February is National Bird Feeding Month

In January 1994, Illinois' 10th District Congressman John Porter read a resolution in the Congressional Record making February "National Bird-Feeding Month". This observance was established because wintertime is one of the most difficult periods in much of North America for birds to survive in the wild. During the month, people are encouraged to provide food, water, and shelter to help wild birds survive.

Suet feeders attract: woodpeckers chickadees, wrens, nuthatches, cardinals doves, goldfinches

Peanut butter suet attracts: woodpeckers, juncos, goldfinches, jays, cardinals, bluebirds

House feeders (or similar feeders) with sunflower seeds attract many kinds of seedeating birds including: cardinals, finches, nuthatches, titmice, grosbeaks, sparrows, chickadees

Peanut feeders attract: woodpeckers, chickadees, titmice

A tube feeder (which provides a space so the smaller birds can get at the feed)with thistle (niger seed)or black sunflower seed will attract: woodpeckers, titmice, finches, nuthatches, sparrows, juncos

A tray feeder with fruit will attract: woodpeckers, starlings, bluebirds, cardinals, jays, cedar waxings, mockingbirds

Platform feeders with sunflower seed attract: cardinals, nuthatches, mourning doves, woodpeckers, purple finches, titmice, house finches, chickadees, song sparrows, goldfinches, evening grosbeaks, jays, white-throated sparrows

They also attract other seed-eating birds in the neighborhood, including crossbills, pine siskins, and white-crowned sparrows, which are more unusual birds to find at your feeders.

Different species of birds will feed together at a platform feeder, although the larger birds such as blue jays and cardinals may chase the smaller chickadees and
goldfinches.

Providing several types of feeders should suffice to keep your birds well-fed. Removing perches from tube feeders means only those birds that can cling - such as finches, chickadees, titmice, and woodpeckers - can feed.

If you don’t want to buy feeders, you can make your own. You can also make inexpensive feeders by cutting out the sides of plastic jugs and bottles and using them for feeders. I'll post a couple of real quick and easy ones you can make this coming week. Remember the feeders should be durable and easy to clean.

What’s for Dinner? The kind of banquet you offer the birds determines what kinds of birds you get. As a general rule, black oil sunflower seeds are the preference of birds that visit tube and platform feeders.