Bird Feeding Basics: Attract More Birds with the Right Foods and Feeders

Create a Bird-Friendly Feeding Station

Birds benefit from supplemental food and fresh water, especially in fall and winter. While you can stop feeding in summer, a year-round supply encourages nesting and raises young in your yard.

Smart Feeding Strategies

• Vary feeder heights: Different species feed at different levels. Offer food on the ground, at tabletop level, in hanging feeders, and on feeders attached to tree trunks.
• Provide cover: Place feeders near shrubs or trees so birds have escape perches.
• Start small: Sprinkle small amounts on the ground to gauge daily consumption and prevent waste.
• Choose quality seed: A good mixed birdseed attracts the widest variety.
• Match seed to feeder: Sunflower seeds in hanging/post feeders; niger seed in tube feeders or fine-mesh bags.
• Offer suet in cold months: Place beef suet in a mesh bag or wire basket on a tree or post. Stop in summer when suet turns rancid.
• Hummingbird nectar: In frost-free climates, offer sugar water (4:1 water to sugar) year-round. In colder areas, provide only in warm months.

Birds' Favorite Foods

Attract specific birds with their preferred treats:

• Hummingbird: sugar water
• Bluebird: beef suet, peanuts
• Blue Jay: beef suet, peanuts, sunflower seed
• Red-Winged Blackbird: millet, peanuts
• Cardinal: peanuts, sunflower seeds
• American Goldfinch: millet, peanuts, sunflower seed
• Baltimore Oriole: beef suet, peanuts, sugar water
• Chickadee: beef suet, niger seed, peanuts, sunflower seed
• Rose-Breasted Grosbeak: sunflower seed, sugar water
• White-Breasted Nuthatch: beef suet, peanuts, sunflower seed

Pair feeding with native plants, water sources, and shelter to create a complete bird habitat.