Bird watching is a rewarding experience, but every bird watcher doesn’t get this reward. Though they install the best bird feeders in their backyards and serve high-quality bird food, birdies just don’t reach out to their feeders.
So, after going through this condition, they question themselves, “Why aren’t birds coming to my feeder?†If you have also encountered such a situation and wanna know what’s wrong with your feeder, here’s the answer.
The possible reasons for birds not returning to your feeder are countless. For instance, you have chosen a malfunctioned bird feeder or placed it in an inappropriate area. Besides, you might be serving the wrong or low-quality seeds. Or else, your neighbor is feeding better food to birds than you.
Apart from these, we have found several possible problems that can ruin your birding adventure. In this article, we’re going to talk about all that. So, without further ado, let’s get started!
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1. Birds Love Natural Food Sources
Many birders think that birds love all those tasty foods we provide them in feeders, but in reality, they prefer consuming natural foods found in the environment, over-processed bird seeds.
Birds only abandon natural food sources and opt for human-served foods when they don’t see enough food in the environment. And this happens during winter. So, it can be one of the reasons birds may not eat meals from your feeder.
2. There Might Be Potential Predators
Like many humans, birds don’t prefer sharing space with other animals. Also, they won’t invade areas where they notice predators. Hence, birds will be less prone to visit your yards if you have pet dogs, cats, or any other animals.
As a solution to this problem, you shouldn’t leave your pet outside in the garden or backyard, especially while trying to lure and feed your feathered friends.
3. Kids & Ambient Noise May Disturb Them
Kids are very fond of creating loud noises through their hives of activities. And these loud noises can scare birds away, making them less likely to visit your outdoor space. Birds require safety and love tranquility.
Hence, try to install your bird feeder in a quiet place where kids and noise can’t reach. However, you can’t eliminate this problem as noise can come from various sources like neighbors’ gardens, neighbors’ children, etc.
4. Somebody Else Has Alluring Feeders
Nowadays, you can find many households with bird feeders in your area. Some bird feeders might be simple, while others look pretty attractive to humans and birdies. Also, some bird feeders can contain better seeds than your feeder.
You can see there is a tough competition when you intend to feed various wild birds. If your neighbors have better quality feeders with quality bird foods, you will find it challenging to attract birds and feed them from the comfort of your home.
5. You May Have Installed No-Perch Bird Feeders
One of the causes birds don’t come to your feeder is that you have mounted a feeder with no perching station. For your information, birds don’t directly perch on your feeder; they approach a feeder cautiously.
While coming, they make several stops and look around for predators. If everything seems good, they fly towards the feeder.
But when they notice there is no perch, they may turn around and find any other suitable tree branch to perch on rather than perching on your feeder. Hence, we recommend you always mount feeders with perches if you wanna lure birds.
6. The Feeder May Be Placed Too High Or Low
Although some birds love to fly high, all birds don’t prefer to feed higher. That said, if you have set your bird feeder high above the ground or installed it too low to the ground, there will be a high chance of not attracting most birds.
For example, sparrows, doves, and quail tend to eat at lower feeders while finches and nuthatches opt for feeding higher. So, you should place the feeder following the correct height measurement to lure most wild birds.
According to most avian experts, five feet above the ground is the perfect height for installing bird feeders, and you need to follow this rule.
7. There Is No Bird Bath
Birds are more likely to get attracted to the dripping-water sound. Like us, they need to drink water and bathe. So, if you notice birds don’t come to your feeder, adding a birdbath might help.
Besides installing a birdbath, adding a fountain or dipper will be beneficial. It’s because it will increase the probability of birds coming to your feeder.
8. The Feeder Is Dirty For A Long Time
Birdies can abandon your feeder if it’s dirty, and no birds will love to dig out old moldy seeds stuck in the feeder crevices. So, whenever you notice that your feeder is dirty, try to give it a gentle and effective wash.
For cleaning the feeder thoroughly, you can use a bleach solution, submerge the feeder into the solution for a while and wash it with soap and clean water.
9. Birds Don’t Like Old Seeds or Human Food Scrapes
Birds are very picky when it comes to food consumption, and they won’t eat seeds that have gone old or smelled terrible. Also, many birds avoid consuming human food scraps, so you need to be aware of that.
You shouldn’t fill your feeder with old seeds or human food scraps. Also, avoid leaving wet and uneaten seeds outside for more than three days. It’s because bacteria and fungus can grow in the seeds, making birds avoid your feeder.
The rule of thumb is that you need to monitor your feeder regularly, avoid overfilling it with seeds, and try not to use seeds that you have stored for months for later use. Many birds won’t get the urge to eat such foods, though.
In short, always fill the feeder with fresh bird foods, and replace these foods regularly.
10. The Birds May Not Like The Landscaping
Birdies don’t come to your feeder because you have lousy landscaping with no trees and bushes. As you know, birds are enigmatic, wild animals. They love to perch on tree branches; they seek protection under bushes with thick foliage.
Hence, you can decorate your yard by planting trees, such as bushes with berries, elderberry, chokecherry, hawthorn, and more. These trees will provide birds with the required shelter and food they search for during the winter.
Plus, these plants will enhance the overall beauty of your garden, backyard, or any other place.
Wrapping Up
There are countless reasons why birds don’t come to your feeder. Among these reasons, relocation, intolerable noises, predator’s invasion, removal of safe cover are the most promising ones.
Whatever the reason is, you should be cautious and follow the above-mentioned steps to increase your chance of alluring various wild birds. By the way, we hope this article has helped you a lot. If you still have any queries, comment down below.
Image Sources:
- Istockphoto.com
- 123rf.com