How to attract more variaty

[k4show]

I live in Southern Ontario and want to attract a more varaiaty of birds to my yard. Right now I get house finches, grackles, starlings, gold finches, morning doves, house finches occasionally, juncos, and thats about it. Any ideas on how to get more variaty? I have a few black sunflower seed feeders, a nyger seed feeder, a log hanging filled with peanut butter, and jam in different holes I drilled and also a pond with running water. Any idea on how to get more different types of birds? Thanks

[canonloader]

They won't all come at once. My life list, which I only count the ones that I get pictures of and in my own yard, is now up to 42 species. It took me three winters to get those. The last 7 or 8 since last spring.

You have to keep food out 24/7/365. Once you start, birds will come to depend on it, raise whole families around the abundance of food you provide. While I don't think new generations will forget how to forage for their food, if you cut it off, they will be left to what they can find on their own and it probably won't be enough.

Feeders are OK, but there are more birds that much prefer to eat off the ground and under the protection of overhanging branches from low trees or large shrubbery. Most of our native sparrows prefer to scratch around in the grass for seeds or bugs, so find a likely spot and put out sunflower seeds for them there. A small yard table is also good if you put it under the low hanging branches or very near something the little birds can run to for protection if they have to, mine happens to be a Lilac Bush. They all love that Lilac Bush. Dense and tight, the little guys can get in there and the hawks can't. ;)

You also need something out in the open, so passing birds can see it from the air. Migrating birds fly above the tree tops for the most part, so if all the feeders are under the trees, they just won't see it. I don't know for a fact, but I do think enough people in the US do feed birds that they have learned to spot those places on migration and stop in for a day or three to tank up. Other birds migrate through the trees and have a better chance of seeing a yard with food and a busy population of smaller birds going to and from the feeders. Other birds don't migrate at all. Cardinals, Chickadees, Nuthatches and Jays don't migrate. If you are surrounded by woods, then eventually, word will get out and they will all find your yard. :)

[snowyowl13]

Hard to say without knowing more about your local environment.

[k4show]

I have well established feeders that have been up for years, birds know theres food here lol. I am going to ask somebody at the local nature preserve to see what they say. Thanks

[canonloader]

If you have a dog in the yard, birds don't like dogs, and a roaming cat is murder. That will keep most of them away. I live with my borther who is not interested in the birds. Before I moved in, I use to visit a lot and noticed, this yard, part of a trailer park, never had any birds at all. I never saw birds around here, until I started to feed them. But he had a dog and there are or were a large number of feral cats that hunted here at night. His dog died, I put out the food and have trapped most of the feral cats and now this place is a marvel of bird activity. The birds have found a friendly place to come, and it shows. ;)

[k4show]

There are no cats near my yard and my dog only goes out a few times a day, and they actually will be right next to her when they are eating lol. She is very calm. But how do I get more variaty of birds other than what I have listed?

[GMHY]

They won't all come at once. My life list, which I only count the ones that I get pictures of and in my own yard, is now up to 42 species. It took me three winters to get those. The last 7 or 8 since last spring.

You have to keep food out 24/7/365. Once you start, birds will come to depend on it, raise whole families around the abundance of food you provide. While I don't think new generations will forget how to forage for their food, if you cut it off, they will be left to what they can find on their own and it probably won't be enough.

Feeders are OK, but there are more birds that much prefer to eat off the ground and under the protection of overhanging branches from low trees or large shrubbery. Most of our native sparrows prefer to scratch around in the grass for seeds or bugs, so find a likely spot and put out sunflower seeds for them there. A small yard table is also good if you put it under the low hanging branches or very near something the little birds can run to for protection if they have to, mine happens to be a Lilac Bush. They all love that Lilac Bush. Dense and tight, the little guys can get in there and the hawks can't. ;)

You also need something out in the open, so passing birds can see it from the air. Migrating birds fly above the tree tops for the most part, so if all the feeders are under the trees, they just won't see it. I don't know for a fact, but I do think enough people in the US do feed birds that they have learned to spot those places on migration and stop in for a day or three to tank up. Other birds migrate through the trees and have a better chance of seeing a yard with food and a busy population of smaller birds going to and from the feeders. Other birds don't migrate at all. Cardinals, Chickadees, Nuthatches and Jays don't migrate. If you are surrounded by woods, then eventually, word will get out and they will all find your yard. :)

Good tips, thank you.

[canonloader]

Hey GMHY, just things I picked up by doing and watching the birds. :)

[voodoochild1]

What about Squirrels? What can I do about squirrels? I've actually pull my feeders onto my back porch because of them. And it has ruin what used to be a great thing for captures of birds.

[gymell]

Do you have a suet feeder up? That will attract woodpeckers and chickadees. Of course, it helps to have trees around. You haven't described your environment so it's hard to say. A variety of native plants will attract birds. You'll likely have to go to a specialized nursery for that. If you've got a lot of grackles and starlings that that might keep others away. Try putting out safflower which they don't like so much.

As for squirrels, put your feeders on poles with baffles and keep them away from trees where the squirrels can jump from.

[Mr. E]

I actually have a few feeders with squirrel baffles that seem to help. I don't see as many as I use to and the ones that come feed only off the ground. I have three different feeders and a suet feeder with peanuts in it. In the early spring to fall I have a humming bird feeder. I also make a few pinbe cone feeders every year with the kids (we redo the same pinecones with peanut butter and then a mix bag of wild bird seed. The feeders all have sunflower seeds in them and we also have a goldfinch feeder with some type of goldfinch specific food in it. We also grow sunflowers right near our feeder tree. It's the only decent size tree in out yard and the only one that can support feeders. We get a ton of birds each day (right now we are getting about 15-20 goldfinches a few times a day!). We total about 20 different types each year from song birds to the occasional hawk swooping through to feed (does that count as a feeder bird??) and even a couple mallards coming to sit under the tree (we have no water near here...). I live in a residential area with farms nearby.

[k4show]

I have a suet feeder up, and I actually don't mind the squierrels they can make interesting subjects occasionally. I will get some pics up of my yard tommorow to give you guys an idea of it.

[canonloader]

and even a couple mallards coming to sit under the tree
Now that is something I wish I had happen here. We have an abandoned farm on one side of the trailer park I live in, and it has a creek running through it. I have seen mallards flying circles over the creek area, so I know they are near here. It's not much of a walk to the creek, even for a duck, so maybe they will drop in some time. The deer come up from the woods every night and clean off my feeding tables, why not the ducks too? :)

[davebreal]

I live in Southern Ontario and want to attract a more varaiaty of birds to my yard. Right now I get house finches, grackles, starlings, gold finches, morning doves, house finches occasionally, juncos, and thats about it. Any ideas on how to get more variaty? I have a few black sunflower seed feeders, a nyger seed feeder, a log hanging filled with peanut butter, and jam in different holes I drilled and also a pond with running water. Any idea on how to get more different types of birds? Thanks

First of all, you may be expecting too much from your yard. If you had a local checklist of species for your town and county it would be a good start to see what birds are even possible for your house. Secondly, you need to assess the habitat requirements of other local wildbirds.. i.e. trees, shrubs, flowers, water sources, prey, fruit, etc.

In my experience backyard birding isn't always fulfilling enough, so I travel to local rivers, lakes, forests, and meadows. Aside from birds, you can find lots of other cool wildlife in local travels.

[gymell]

Now that is something I wish I had happen here. We have an abandoned farm on one side of the trailer park I live in, and it has a creek running through it. I have seen mallards flying circles over the creek area, so I know they are near here. It's not much of a walk to the creek, even for a duck, so maybe they will drop in some time. The deer come up from the woods every night and clean off my feeding tables, why not the ducks too? :)

You mean like this guy's feeder (http://www.robertlyonsphotography.com/webcam/feeding.jpg)? ;)

[canonloader]

HAHA, that's pretty funny. :)

[artyman]

Does he have a front focussing issue with his birdtable or does it flood regularly :lol:

[gymell]

It's a web cam he has set up on his feeders. Actually it was the inspiration for my own feedercam. I got the same brand he has (StarDot), though I want to upgrade to a higher resolution model.

[Methodical]

...In my experience backyard birding isn't always fulfilling enough, so I travel to local rivers, lakes, forests, and meadows. Aside from birds, you can find lots of other cool wildlife in local travels.

I agree 100%. I spend one weekend day visiting different birding spots (i.e. NWR etc) to look for birds I've never gotten shots of. Fortunately, I seem to always get at least one new bird species - makes my day. I always find the local suspects.

[canonloader]

Aside from ducks, geese and eagles, the birds in the woods are the same ones that come to my yard. :)

[gymell]

I get a thrill about seeing what species I can attract to my backyard. But I also enjoy visiting local parks and different areas to find other species.