The very best thing you can do to help birds is to plant native trees, shrubs, and flowers on your property that provide the habitat and natural food sources that they need. But YES, it is supportive to also put out bird seed if some best practices are followed. Research shows that feeders may actually help birds to survive and reproduce. Though birds can find food on their own, they can save energy, especially during extreme cold or stormy weather by coming to feeders for an easy, high energy meal.
The Best Bird Feed To Use
The best bird feeds to use in the Gallatin Valley and surrounding area include:
1. Sunflower seeds (black-oil sunflower seed in the shell or sunflower seed chips)
2. White millet
3. Peanuts
4. Safflower seeds
5. Suet cakes.
TIP: Try to avoid any of the cheaper mixes that include red millet or red milo which are far less nutritious. Also avoid cracked corn unless you are feeding wild turkeys, grouse, and doves on the ground.
Best Feeding Practices
Some best practices to consider when feeding birds include:
1. Don’t feed if the birds will become vulnerable to predation by domestic cats;
2. Keep your feeders clean by removing any wet or moldy food and washing them occasionally with a mild bleach solution; and
3. Take steps to avoid birds hitting your windows near a feeder. To avoid window strikes it is recommended that feeders be placed either close, within 3 feet of a window, or further than 10 feet from a window. Even better is to apply some type of effective treatment on a window to make it visible to birds. CLICK HERE for more info on bird-safe windows.
