Dept. of Game, Fish and Parks
For Immediate Release: Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2001
For more information:  Eileen Dowd Stukel, 773-4229

FEEDING WINTER BIRDS

PIERRE -- As winter approaches, South Dakotans prepare by winterizing their homes and vehicles.  However, Game, Fish and Parks officials are reminding bird enthusiasts to prepare their property for feeding wintering birds.

Nearly 63 million Americans are wildlife watchers, and the majority of wildlife watchers also feed wild birds or other wildlife, according to the "1996 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation." Feeding wild birds is one of the most popular outdoor activities in the U.S., and there are a few things to keep in mind to help assure safe and successful bird feeding.

Place feeders where you can watch, enjoy, and photograph feeding visitors. Placing feeders on a pole away from trees will help discourage squirrels. Place feeders near cover to protect feeding birds from weather and predators, such as free-roaming cats. Move feeders if you notice birds striking windows.

What foods should you offer? If only offering one menu item, black oil sunflower seed is an appealing choice, although birds can be particular about what and where they eat. Sparrows, juncos, and doves typically feed on the ground or on a flat platform, while other birds prefer an elevated feeder. Some ground-feeding birds may prefer corn, milo, or millet over sunflower seeds. Adding niger seed (also called finch or thistle seed) can attract pine siskins, goldfinches, and redpolls. Insect-eating birds, such as woodpeckers, chickadees, and nuthatches, feed on suet or peanut butter during the winter.

Consider adding water for winter visitors. Prevent freezing by adding a heater specially designed for a bird bath. Once water and food are offered, try to continue through the winter, but don’t be concerned if you miss a few days, since feeding birds are mobile and are probably visiting other feeding stations besides yours.

Be sure to keep feeders and feeding areas clean. Regularly rake up seed hulls to prevent diseases among your visiting birds. Clean feeders regularly by scrubbing with soapy water, followed by a quick rinse in water diluted with a small amount of bleach. Store seed in tight, waterproof containers to prevent moldy conditions and to deter rodents from helping themselves to a handout.

Project FeederWatch is one of the largest volunteer science experiments in the country. This winter-long feeder bird study helps track bird movements during the winter, helps determine long-term trends in bird distribution and abundance, the kinds of foods and environmental factors that attract birds and how disease is spread among feeder birds. For more information, call the Cornell Lab or Ornithology at 800-843-2473 or visit the FeederWatch web-site at http://birds.cornell.edu/pfw.

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