May 24, 2020
Although it is rare—even unheard of—for humans to become sick from handling a bird feeder, there is no doubt that microorganisms flourish on their surface. That's why it's important for you to wash your hands after handling your feeders, including after refilling them. Much more of a threat are illnesses and diseases spread among the birds that visit and share feeders. To keep your feeder birds healthy, and to prevent the spread of disease, follow these steps.
Apr 29, 2020
Many backyard bird watchers miss a big piece of migration because they don't look up. Not all the birds that sweep past each spring and fall make a pit stop at your bird feeder, or even in your neighborhood. Some, such as hawks, waterfowl, and gulls, keep right on truckin', headed for distant places or searching for habitat most backyard bird watchers can't provide. In migration, the sky over your house is a highway; on some days it can be as busy as the beltway at rush hour.
Mar 11, 2020
You don't need to be an avid birder to notice that birds make a wide variety of sounds. Some of these sounds are gentle and pleasant, like the beautiful phrasing of a newly arrived wood thrush in spring. Other sounds can be jarring and annoying, at least to a nonbirder, such as the loud mechanical imitations of a northern mockingbird on a summer night.
Feb 26, 2020
Did you know? Juncos begin leaving their homes in the boreal forests across northern North America in October and tend to return to the same areas each year, bird banding research has shown.
Feb 19, 2020
Across much of the United States, a cohort of birds always seems to rush the season; they can be heard singing even as February snow flies. For those of us who fall asleep with seed catalogs draped across our flannel-clad chests, these songsters are immensely cheering. Yet many of us are unaware of why certain birds seem to start singing—and nesting—so early in the season.
Feb 14, 2020
Do birds "love" their mates? The answer is impossible to know, and certainly requires anthropomorphizing. We know that birds and humans share some emotions, with fear being perhaps the most obvious. But what about love? Many birds (male hummingbirds are an exception) are devoted parents, who seem to care for their nestlings and fledglings lovingly. But is that really love? What about birds who mate for life? Could their pair bond be called love?
Feb 12, 2020
By the time you read this, spring may have a firm grip on your local area, but February is usually still winter in Ohio. It’s going to happen, though, spring is. Here are 10 long-awaited signs that a change in seasons is just around the corner.
Jan 30, 2020
With several types of bird food available on the market today, it's nice to have an option that offers something for everyone eating in your backyard. We've rounded up the most common ingredients of seed blends, their benefits to birds, and how to make sure you're buying the right mix for your backyard birding needs.
Jan 29, 2020
Would you frequent a restaurant that served your sandwich on the floor and dog food on the table? That's the human equivalent of offering birds inexpensive mixed seed in a hanging feeder. Cheap birdseed mixes usually contain a high proportion of milo, wheat, millet, and cracked corn. Such ingredients are fine for many ground-feeding birds, such as doves, blackbirds, quail, and sparrows, but not the favorite foods of birds that naturally eat above the ground, such as chickadees, nuthatches, wrens, and grosbeaks.
Jan 15, 2020
Winter: 'Tis the season for feeding birds all across North America, especially in those regions where it gets mighty cold and snowy. If you are just getting started in bird feeding, or if you are frustrated by a lack of success in attracting winter birds to your feeders, the first thing you need to determine is whether you are feeding the right foods. If you are not giving the birds what they want, you might not have many birds.
