Month: August 2021

Man’s destruction of bird habitats has greatly reduced the nesting areas of various birds. To compensate for this loss, birdhouses are built for birds to live in.

People who enjoy the companionship of birds find birdhouses inexpensive and fun to build. All well-built birdhouses should be durable, cool, rainproof and readily accessible for cleaning. The best material for birdhouses is metal. Metals other than aluminum must be avoided as they tend to become extremely hot when exposed to the sun. The roof should be constructed with sufficient pitch to shed water and should have at least three inches of overhang to protect the entrance from driving rain. As some water may seep into the house, a few small holes should be drilled in the floor to allow drainage, and to facilitate ventilation in hot weather, holes should be planned near the top of the box. It is also preferable for the house to be constructed with screws for easy disassembly for cleaning. To assist the young birds in climbing to the opening of the birdhouse, it is better to have the interior walls roughened or grooved.

Make it a point to place the birdhouse in a location that is inaccessible to enemies. It is better to have iron poles placed as mounts for the birdhouse to protect the birds from cats and squirrels climbing to the birdhouse. As birds insist on territorial rights, it is better not to place birdhouses too close together as conflicts may arise in empty birdhouses. Once it is certain that pests can be eliminated and that the birdhouse is satisfactory for the birds, the only thing remaining is the cleaning of the interior of the house periodically. So go ahead and search for the ideal birdhouse!

Birdfeeders are structures that resemble lanterns wherein a person can place seeds and other types of birdfeed to attract and feed the birds in the surrounding area. So if a birdfeeder is placed in a spot easily viewed from the home, it can provide hours of entertainment for the whole family. Some of the birds can even become possessive and try to frighten away interlopers.

Birdfeeders come in two different types: hanging and stationary types. Hanging birdfeeders are usually hung in trees and are more convenient as they can be placed anywhere. In the case of stationary birdfeeders, there are two types available: those that can be attached to a tree and those that are perched on a pole. A place with many trees is convenient for nailing the birdfeeder to a trunk, but if there are few trees, the pole type is handy.

In terms of the material of birdfeeders, there are many varieties available: wooden, plastic, metal, glass and stone. The most popular one is the wooden birdfeeder, as it blends with the woodland scenery. Birdfeeders claim to be squirrel proof, but very few really are. Squirrels usually visit the birdfeeder to hoard the seeds, and, of course, in turn they scare away the birds.

If birds repeatedly come to the birdfeeder, it is assumed that they use it as their primary feeding source. In such cases, it is best to keep it full at all times by replenishing it more than once a day. Remember that the ground below the birdfeeder will be full of seeds and droppings, so choose your spot wisely! And for safety reasons, make sure that the birdfeeder is secure. Hanging birdfeeders may swing on windy days and should thus be checked regularly for integrity. If it falls, not only will birds be injured or killed, anyone standing underneath it may get injured. Don’t forget to check a stationary feeder frequently, too, as a safe and sturdy birdfeeder proves to be a joy for years to come!

Bird lovers definitely need to have a birdcage in which to keep their birds. There are many different types of birdcages available, so one has to think twice before actually buying one.

The first thing to consider is if the material of the birdcage is safe for the bird. Most of the birdcages have powder-coated cages with zinc or lead in them, which is unsafe for the bird. However, some manufacturers have consulted with veterinarians and have determined a safe level for both these minerals so that the bird is not harmed.

Next, make sure that the cage is big enough for the bird. The bigger the cage, the happier the bird is. The rule of the thumb here is that the bigger the cage, the better, as long as the bar spacing isn’t too wide. Cleaning cages is one thing you have to be ready to do when buying a birdcage, so make sure the cage can be broken down easily and in a matter of minutes for cleaning. Also look for drainage holes in the cage at points where moisture collects, like the bottomed of each panel. The main reason for the cleaning of the cage is because the bird droppings can become erosive; the longer they are on the cage, the more damage they do.

Avoid placing the birdcage in a tight spot in your home. Birds are a lot like humans, and they need space and sunlight. So it is always better to buy cages with wheels to move the cage, thus giving the bird a change of scenery.

Make sure the bars of the cage are not hollow, as any decent bird can bend and chew through a hollow birdcage. Make sure that the cage is constructed of steel or wrought iron. Buy cages from a noted manufacturer and avoid buying a no-name cage that has no manual, warranty or support phone number. And last, but not least, check the birdcage for functional features before buying it. The most commonly overlooked feature is the bird-proof lock; if the locks are not right, just imagine the state of the house if the bird gets out and roams though the house! So the next time you do buy a birdcage, it is better to keep these points in mind, so that you get the best birdcage available for your pet bird!

Giving a little clean, cool water to the birds is considered a kindness towards birds; sometimes fresh water can be one of the hardest necessities for birds to come by. Watching birds at the birdbath also brings lots of happiness to the onlooker.

Keeping a birdbath is, in fact, one of the easiest ways of bringing birds close enough to have a good look at them. Although birdfeeders cater to seed-eaters like cardinals and sparrows, birds that eat insects or fruit like the wren and waxwing don’t find anything interesting in the birdfeeder. However, the birdbath entices all types of birds, from robins to screech owls, to drink water. Keeping a shallow birdbath that is not more than three inches deep in the center is the best choice. If you do have a deep birdbath, try putting rocks in it to raise the bottom. Keeping a drippy birdbath is also not a bad idea, as it dramatically increases the number of species that visit a birdbath. To arrange a drip, you could install a small spray fountain designed for birdbaths or buy a birdbath that has a dripper built in. Make sure the bottom of the birdbath is rough as birds shouldn’t lose their footing on a glazed and slippery bottom!

Now comes the ideal location for the birdbath. Make sure it is at least five to ten feet from any cat’s hiding place, as cats like hiding beneath shrubbery to pounce on the birds at the right opportunity. The ideal place would be under some branches hanging within two or three feet of the bath so that the wet bird can flutter up the tree if needed. Of course, if you place the bath on a pedestal or hang it from a tree, it would be easy to see from the house, easy to clean and safe from predators. However, it would be better if it was within reach of a hose to make cleaning and refilling easier. But do remember to keep the birdbath away from the feeding station; the seeds and water from the feeding station may soil the water. Change the water every few days, and brush clean any algae that may form in the birdbath. After all this is done, it is time to sit back and enjoy the beauty of the birdbath and the birds!

Bird watching is fast becoming a very popular sport amongst the people of America. In fact, statistics show that bird watching highly surpasses the number of people watching baseball and football games in North America.

The most important part of successful bird watching is, of course, to get to where the birds are. Although this sounds obvious, many birders waste their time and energy at poor locations. Some people have the luck of watching birds in their backyards, while some need to search for spots. It is highly recommended to visit the National Wildlife Refuge to watch birds, as there are many varieties of birds found there.

Before embarking upon a quest for a location to watch birds, it is better to do some researching as to the varieties of birds that can be found in that location. Although there are numerous species of birds around, only a few species are found in specific locations. So with a little preparation, it would be rather easy to identify bird species from one another. To watch the birds, it is always better to have a great pair of binoculars, preferably a pair with a built-in digital camera. Some binoculars also have the feature that keeps your view from shaking, anti-fogging, low-light viewing and wide-view characteristics. Such a binocular will turn a mediocre experience into a great one! Practice putting your binoculars to target before actually bird watching; birds are usually visible for only a few seconds, and this practice leads to one becoming proficient.

It is always better to take someone with you when bird watching, as life is always better when shared. Not only will you be able to spend time with someone you like, you may get alerted to the best sighting of the day. It is also better to pass the birding excitement to a child. The best part of bird watching is that you, as the viewer, get to control your experience. The more prepared you are, the better the results. And finally, no bird watcher is actually complete without a bird watching journal wherein you can note all the findings of the day.

Presenting a gift to a bird lover is not actually very difficult, as the main thing that has to be remembered is to present him with something that is either related to birding or has a picture of a bird on it.

One of the best gifts to give a bird lover is a birdhouse, as someone who really loves birds loves different types of birdhouses, too. However, keep in mind that some birdhouses are made for specific birds, while others can be used by multiple types and sizes of birds.

Birds love to play in water and drink and bathe in it, so buying a bird lover a birdbath or a fountain as a gift is not a bad idea. But even here, avoid bright colors like red when buying a birdbath or fountain; birds may get scared by the color. Also try to avoid birdbaths with shiny things that reflect the sun, as this, too, may scare the birds.

Watching birds eating happily in the backyard is another thing that a bird lover enjoys doing. So buying a birdfeeder for this purpose is yet another great idea for the bird lover.

Apart from presenting the bird lover with one of the necessities of birding as a gift, you could also present him with an apron, mug, hooded sweatshirt, notebook, cap or stickers with a picture of a Macaw parrot, African Grey parrot or any other bird for that matter. In other words, giving a bird lover bird-themed items is a good choice. For those who like stuffed toys, there are also many avian species of stuffed toys like the puffin, owl and wood duck. So, head down to the gift shop or perhaps the bird store to choose the perfect gift for your bird lover friend.

While pursuing the hobby of birding and bird watching, it is very important to invest in a good pair of binoculars and, of course, a good bird book. A bird book is one of the most important things for a bird enthusiast has to have at all times.

A bird book, referred to as a field guide, is the basic reference book of birding. It is usually a little book, but it contains an abundance of information about birds. There are descriptions and pictures of different birds; the book even tells you what specific details one has to look for while bird watching. It tells you the different colors of birds, special characteristics of birds that help you distinguish among birds and also the specific habitat they can be found in. In fact, it can be considered as the next best thing to a friendly expert birder at your side!

Bird books are found regionally, which means that a particular area may have bird books that cater to the birds found only in that area. Usually, it is okay to start with only one bird book, but soon you may feel that you have to have more than one field guide. This need arises mainly because no one book actually contains all the information of all birds in an area. The information found in one book may not be available in another book. And, while you have two or more books handy, it would be wise to compare the different illustrations and descriptions of the same bird from both books. In this way, you may learn how to locate the bird from different vantage points! Then, you will be ready when you do unexpectedly encounter the bird you were waiting for!