How to Guide

While most wild birds
rely on wild foods for the
bulk of their meals, more
than 100 North American
species supplement natural
foods with birdseed, suet,
fruit, and nectar obtained
from feeders. Bird feeding
can benefit birds while
also providing pleasure
for people throughout the
year. Feeders benefit birds
most during the winter,
when natural food supplies
are scarce. However,
additional species visit
feeders during spring and
fall migrations, and some
nesting birds utilize feeders
during the summer.
Audubon Guide
to Bird Feeding
How to attract birds to
your feeders
LIKE US, BIRDS NEED FOOD, WATER,
AND SHELTER
To keep birds coming back to your feeders, provide
them with three essential elements: the right variety of
quality seed, a source of fresh water for drinking and
bathing, and ample cover, preferably provided by native
plants. Native plants also provide potential nesting sites
and a source of natural food. Bird feeders can present
some risks, potentially increasing the chances of win-
dow collisions, predation, and exposure to disease.
LOCATE FEEDERS AT DIFFERENT LEVELS
Sparrows, juncos, and towhees usually feed on the
ground, while finches and cardinals feed in shrubs, and
chickadees, titmice, and woodpeckers feed in trees. To
avoid crowding and to attract the greatest variety of
species, provide table-like feeders for ground-feeding
birds, hopper or tube feeders for shrub and treetop
feeders, and suet feeders well o the ground for wood-
peckers, nuthatches, and chickadees.
OFFER DIFFERENT SEEDS IN DIFFERENT FEEDERS
A variety of seeds will attract the greatest variety of birds.
To avoid waste, oer dierent seeds in dierent feeders.
Black-oil sunflower seed appeals to the greatest number
of birds. Oer sunflower seeds, Nyjer® (thistle) seeds, and
peanuts in separate feeders. When using blends, choose
mixtures containing sunflower seeds, millet, and cracked
corn—the three most popular types of birdseed. Birds
that are sunflower specialists will readily eat the sun-
flower seed and toss the millet and corn to the ground,
to be eaten by ground-feeding birds such as sparrows
and juncos. Mixtures of peanuts, nuts, and dried fruit
are attractive to woodpeckers, nuthatches, and titmice.
Relatively few species prefer milo, wheat, and oats, which
are featured in less expensive blends.
QUICK TIPS
BIRD FEEDING BASICS
About Audubon
The National Audubon Society saves birds and their
habitats throughout the Americas using science,
advocacy, education, and on-the-ground conservation.
Audubon’s state programs, nature centers, chapters,
and partners have an unparalleled wingspan that
reaches millions of people each year to inform, inspire,
and unite diverse communities in conservation action.
Since 1905, Audubon’s vision has been a world in
which people and wildlife thrive.
Written by Stephen W. Kress, PhD
Cover, clockwise from top left: Camilla
Cerea/Audubon; Northern Cardinal.
Photo: chas53/Adobe Stock; Mike
Fernandez/Audubon; Camilla Cerea/
Audubon; Mike Fernandez/Audubon;
Tufted Titmouse. Photo: chas53/Adobe
Stock. Inside: Tufted Titmouse. Photo:
Steve Byland/Adobe Stock
Visit Audubon online for
more information and tips on
creating a bird-friendly yard.
www.audubon.org
225 Varick Street
New York, NY 10014
844.428.3826