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Feeders are like different types of birdy crockery. To attract birds into your garden, why not offer them a consistent source of food? There are different types of bird feeders for different types of food as follows:
Nut Feeders
Nut feeders are steel mesh cylinders with plastic or metal tops and bottoms that can be removed to refill the feeder. Nuts are popular amongst birds, particularly larger species.
Seed Feeders
Seed feeders are tubular, transparent containers perforated with holes that give the birds access to the food. They are the most popular type of bird feeder amongst many different species, providing food to many different kinds of bird.
Nyjer Seed Feeders
Nyjer seed is very small and therefore requires a different kind of container to stop the seed from spilling our of the feeder.
Fat Ball Feeders
During the winter months in particular, birds need a lot of fat in their diet to avoid losing too much weight. Fat and suet balls offer this sustenance and can be put in cages and containers in order to suspend them for easier access to the birds.
As well as food, you should always offer water and make sure there is plenty of foliage and vegetation nearby for the birds to use for cover if predators arrive on the scene.
Help them to stay looking good while quenching their thirst. Wherever you provide food, always give some water too. It not only quenches their thirst but it also allows them to clean and preen their feathers improving their health and awesome stunt flying abilities to avoid pesky cats.
Bird Tables
Even birds like to eat at a table. Bird tables are commonly used on wooden pedestals or poles, which allow the birds to eat in safety. Roofed tables help to keep the food dry, however, roofed or open, all bird tables need to be kept clean as mouldy food and bacteria from droppings can build up and spread disease.
The following are a list of foods suitable for bird tables:
Black sunflower seeds, Fruit, Seed mixes without peanuts, Pinhead oatmeal, Grated cheese, Currants, sultanas and raisins, Mealworms.
Keep the table clean after feeds as the food can go bad and spread birdy diseases.
And they'll definitely need somewhere to crash after the feasting. After all that eating and drinking they will also be glad of a place to crash and that will keep you entertained for years with them buzzing passed you in the garden.
Bird Houses
By putting up a bird house, nest box or natural nest pocket you are providing nesting spaces for many bird species that might otherwise be finding it hard to find suitable areas - especially in urban and suburban areas where new buidings lack decent nooks and crannies and green spaces have been replaced with your office building or favourite coffee shop.
The RSPB notes that over 60 different bird species are known to use bird houses and nest boxes so you'll have plenty of prospective candidates.
Some birds such as blue, coal and marsh tits, great tits, tree sparrows and pied flycatchers, house sparrows, nuthatches and starlings prefer hole fronted entrances to the houses. Whereas, robins, wrens and spotted flycatchers prefer open faced boxes with just a small lower panel on the front of the box for protection.
Nowadays you can also buy natural nest pockets which are man-made nest boxes, woven from all natural materials, so they look like a natural nest but are shaped like rounded nest boxes with a hole in the front so you can put them up anywhere you like.
They should always be placed somewhere safe, out of the reach of predators, near some vegetation with a clear flight path directly in front of the nest box, free of any obstacles.
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