It’s true that while many kind souls feed birds year round, most eagerly await that first frost when it seems that helping birds to stoke up their fat reserves is no longer an extravagance but an obligation. 

Please, Sir, may I have some more?

Photo of a hungry Blue Jay courtesy of Flickr.  Feeding birds in the winter is akin to leaving lights on all around the house and decorating with Poinsettias.  The short days and long nights are brightened knowing that life and nature continue to flourish and we marvel at the hardiness of these creatures that stay out all night with nothing but a tiny down comforter to keep them warm.  Seeing them return each morning and evening to the freshly stocked feeder is comforting.

Yankee Flipper in Action

Battling with squirrels is another fun component of this hobby.

Selecting the ideal bird feeder is just a question of knowing what the local birds enjoy eating and are capable of eating and then ensuring the feeder can provide appropriate perches as well as deliver the food.  Bird beaks come in many sizes and shapes but most backyard birds have beaks that can easily crack open a sunflower seed or a millet seed, or a Nyjer seed.   

Nyjer Feeder

Nyjer seed is used mostly to attract goldfinches and because the seed is very small and flows easily, the ideal Nyjer feeder has several perches and tiny holes.  

Sunflower Seed Feeder

Sunflower and mixed seed feeders are the most common.  

Suet Feeder

When asked, I recommend that backyard birders always have at least one feeder to deliver sunflower seeds and another for suet.  The diversity of feeders and feed will dictate the diversity of the birds that are drawn to the yard, from common to sometimes the rare and unusual.



In many ways, backyard birders are restoring the nature that was eliminated to make way for houses, roads, stores, etc.  We re-introduce native plants that yield berries and seeds and we provide fresh water.  Some of us mount nesting boxes to replace the natural cavities long lost to logging and the clearing of woodlands for urban and agricultural development. 

Backyard birders try hard to protect the wildlife that has grown to trust their hospitality – providing appropriate food in clean feeders, keeping the backyards free of domestic cats, and putting silhouette decals on our deceptively transparent windows.  Hummingbird feeders in particular should be emptied and re-filled frequently. 

Healthy hummingbirds at a simple feeder

A dormant interest in nature can be awakened with the gift of a simple bird feeder.  The feeder is filled, the birds come and the new backyard birder is soon hooked on a hobby that will lead to a sense of community involvement and satisfaction. 

The new birder begins by mounting bird houses, buying a nice pair of binoculars, reading about the different species, becoming a member of the local wildlife conservation organization, signing up to Internet forums, volunteering on habitat protection projects, meeting new like-minded friends, and possibly making donations to preserve habitats or prized pieces of open space, either locally or further afield.  

Backyard birders who become increasingly engaged learn about migration and want to help protect the winter habitats enjoyed by the birds when they are not in our backyards.  Witness the success of the American Birding Association’s “Birder’s Exchange” program that channels used birding supplies and materials to young enthusiasts, students and scientists living in less affluent countries who are working hard to protect those wintering grounds.   

Although the Holidays are the customary time for gift giving, a bird feeder such as the one shown below given as a gift in the Fall will bring more than just a few birds to a friend’s backyard, it will possibly awaken a lifelong interest in nature with an immeasurable payback. 

An active feeder

For example, many year round backyard birders who are familiar with grackles may see the occasional few birds hanging precariously from the side of a feeder or pecking around looking for fallen seed and more than likely being aggressive to each other.  But at this time of year, we can be startled by a black cloud tearing by the window landing with equal and unified suddenness on the lawn with a chorus of screeching, only to leapfrog as a team to our neighbor’s backyard, then alight in a tree and then take off at high-speed for their next stop, almost certainly a short distance south.  

Starlings will also put on a mystical and incredibly graceful show.  Who hasn’t been on a highway and seen what appears to be a highly localized and ever-changing black cloud of starlings moving like an underinflated balloon from one side of the highway to the other, expanding and deflating as a unified mass.  Starlings can also be seen at this time of year beginning to congregate on wires at intersections, each exactly one wing span away from touching a neighbor.

Interestingly, and obviously, we recognize a flock as being a set of individual birds which have developed a need to be in proximity to others, usually of the same species.  Presumably they know instinctively that there is safety in numbers and that there is an ordeal in store for them that will require a large and strong team to ensure success. 

The flock then takes on its own persona with no discernible flock leaders.  The aerobatics, the sudden takeoffs and landings and the general direction of travel do not appear to be led by any individual but occur through an instantaneous and shared response to a stimulus. For example, a predator is suspected, and all individuals in the flock react the same way.  Each bird does not need to hear an order from a leader to move away or hunker down, they just do it.   A group of humans will act the same way – a loud noise will cause all heads to turn at the same time.

When blessed with a transient flock of grackles up close, make the most of the opportunity to practice your identification skills.  Study the birds and pick out the wayward Red-Winged Blackbird and the cowbirds, and enjoy comparing the plumage of the mature adult with that of the dowdy young.

July’s a good month for backyard birders to look around and see what’s going on and to enjoy the fruit of their labors.  By now the bird houses are probably homes to a second brood for one lucky pair or they are occupied by a new impertinent family who took over and are having their first brood.   The feeders like the one shown are active with busy parent birds and awkward fledglings.  The blooming gardens are magnets for butterflies during the day and hopefully, a few bats at dusk.

A great feeder for bring the birds in close

Soon after the bluebirds left, I cleaned out a two inch deep nest of woven pine needles and set it aside to show my family.  I then wiped down the interior with a bleach and water mix and left it open to dry out in the sun.  A couple of days later, I closed the box and within a week had a battle on my hands.  The bluebirds were trying to get a second brood underway but were hopelessly out gunned by an aggressive House Wren couple who quickly went to work building their nest with short black sticks.  Today the wrens burst out screeching whenever I take the lawnmower too close.  As delighted as I am to have an active nesting box, I miss the bluebirds. 

Eastern bluebird, courtsey of Flickr

One backyard bird that gets overlooked is the Turkey.  We have a flock that has us on their circuit.  Interestingly, there is one bird that ranges on its own and has taken to roosting 40 feet off the ground on a tree limb that hangs over the road.  I hope this eccentric loner will do well.

A Turkey, courtesy of Flickr

Popular wind chimes have sounds named after favorite pieces of music such Amazing Grace.  Most chimes named after music also come in different sizes such small, medium and large.  The larger the chimes, the deeper more resonant the tones.  Others may invoke a sense of cultural history such as the Chimes of Bali or the Aloha Chimes and the American Arts and Crafts Chimes.

Oh leaf me alone!

Wind chimes can be hung outside year round.  The chimes can be metallic pipes or hollow wooden tubes, each carefully measured, cut and tuned to produce precise notes or they can be made of bells or glass or shells that can resonate or tinkle when struck or caught in the wind. 

Glass and Capiz shell chimes are cascading pieces of resonant glass and shell that flutter against each other resulting in a pleasant tinkling sound reminding us that air is constantly moving even if sometimes we can’t feel it.  Glass and Capiz shell wind chimes come in many different colors, some uniform and others stretching across complementary palettes, ideal for matching to a room’s décor. Often the glass pieces or the shells are cut to pleasing shapes such as birds, leaves, grapes, and other interesting decorative designs.

Fish and Chimes anyone?

And then there are the novelty items.  Novelty items are chimes that are decorated with designs and symbols that again complement or accent a room or themed porch and include cowboys astride a horse, or a lion posturing with pride, or maybe a monkey for a kid’s room.  Natural designs include hummingbirds and exotic fish.

Bells and gongs are also driven by wind, but instead of pipes, tubes and pieces of hard material, the artistry is expressed with carefully positioned bells and gongs.  Names include Emperor Gong and Garden Bells.  The sounds can be deep and resonant or light and tinkling.  The pieces are typically decorative, with spiritual designs and structures invoking Asian cultures.  The Turtle Bell is a stylized metal turtle from which hangs flattened metal turtle images that sway in the wind and cause the Turtle Bell to be struck.   A very popular item is the Acorn bell which takes the shape of an acorn and is struck by a cord that hangs down and is weighted with a metallic oak leaf. 

“Environmental”  chimes may comprise inverted floating bells, the striking of which is driven by running water causing them to gently collide and let out a ring that is considered a tranquil sound.   Environmental chimes also include those that are rung by hand such as gongs or flat pipes of metal and wood.  These have names such as the Crystal Zenergy chime which comprises one pipe and a crystal mounted on a wooden structure and which comes with a small hand-held striker and the Zenergy Quintet which comprises 5 separate pipes, laid out on a block and which also comes with a hand-held striker.

A set of chimes makes a great gift anytime and for any occasion because they are simple and require no maintenance.   People enjoy the fluttering of small pipes or the tinkling of notes from familiar works of music or just the steady reassuring boing, boing of large pipes being tapped by a chunk of exotic wood. 

Wind chimes are four season weather resistant and can be metallic or made of hollow woods, each measured and tuned for precise notes.  There are many styles but usually the individual pipes hang from a central point and are struck by a small block of wood or metal that catches the wind by way of a tail usually hanging below the pipes.  Wind chimes are ornate and decorative and are often hung on porches or from a tree by a favorite spot in the backyard where they can be seen and heard. 

When Mother’s Day and Father’s Day roll around in the spring, a hummingbird feeder could be a good gift because it will attract the most charismatic backyard bird.  These delicate glass or plastic globes contain sugary water and through their bright coloration and decorations, can be simple or decorative and can be hung anywhere or  mounted on a window pane.  The artistic feeders are usually larger and are much more ornate with pretty flowers and sculpted metal work.  They too can be hung or stuck to a window.

Father’s Day may be a good time for a nesting box.  Choose something uncomplicated such as a box designed for wrens or chickadees.  They are usually easy to mount and most people have a wren or chickadee close by.  A well constructed nesting box will last for years and is four season weather resistant.  The only maintenance required is periodic cleaning, in between broods or after the breeding season in September.  Nesting boxes can be bare wood offering the essentials of the right size hole to keep out unwelcome guests and the right interior dimensions for nesting.  Other boxes are highly decorative resembling Victorian mansions and cottages and will certainly provide a tasteful accent to the backyard.

For someone with open space and living near open water, you may want to consider a Purple Martin condo.   Purple Martins breed in condos, being a group of nesting boxes attached to each other under one roof and usually mounted on a pole.  The condo is raised and lowered via a pulley.  Buying a condo and supporting pole can be a big investment.  If the friend or relative is up for it it’s a great gift, but maybe check first?

The December Holidays occur around the time of the winter solstice, when the days officially start to get longer and people are starting to get a sense of the coming spring and the spirit of renewal. With the daylight comes an increasing awareness of the outdoors and a desire to participate.  A good December Holiday gift would a bird feeder.  The days may be getting longer but the weather is usually getting colder and the birds are finding natural food to be increasingly hard to find.  Mounting a bird feeder will attract birds to the yard and their activity will provides hours of entertainment.  If the person already has a feeder, give them another, but one that holds a different type of food such as a thistle seed feeder or a suet feeder or the amusing Yankee Flipper that deters pesky squirrels. 

A far less risky gift is a bird bath.  Birds love water and they love to stay clean.

A window kill usually occurs when a backyard bird is in a desperate flight for survival and aims for what appears to be a tunnel but instead is a room with windows on opposite sides.  Who hasn’t heard the sickening thud and then seen the angelic outline of dust on the pane and looked down nervously hoping to find either nothing or a bird that is only stunned?  

We put out feeders and in so doing we establish a well stocked pantry of plump birds for the hawk who also has to survive and feed its young.  The key to preventing this accidental and often fruitless death is to play on the bird’s instinctive fear of hawks and to place a silhouette on the windows.  Silhouettes of hawks can be bought or made.  As the bird takes flight it will see the silhouette and without thinking veer off to safety or, maybe, to become a meal for the hungry Sharpie.

Cats are a dilemma for backyard birders.  Many backyard birders have cats and dogs.  Many have neighbors with cats.  The problem for bird safety lies in the issue of whether a cat should be outside.  Everyone has an opinion but those that say they should be outside because “it’s natural” are contributing to the daily slaughter of millions of birds across North America.  If the cat is also being fed at home, then the bird’s death is merely the pointless outcome of an instinctive game that the cat cannot resist.  

If there is one cat prowling backyards and hunting birds for every 100 people in North America then there are over 4 million cats on the loose and if each one makes one kill a day, that is almost 30 million birds a week being killed for mostly no purpose.  Based on the number of road-kill pet cats and the number of unwanted kittens in cat shelters being euthanized, there may be other obvious benefits to keeping the cats indoors.

Disease is tough because an individual backyard birder may feel helpless fighting a danger that is prevalent where birds congregate and which is intangible and largely uncontrollable. 

The most obvious and upsetting disease in my life time was conjunctivitis. During the late 1990’s it was not uncommon to look at House Finches and Goldfinches perched near or on a feeder and see that they were apparently squinting through encrusted eyelids, and then see others stranded on nearby twigs blinded, fearful to fly and just waiting to be preyed upon. 

Conjunctivitis was being spread from one bird to the next at the feeders across the entire continent. Every time an infected bird poked its head into a hole to snatch a seed it was leaving the bacteria on the hole for the next bird to rub against.  The first solution involved taking down all the feeders, sterilizing them in strong bleach, and then putting them away for the rest of the season.  No more feeders.  The second was less drastic but involved more work – taking them down, cleaning them and then remounting, knowing that the cycle had to be repeated often.  Most backyard bird feeders just took down their feeders and prayed the disease would work itself out.

Other common problems occur with nesting boxes.  Active nests contain warm moist baby birds and maybe the occasional corpse or broken eggs, along with a few insects such as earwigs and other creatures that create their own sources of waste.  The boxes are usually warm and in a wet Spring may be damp.  All in all a perfect breeding ground for disease and infection.  Scale infections and the eggs of parasitic insects are small and hard to deal with.

It would not be appropriate to interfere with an active nest, but it is entirely appropriate to clean the nesting box when not in use such as when between broods or at the end of the season.  A good cleaning involves removing the nest and taking it away from the immediate area, either putting it in the compost heap, burning it or maybe putting it in a Ziploc bag for Show and Tell.  The box should then be swept out with a brush and liberally washed and scrubbed with bleach.

We relate to birds by providing natural and manmade attractions.  We grow native fruit and seed bearing trees and bushes in our yards because we like them and so do the birds.  We place a bird bath or bird feeder near a favorite window or perhaps we go whole hog, studying the birds, buying binoculars, and mounting nesting boxes on the side of a tree or a sheltered fence post.  Learning these species and their food and nesting requirements is not hard.  Typically they are small, seed eating cavity nesters such as wrens, titmice, chickadees, nuthatches, and starlings. 

A bird bath is a good start.  A bird bath can be an elaborate and artistic device hooked up to a faucet with running water or it can be an overturned trash barrel lid.  The birds will flock to the bath and enjoy the cool fresh water. 

A bird feeder is essential. There are many different feeders and they cater to the wide range of foods that different birds need.    To cater to the hummingbird’s need for sweet water, backyard birders mount red glass or plastic feeders full of fresh sugar water.  Hummingbird feeders can be hung close to the house or even adhered to a window,

A chickadee on the other hand wants seeds, such as sunflower or smaller, so birders mount or hang a silo feeder that can contain seed without it spilling, and which has multiple access points so the birds can perch and gorge.  Another common year round seed eater is the Goldfinch, renowned for its appetite for thistle seeds.  Thistle seeds are tiny and are usually offered to the birds in silo feeders with small access holes or “thistle socks” being fabric containers that hang from a branch and allow the Goldfinch to cling while extracting the delicious Nyjer seeds.

A platform feeder, being a rimmed tray is easily mounted or hung a few inches or several feet above ground.  Kitchen scraps, cracked corn, toast, oranges, apples, etc., are all enticing food for birds such as starlings, cardinals and doves that enjoy walking and chewing.  One-way mirror window feeders take it one step further, being mounted in a kitchen window and drawing the unsuspecting birds within inches of the home owner.

Birds such as wrens and chickadees like to nest in small deep cavities.  Others do not.  For example, a Robin has no interest in penetrating a hole. “Cavity nesters” are the birds that will use a bird house and they are very particular about dimensions.  If the entrance is too big, the bird fears that predators or other larger birds may invade.  The hole must also be high enough up the side of the box to allow a nest to be built.  The interior dimensions must also be reasonable for the bird’s needs.  Sprawling or too tight will not work. 

Bird houses can be quite elaborate.  Decorative bird houses may resemble Victorian homes or churches.  The birds do not mind so long as the hole and dimensions work for them.  Decorating a backyard with a work of art that also serves as a nesting box can be quite rewarding.

Purple Martins now almost depend entirely upon manmade nesting facilities, the most common of which is the classic Purple Martin Condo, containing maybe 4 or more “units,” each with a suitable sized access hole.  Another style is the hanging plastic gourd.  Gourds are hung from wires like laundry on a clothes line.  The number of gourds is limited only by budget.

The scientific name for Purple Martin, Progne subis, draws upon some harsh ancient Greek mythology.  Progne, a princess in Athens, was changed into a swallow after killing her own son in revenge against her husband who himself had committed a despicable act with her sister, Philomela.  Interestingly, Philomela was also changed into a swallow and Progne’s husband was changed into a Hoopoe (Upupa epops), itself a stunning crested bird that is depicted on the walls of pyramids.

“Conscious of her fixed times” the Purple Martins returning to their ancestral breeding sites on the East Coast of North America are now almost completely dependent upon manmade nesting facilities. 

The most common and seemingly ubiquitous is the classic Purple Martin Condo, being a structure containing maybe 4 or maybe many more “units”, each with a suitable sized access hole.  These “colonial” nesting sites are particularly enticing to older males who find the abundance of females to be quiet exhilarating. 

Purple Martin Condos or multi unit nesting houses are usually mounted on a pole in the center of fields and other expanses of open space, and usually within a reasonable distance to water.

The condo is usually white with green or red trim, and will have holes facing all four directions.  The supporting pole usually runs through the middle of the condo and the condo is hoisted to the top of the pole using a pulley system.  It is important to clean and maintain the condo so having an easy way to raise and lower it is very important.  The bigger units can be heavy and require a sturdy pole, strong rope and a helping hand when moving it up and down.

Once the Martins are in residence, the condo should be left undisturbed except for urgent maintenance such as could arise following a serious storm.

Another style of Purple Martin house that is inexpensive and becoming increasingly popular takes the form of a hanging gourd.  These gourds are now manufactured in plastic and designed with a suitable hole drilled on the side and are hung from wires like laundry on a clothes line.  The number of gourds is limited only by budget. 

Hanging gourds can be natural or manmade.  The gourds are usually about 8 inches or more across at the widest, and may be hung in various configurations.  Gourds may be hung with the stem up or sideways or stem down.  A natural gourd bought at a market must first be cleaned out and allowed to dry.  The hole should be 2 inches in diameter and should face out a little below horizontal so as to keep the inside dry yet still give the bird a clear run.  The gourds are usually painted white so as to reflect the sun.

Gourds need not be strung out in a straight line.  Some are hung in formations like hanging fruit on a tree.  The gourds should be at least 20 feet off the ground.

At the end of the season after the final brood of four or five young have fledged and all the birds have left for their wintering grounds, the Condos and the gourds should be taken down, cleaned with bleach, maintained, and then, depending on the local climate, it may also make sense to just put everything away for the winter.  Preparing for the next season should begin in March, and all nesting equipment should be back in place by April 1, ready for the return of the scouts.

When checking out a potential nesting site, bird are not generally concerned about appearance.  Instead, the “cavity nesting” bird is highly focused on the depth of the interior, the size of the hole, the closeness to potential danger and the abundance of available to obtain food.  A hole that is too large, even by a quarter inch will scare away the desired bird for fear that a bigger bird may want to move in.  A hole that is too low will not allow the bird enough internal height to build their ideal nest. 

However, its our box too and we want a structure that will work, looks great and conforms to the design and appearance of our yards.  Be picky.

If not sure which of the local birds will nest in a box, then talk to a neighbor who has boxes or visit a local wildlife sanctuary.  Put out a bird feeder and seeing what shows up.  Many of the birds that feed on seed will also use a bird house to nest in.  Many prevalent species, such as doves, robins and cardinals do not nest in boxes.  Purple Martins love boxes, but mounting a box that is designed for a Purple Martin will fail if this species is not customarily found in the region. 

Boxes or bird houses that are customized to meet the needs of specific “cavity nesting birds,” such as the traditional favorites; Purple Martins, bluebirds, Tree Swallows, chickadees, titmice, woodpeckers, and to some extent owls and birds of prey such as the Kestrel are distinguished from each other by the interior dimensions and the size of the hole.  A nesting box for a Great Horned Owl is gigantic compared to that of a box designed for a chickadee.  A Purple Martin is happy in a communal box with many holes and units.  A bluebird wants no neighborly bluebirds with which to compete for food.

The Eastern Bluebird has become an increasingly appreciated nesting box bird.  Backyard bird watchers with average open lawns are experimenting with bird houses for Bluebirds and they are succeeding.  If they are around, it’s worth a try.

Stylized boxes, folk art boxes, novelty boxes and sophisticated decorative birdhouses are often elaborate.  Some take the form of miniature houses, maybe Victorian in style, complete with a shingle or metallic roof, windows with frames and shutters, front porch, and chimney and possibly steeple.  The exterior may be exposed Rosewood or more usually painted in a traditional house color, maybe white, or in colors reminiscent of a Martha’s Vineyard filigreed “gingerbread” beach home.  If going this route be careful to ensure the materials will withstand the elements and that the bird’s needs are still met.  Check the interior dimensions and the size of the hole.

Regardless of the style, positioning the house is always important.  Some are mounted on poles, others hang from branches and others are nailed to a fence or wall.  The key to success is to ensure the house is mounted in an area that will afford the nesting bird a stressfree existence, meaning minimal foot traffic and out of the reach of cats.

As with any bird house, it is very important to clean it out, scrub it with bleach and clean all around the entrance hole.  This can be done between broods.