneficial to give them what they want if that’s the case? Like humans, most birds get attracted to lovely things! Since they can sense food sources through their sense of sight and hearing, seeing unique feeders also lures them.
That said, it’s appropriate to unleash your creativity and resourcefulness in choosing a functional and convenient feeder that birds will love. Pick a feeder that’s durable enough to resist inclement weather conditions and other predators that may compete for bird’s meals.
Regardless of the type of feeder you use, it must be tight enough to keep bird food dry and effortless to set up. Moreover, it should be a breeze to clean, refill, and maintain.
Providing many unique feeder types with different food varieties can lure an extensive range of birds to your garden. You’ll be surprised to see that some specific bird species are likelier to utilize one type of feeder over another.
Different feeding locations
Most people who succeeded in bird feeding share that providing a mix of ground and hanging feeders works best. Bird types like blackbirds, dunnocks, and robins prefer feeding on the ground and don’t get lured by hanging feeders much. Therefore, place the feeder on the ground if you want to attract more blackbirds, dunnocks, and robins to your garden.
Blue tits and dunnocks, on the other hand, prefer feeders that are close to natural coverings, such as shrubs and berry-bearing plants. They like this feeding approach rather than hanging around feeders in the open.
It’s also worth noting that different bird species have unique preferences, some of which are territorial. Due to this, it’s also a wise move to spread bird feeders around.
Wrap-up
It takes intelligent tricks to get birds comfortable with a new feeder, just like trying to attract someone you like. As they say, if you want someone to adore you, feed them with nourishing food, and they’ll keep coming back. Believe me; this adage also applies to all birds of all sorts!
Remember, it is critical to know more about the seeds and other foods that birds find unattractive so you won’t unintentionally chase them away! Hopefully, you find the shared guides above quite helpful in multiplying your winged guests all year round!
What are your thoughts about “how to attract birds to a new feeder?” Do you have additional ideas to share? Please comment below.