| Birdhouse Placement |
| In an outdoor space of less than an
acre, erecting more than one birdhouse attractive to a particular
species is usually a waste of effort, with a few exceptions.
Tree Swallow boxes, mounted on posts in the open and near water, can
be as close together as 30 feet. The highly territorial House Wren
likes to have a wide choice of nesting sites. The male House
Wren arrives before the female in spring and constructs as many as a
dozen nests in his territory. He then courts a female by
taking her around and showing off his work. When she finally
accepts one of his nesting sites, a mating bond is formed.
Frequently, the first thing she does is tear apart his hard work and
start over. Because of this ritual, setting out four or more
wren houses is a powerful attraction for one pair. |
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Bird Feeding Facts |
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Once Northern Cardinals sample safflower seed, it
quickly becomes a favorite. |
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Game birds eat milo, but most other birds scorn it. |
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Many popular birds eat both striped and black-oil
sunflower seeds. |
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Finches favor tiny niger seed, especially when offered in
hanging feeders |
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Niger Seed:
Sometimes mistakenly called thistle seed, niger seed is actually not the
seed of a thistle, but of a plant (Guizotia abyssinica) grown in India
and Ethiopia for use in cooking oil and soap. Niger seed has been
offered commercially since 1972. |
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Birding Magazines that help to keep you informed |
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Bird Watcher's Digest |
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P.O. Box 110, Marietta, OH 45750 |
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Online:
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Birder's World |
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P.O. Box 1612, Waukesha, WI 53187-1612 |
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Online:
www.birdersworld.com |
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Birding and North American Birds, |
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The American Birding Association, P.O. Box 6599, Colorado
Springs, CO 80934
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| Wild bird Tips - information |
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To make your yard more inviting to birds, participate in
the Backyard Wildlife Habitat Program of the National Wildlife
Federation, designed for properties of all sizes.
Your yard can be certified if it meets requirements
for food, water, and shelter. Contact:
The National Wildlife Federation, Backyard Wildlife
Habitat Program, 8925 Leesburg Pike, Vienna, VA 22184-0001
Online:
www.nwf.org/habitats
For help in identifying birds try the Cornell Lab of
Ornithology's
Software Guide to Birds of North America |
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This year is the 30th anniversary of NWF's Backyard Wildlife Habitat
program. Milestones like these are a good time for reflection. Thirty
years is a long time. Children born 30 years ago are now grown and may
have children of their own. Few cars purchased in 1973 are still on the
road today. Several generations of pets may have shared their lives with
us and passed on. And many of first Backyard Wildlife Habitat sites
planted 30 years ago are still providing for local and migratory
wildlife. (more)
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