Who Likes What: The Favorite Birdseed of Feeder Regulars and Rarities
Here are the top three seed choices for a variety of species, per a scientific observational study of 1.2 million bird feeder visits.
Feeding birds makes you happier.
It's a scientific fact—one that folks who already provide food for birds know well. Birds can provide countless hours of entertainment. But as much fun as they are to watch, it's also important to remember that, by inviting birds to our homes, we have a duty to keep them safe. That means regularly cleaning feeders, making windows bird-safe, and taking other precautions. Below you'll find a range of advice for both bird feeding and care.
Around the Feeder
Bird feeding tips and advice.
More Feeding Tips and Stories
How to Feed Birds Safely This Winter
Follow these tips to ensure that you’re creating a healthy environment for wildlife visitors you attract to your yard.
Mixology: Breaking Down 5 Common Birdseed Blends
With all the products available these days, sometimes the jargon and claims can get confusing. Here’s a quick primer.
11 Tips for Feeding Backyard Birds
Follow this advice to attract the most feathered friends to your feeders.
When It's Okay (or Not) to Feed Birds
Providing food—for photography or simple enjoyment—can be a thorny issue. For guidance, ask yourself these three questions.
Who Wins the Feeder War?
When it's time to eat, research shows there's a pecking order—and the winners aren't always who you'd think.
How Chickadee Flocks Avoid Traffic Jams at Your Feeder
Turns out there's an orderly process to all of that flitting back and forth.
Feeder Bird Identification
ID tips and guides for the birds that frequent feeders and backyards.
Get to Know These 20 Common Birds
Want to put names to species you regularly see? Start with this beginner's guide.
More ID Tips and Advice
What's That Bird at Your Suet Feeder?
It's probably one of these eight hungry visitors.
Birdist Rule #58: How to Identify that Mystery Bird at Your Feeder
Hint: It's probably a female cardinal.
A Beginner’s Guide to IDing Cooper’s and Sharp-Shinned Hawks
The differences are subtle, but shape and size can help in a big way.
How to Tell a Hairy Woodpecker From a Downy Woodpecker
Size and tail color are two of the biggest clues when deciphering these two backyard regulars.
House Finch or Purple Finch? Here's How to Tell Them Apart
Some clues to help distinguish between these two often-confused finches.
Dark-eyed Juncos, Backyard Gems, Come in a Dazzling Array of Colors
The six flavors of junco were long considered separate species. Recent science shows that they instead boldly exhibit evolution in real time.
Birdist Rule #71: Figure Out What Kind Of Chickadees You’ve Got
Learn these seven species and you'll never go dateless again.
Birdist Rule #41: Identify Your First Warbler
This is it! We’re here! Spring!
DIY Feeding and Recipes
Make your own bird food with these easy recipes and projects.
Instructions
Make Your Own Suet
With this easy vegetarian recipe, you can attract insect lovers like woodpeckers and nuthatches.
This Addictive Homemade Suet Will Keep Your Birds Returning for More
Give feathered visitors a dietary boost with Zick Dough, an energy-rich delicacy made by nature writer Julie Zickefoose.
How to Make Hummingbird Nectar
In a few easy steps, you can bring these nectar-loving birds to your feeder.
How to Make a DIY Bird Feeder From Recycled Materials
Attract birds to your yard with a project that's fun for kids of all ages.
Make an Orange Feeder for Orioles
This kid-friendly DIY will keep similarly hued visitors coming back for more.
Grow These Native Plants So Your Backyard Birds Can Feast
Native plants beat even the best bird feeder. Here’s what to put in your garden to transform it into a year-round wonderland.
Bird Care and Safety
Easy ways to make sure your visitors stay healthy and happy.
Seven Ways to Make Your Home More Bird-Friendly
From your windows to what plants you grow, there are many ways to make your sanctuary a safe place for avian visitors.
Care and Maintenance
Three Easy but Important Ways to Keep Your Bird Feeders Disease-Free
Make sure you're helping, not harming, your feathered visitors with these simple steps.
How to Keep Your Hummingbird Feeder Free from Pests
A few small steps can protect your nectar from bears and insects.
Winterize Your Yard for Birds
With these 9 steps, you can create an avian winter wonderland and get a jump on spring migration season.
Why You Should Keep Your Birdbath Clean
Maintaining a fresh bath is a simple, essential way to keep birds hydrated, clean, and disease-free. Just follow these easy steps.
Think You Have a Bird-Friendly Backyard? Think Again.
Birdfeeders and trees help birds, but they also increase the likelihood of deadly window impacts. Here’s how to make your yard truly bird friendly.
Why Bird Feed Can Be a ‘Gateway Food’ for Bears
The easy buffet draws bears to human habitats. If you live in bear country, experts suggest putting away feeders in seasons the mammals are active.
Hummingbird Feeding FAQs
While native flowering plants are the best source of nectar for hummingbirds, supplementing with a well-tended sugar-water feeder can provide...
Read On
All About Hummingbirds
Why Do Hummingbirds Fight So Much?
For hungry hummers in need of nectar to fuel their high-speed lives, territorial disputes can get ugly.
The Audubon Guide to Attracting Hummingbirds and Orioles
At least 53 species of North American birds drink nectar—the naturally occurring sweet liquid produced by plants. Hummingbirds and orioles are the...
Hummingbird Flight Is Like Nothing Else in the Bird World
These talented fliers can hover, whiz forward and backward, and come to a complete stop in an instant.
The Vibrant Colors of Hummingbirds Are More Impressive Than We’d Realized
Scientists catalogued the hues of 114 avian species. Humans can’t see every shade, but birds can.
When to Expect Hummingbirds at Your Feeders and Flowers This Spring
Warmer weather is on its way—and so are migrant hummers returning from their southern wintering grounds to their summer breeding ranges. Here’s a regional guide for when they should arrive and the food they’re seeking.
Hummingbird Gorgets: Jewels of the Sky
The glittering, colorful feathers on the throats of male hummingbirds help them attract mates and defend territory. Here's how they work, up-close.
How to Get Hummingbirds to Come to Your City
A makeshift green space can serve as a rest stop for these tiny travelers.
Mites Take Flight on Hummingbird Beaks
Sean Graesser’s larger-than-life photos reveal a fascinating, tiny world where hummingbirds carry passengers aloft.
Which Animals Prey on Hummingbirds?
If a creature can catch them, you can bet it's eating them.
After Four Decades, Efforts to Save Great Lakes Piping Plovers Are Seeing Signs of Major Success
With dedication and ingenuity, a recovery team has been helping the endangered shorebirds overcome old and emerging threats while reaching new heights.
As Stands of Whitebark Pine Disappear, Could the Clark's Nutcracker Soon Follow?
A intrepid researcher faces steep odds as she attempts to study nutcrackers in the Cascade Mountains. But the birds—and the singular trees they help sustain—are too important for her not to persist.
Can a Scientist and an Owl Be Friends?
Best-selling author and ecologist Carl Safina has made a career out of his deep explorations of the animal world. But his recent relationship with a rescued owl caused him to go even deeper.
A Force of Conservation, the Endangered Species Act Faces a Fraught Future
Fifty years after its passage, the powerful policy has proven effective at preventing wildlife from going extinct. Only with innovation and advocacy can it continue to do so for decades to come.
The Bone-Eating Bearded Vulture Is Reclaiming Europe’s Skies
Once widely persecuted, the majestic scavenger is making a remarkable rebound in Europe, but new threats could undermine a full recovery.
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