WANTED: BED & BREAKFAST – Family seeks winter lodgings, with regular meals; all-day buffet preferred. Central heating not required. Applications now being taken in your back yard.
The ad above might not be in your local paper, but wild birds are already choosing which backyards they will spend the winter in as the days get shorter. Let them birds know that you want their busines. Invite them to come back when serious winter arrives.
Bird lovers sometimes notice that not many birds are coming to the feeder in early fall. They don’t need our offerings right now. Lots of big birds, like cardinals and goldfinches, are out in the fields and woods eating seeds, berries, and bugs that have been fed.
Nevertheless, they do drop by from time to time. They are noticing what you have on offer. In fall, birds scout their surroundings, taking note of supplies. When freezing temps arrive, those same birds will throng to your feeders. They remember where your feeders are.
If we dont start feeding birds until winter, we could miss a lot of potential visitors. Frigid temps suddenly increase birds’ calorie requirements. Insects stop flying and wiggling. Snow covers seeds. Ice seals away tree buds and many wild fruits. Dark-eyed Juncos and other small birds might not have luxury of traipsing around the neighborhood. They need to go where they already know they can find food .
Thats why birds study their resources in advance, taking inventory of provisions they’re going to need. Its good to have our yards included in their inventories. When the first storm hits, the birds will show up. Hungry. Chirpy and chattery. Red and blue and black-and-white and yellow. Fun to look at on a snowy day.
If we wait until bad weather comes, on the other hand, some birds might never know what we have to offer. And they might not be able to afford the luxury of exploring. They might not discover your feeder all winter, even though it is abundantly supplied.
Fall is a magical time of year The leaves start changing color, the air becomes crisp and cool, and birds start their annual migrations As a bird lover, fall also signals an important time to prepare your bird feeders. But when exactly should you start feeding birds in the fall?
The ideal time to begin fall and winter bird feeding varies across different regions in North America. This is because bird migration patterns differ based on latitude and climate. However there are some general guidelines you can follow.
Northern Regions
In northern regions of Canada and Alaska, start stocking your bird feeders in late August. Due to the extreme northern latitude, winter weather starts early. Providing food sources by late summer will help migratory birds fuel up before their long journeys south. It will also help year-round resident birds start increasing their fat stores to survive the cold months ahead.
The Canadian border regions should begin fall feeding by early September. This includes places like Maine, Minnesota, North Dakota, and Washington. These areas get cold and snowy early, so an early start to feeding is recommended.
Mid-Eastern and Central Regions
For mid-Atlantic states like New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and New Jersey, aim to have your feeders filled by early October. The same goes for midwest states like Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and Michigan.
By early autumn, natural food sources start declining in these regions. Having feeders filled will provide supplemental food for migrants passing through as well as birds that stay year-round.
Southern Regions
In southern states across the Gulf Coast, Southeast, and Southwest regions, you can wait until late October to begin fall and winter feeding. These warmer zones have a later winter onset, so birds can forage natural foods a bit longer.
However, by late fall, many seed and berry sources will become scarce. Having feeders filled by late October will ensure birds have dependable food before winter hits. This will help maintain southern backyard bird populations.
Western and Southwestern Regions
For the Pacific Northwest and Rocky Mountain regions, start stocking feeders in late September to early October. At these western latitudes, natural food remains plentiful a bit longer due to milder autumn weather.
Southwestern states like Arizona, New Mexico, and west Texas can hold off until November for fall feeding. The warm climate delays the need for supplemental foods. But having feeders up by November will help birds when food does become scarce.
How Migration Factors In
These general guidelines coincide with typical bird migration patterns across North America. Starting your feeders according to your region ensures food will be available right when traveling birds arrive.
In northern areas, birds start migrating south earlier. So having foods ready in late summer provides key refueling stations. Farther south, migrations happen later in fall, making the feeding start times later.
However, keep in mind that some migrations don’t follow typical patterns. For example, certain irruptive species like pine siskins may migrate south out of schedule due to food shortages. Having feeders available can help these irregular migrants.
Adjust for Weather Changes
Keep in mind that these are general guidelines. Local weather fluctuations can alter feeding start times. For example, if your area has an unseasonably early cold snap, start feeding a bit earlier.
Early snowstorms, heavy fall rains, or other inclement weather can reduce natural food availability. If this happens, fill feeders right away to help birds deal with the situation.
Paying attention to weather forecasts, temperatures, and local conditions will help fine tune if feeders should go up earlier or later. Just be flexible and adjust as needed.
What Foods to Offer
When you do start feeding, make sure you offer high fat, high protein foods. Black oil sunflower seeds are an excellent choice. Other good options include suet, peanuts, nyjer seed, and safflower.
Avoid cheap seed mixes with lots of filler like milo and wheat. Stick to quality seeds and nuts that will provide energy. Having a variety of foods will help cater to the diversity of birds in your yard.
Supplement seeds with suet cakes, nuts, fruit, and mealworms. Consider adding a nectar feeder for hummingbirds migrating through. Offering water is also important, so have a bird bath available.
Transition Feeding
As a final tip, don’t stop feeding cold turkey at the end of winter. Provide an overlapping transition period as natural foods return in spring.
Continue feeding into early spring when insects, buds, and berries become abundant again. This gives birds a soft offramp from relying on your feeders.
Enjoy the Fall Bird Activity
Autumn is an exciting time for backyard birding. Following these tips on when to start feeding by region will ensure your feeders provide a valuable resource for birds. Have your binoculars and field guides ready to observe the activity and identify new species passing through your yard.
What foods to offer
Seeds are the mainstay of bird feeding. Our favorites are black oil sunflower, sunflower hearts, white millet, nyjer, safflower, cracked corn, and broken nuts. These are attractive to juncos and all species of native sparrows. Finches, cardinals, doves, and jays eat them also.
You can get special nyjer feeders with tiny holes, like the 17-inch Spiral Finch Thistle Feeder. It gives out the rather pricey nyjer seeds one at a time so that they don’t all fall to the ground at once. Its just right for goldfinches but inaccessible to big birds. In addition to goldfinches, nyjer feeders often attract Common Redpolls, Pine Siskins, and other small birds.
What the best kind of feeders to use?
How complicated you make it will depend on how much time, money, and space you have for the project. We like to offer food at several heights and in several locations. This range of elevations will attract more bird species than a single feeder, since each species will find its own favorite place to eat.
Easiest is simply to toss birdseed on the ground or on a low stump. Many birds, including many of our native sparrows (like the gorgeous Fox Sparrow) enjoy eating at ground level. Theyll pick up food dropped by other birds, and theyll scratch through leaves to find food youve scattered.
However, we dont generally throw a lot of birdseed on the ground. You can get a buildup of old and even moldy seed that way. Also, we find it attracts a few too many chipmunks. Chipmunks are adorable, but there is a such a thing as too many. So we offer most bird food above ground level.
A porch railing can help keep the food cleaner. A feeder on a pole gives even better hygiene. If you add a baffle, you may escape the depredations of squirrels and raccoons.
Hanging feeders are the most economical with seed. It’s ideal if you can place them under eaves, sheltered from rain. We especially like feeders with a built-in roof to keep the seeds dry.
One example is the No/No Cardinal Feeder. (Theres a photo near the top of this page. Squirrels can’t chew through the all-metal platform, roof, or mesh, which is how it got its name. Cardinals, on the other hand, like it because it gives them a wide base to land on and feed without having to turn their heads. (Apparently cardinals dont find it comfortable to twist their necks to eat. ).
Do not change the way your table is set up. Place your birdfeeder somewhere you can see birds from your home. Enjoy the company of the birds while youre having your own meals.
Another favorite food for birds here at Birdwatching Dot Com is suet. In years past we didnt like how the suet attracted big gangs of Eurasian Starlings.
Then we discovered Upside Down Suet Feeders. These are designed so the suet can be reached only from below. Birds like woodpeckers, chickadees, nuthatches, and titmice that can hang on from below can now get to the suet. But with no competition from starlings.
Fall Bird Care
FAQ
What months should you feed birds?
When should I not put a bird feeder out?
What is the best bird food for fall?
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