Feed the Birds

Laura Dean Bennett
Staff Writer

“Feeding the birds is also a form of prayer.” Pope Pius XII

After a long, hard winter, we’re not the only ones looking forward to the warmth of spring.

Many of the birds who survive winter, may have done so with the help of the 59 million Americans who kept their bird feeders full.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service estimates that Americans put out more than a billion pounds of bird feed each year.

We spend somewhere in the region of $4 billion annually on bird food, feeders, binoculars, field guides and bird watching.

Bird watching is now thought to be the second most popular hobby in America, with gardening coming in at number one.

The National Audubon Society tells us that West Virginia has more than nine and a half million acres of bird habitat.

Some birds, like mourning doves, stay all year. But most of songbirds come and go with the seasons.

In the summer, West Virginia hosts more than 170 species, not including raptors and waterfowl.

In the winter, there are about 50 species here.

It’s good that we’ve made strides in reducing the use of pesticides that were threatening so many species and are recognizing the threat of habitat destruction.

Birds face a lot of challenges. Research shows that wild bird populations are down by almost a third since 1970.

In 1994, Congressman John Porter (R-IL) spearheaded the effort to proclaim February as National Bird Feeding Month.

It was established to encourage bird feeding during the most dangerous time of year for our feathered friends.
There’s a theme chosen for National Bird Feeding Month every year. The theme for 2025 is “Be a Hero- #Feed the Birds.”

Humans have always been fascinated by birds. We’ve been putting food out for them and taming them by hand feeding since ancient times.

Saint Serf, a 6th century Scottish monk who studied flora and fauna, recorded his practice of feeding wild birds.

Henry David Thoreau may have been the first famous American feeder of birds. In 1845 he wrote about feeding crushed corn to his avian visitors at Walden Pond.

Wild birds need proper food to generate the large quantities of energy needed for migration, successful parenting and, in winter, maintaining body warmth.

By now, most people have heard that uncooked rice is dangerous for birds, and we’ve learned to throw bird seed at the bride and groom instead of uncooked rice. Dried rice or dried coconut can be fatal when it swells inside their stomachs.

We’ve also learned that bread isn’t good for birds – it’s junk food for birds. They will fill up on it, but it doesn’t provide the nutrients that they need.

Birds should not be offered milk or salt, which they can’t metabolize.

Wild bird seed blends are specifically designed to provide the nutrients – the fat, protein and calories that birds need.

Excellent food choices for wild birds include black-oil sunflower seeds, cracked corn, chopped or crushed peanuts, safflower seeds, white proso millet, nyjer (thistle) seeds and suet.

Mealworms are widely available and make a good source of protein for meat-loving birds.

Many bird species – orioles, woodpeckers, tana-gers, catbirds, robins, house finches and rose-breasted grosbeaks, and others – will be drawn to jelly and orange halves at fruit feeders.

In the winter when temperatures stay below freezing for long periods of time, our bird visitors will also appreciate having a heated source of water.

Once birds come to depend on your feeder, it’s important to stay consistent with the feeding.

A little housekeeping around feeders will go a long way to reducing the risk of disease.

Routinely clean bird feeders and birdbaths at least once every two weeks in summer, and once a month in winter.

Of course, if you spot any mold, immediately empty the feeder, discard any remaining food and give the feeder a thorough scrubbing with soap and water.

A soak in vinegar or a weak bleach solution will kill any germs that may remain. Always finish with several rinses with clear water. Be sure that the feeder is completely dry before refiling it with seeds.

These days, there are some feeders made to be washed in the dishwasher – yay!

Hummingbird feeders should ideally be cleaned before every refill or, at least, every three to five days.

Windows can present danger to birds as they sometimes can fly into them and sometimes their injuries can be serious, or even fatal.

If you are present when a bird crashes into a window, watch to see that it recovers and can fly away. If it is alive but remains on the ground, it’s at risk of being spotted by a predator. Gently scoop it up in a cloth, bring it in and place it in a small, loosely covered box.

If left alone in a dark, quiet place, it may recover. Hopping around and testing its wings is a sign that it may be able to fly and can be successfully released.

Just the stress of being close to a human may cause panic in a bird. Never touch it or interact with it more than necessary and release it as soon as possible.

To release a bird, cradle it carefully in a soft cloth and carry it to an elevated surface on your porch or in your yard away from people and pets. Set it down gently, walk away and hope for the best.

When setting up a feeder, you can minimize the chances of bird crashes.

Feeders situated 15 to 30 feet from a window pose the greatest hazard.

Place feeders within three feet of windows to pose the least risk of a crash. You can also cover windows with decals or screens.

When you bring large numbers of birds to a feeder, remember that predators may take note, among them, cats.
You may have to rethink having a feeder if outdoor cats visit your yard. It’s estimated that cats kill more than 2.5 billion birds a year in North America.

In recent years, there’s been a new threat to birds – avian influenza.

Since 2022, bird flu has been found in domestic poultry, waterfowl, raptors, shore birds and even some wild mammals.

The virus is shed in the saliva, mucus and feces of infected birds. It’s transmitted via ingestion or inhalation. 

Fortunately, The Centers for Disease Control studies indicate that transmission to humans is rare.

Bird flu has been found in domestic poultry in several states and a new strain has recently jumped from birds to dairy cattle.

To protect it from bird flu, sequester all poultry from wild birds and other wild animals.

Fortunately, studies show that songbirds are less likely than other birds to become infected. And they are less likely to shed large amounts of virus – meaning they do not transmit the disease easily – so a widespread outbreak among songbirds would be unlikely.

But we should be on the lookout for any sick birds in your yard or at your feeders. If you see birds who may be ill, remove feeders and do not replace them until the birds have left the area.

The latest word from the federal National Wildlife Disease Program is that, as of now, there’s no reason to take down bird feeders- unless they may also attract domestic poultry.

Winter bird watching gives us an ever – changing tableau of beauty – and proof of the resilience of life in a frozen, snow-covered landscape.

My cats love watching their “bird TV,” too, probably as much as I do. Every morning, we look forward to the next episode of “As the Birds Feed.”

It’s “appointment TV” for the whole family – and no satellite dish needed.

It is recommended that we continue to feed our birds until late April or May, when natural foods – such as berries and insects become more abundant for them.

Landscaping for the Birds

We can make our yards more bird-friendly by planting trees, shrubs, vines and flowers that naturally produce food and habitat for our feathered friends.

All trees are good for birds, but some are particularly beneficial. The fatty fruits of dogwood, spicebush, sassafras and magnolia, which ripen in the fall, provide excellent nutrition for birds.

Evergreens, including holly, pine and spruce provide protective year-round habitat – and good food.

Oaks yield acorns, which are not only edible themselves, but the host acorn weevils, a favorite form of protein for birds such as bluejays and certain woodpeckers.
 
Of course, fruit trees are always excellent bird attractants.

I remember watching a flock of about three dozen cedar waxwings settle onto a crabapple tree and devour hundreds of the tiny crabapples in the space of a day.

Sunflower seeds are well-known favorites of many birds.

Asters feed blue jays, cardinals and goldfinches from late summer through early fall.

Finches and other birds appreciate coneflowers, black-eyed susans, cornflowers, marigolds, zinnias and scarlet sage – and some will nibble on their petals.

Grapes and berries are like bird candy and the nutritious red berries of the serviceberry ripen in summertime, when new bird parents are busy feeding their young.

In the fall, viburnum’s bright red berries don’t just feed birds, but they can also make jelly and jam.

Beautyberry’s purple berries add an extra pop of fall color to your yard and in the fall and can last long enough to provide bird food into early winter.

The chokeberry shrub’s edible white blossoms evolve into berries – some red and some purple – which also ripen in the fall. The purple berries can be mistaken for huckleberries, which often grow in the same terrain. Both make excellent food for birds.

The blossoms of buttonbush, like butterfly bush, feed butterflies and other pollinators in the spring and summer and their berries also provide food for birds.

Honeysuckle, lilac, Rose of Sharon, hibiscus and weigela are also hummingbird favorites.

Nature lovers have learned that sometimes less is more when it comes to maintaining our lawns and gardens.

The perfect “weed-free” look may be impressive on the cover of a magazine but accomplishing it via the use of herbicides and pesticides is the equivalent of welcoming guests to a dining table laid with poison.

Using natural pest and weed deterrents is a much safer and healthier way to go – not just for birds, wildlife and pets, but for us, as well. And sometimes, weeds can have their place.

For instance, dandelion seeds are gold finches’ favorite food.

Rather than thinking of them as weeds, think of them as free bird food.