Feeder Placement

Take Your Time

• You can start with one or two good bird feeders and quality food. As more birds come, add more feeders, nesting boxes, bird baths, squirrel feeders, plants, bat boxes, butterfly feeders, bee homes. Your imagination is the limit.

• Hang feeders on a sturdy branch or put a pole in the ground. Some feeders can be connected to a deck railing or placed on a window.

• Birds make droppings and scatter seed. Be sure your feeders are in places where this is okay, or use a no-grow/no mess blend. Add a seed catching net to your feeder.

• Cats are natural predators. They are responsible for the death of at least 500 million wild birds a year in North America. Collar bells, de-clawing and keeping cats well fed will not prevent hunting. At least half the time, cats do not bring their prey home for you to see. Place your feeder high enough to be out of their reach and away from places they can hide while stalking. Thorny branches such as roses or blackberry brambles can be spread underneath your feeder.

• Squirrels may keep birds away from your feeders. They can eat or steal all of the bird's food. Squirrels can jump 6-8 feet sideways. Domes and baffles can be effective protection. There are also a few squirrel proof feeders that really work.

• Window crashes often kill. Some windows reflect the sky or vegetation and birds are fooled into thinking they can fly through them. Attaching decals, on the glass prevents many collisions. Put your feeders within six feet of the windows or farther than 30 feet, so that birds fleeing predators cannot accelerate to injury level speeds while flying away.