It's a scientific fact—one that folks who already provide food for birds know well. Birds can provide countless hours of entertainment. But as much fun as they are to watch, it's also important to remember that, by inviting birds to our homes, we have a duty to keep them safe. That means regularly cleaning feeders, making windows bird-safe, and taking other precautions. Below you'll find a range of advice for both bird feeding and care.
Bird feeding tips and advice.
Here are the top three seed choices for a variety of species, per a scientific observational study of 1.2 million bird feeder visits.
Follow these tips to ensure that you’re creating a healthy environment for wildlife visitors you attract to your yard.
With all the products available these days, sometimes the jargon and claims can get confusing. Here’s a quick primer.
Follow this advice to attract the most feathered friends to your feeders.
Providing food—for photography or simple enjoyment—can be a thorny issue. For guidance, ask yourself these three questions.
When it's time to eat, research shows there's a pecking order—and the winners aren't always who you'd think.
Turns out there's an orderly process to all of that flitting back and forth.
ID tips and guides for the birds that frequent feeders and backyards.
Want to put names to species you regularly see? Start with this beginner's guide.
It's probably one of these eight hungry visitors.
Hint: It's probably a female cardinal.
The differences are subtle, but shape and size can help in a big way.
Size and tail color are two of the biggest clues when deciphering these two backyard regulars.
Some clues to help distinguish between these two often-confused finches.
The six flavors of junco were long considered separate species. Recent science shows that they instead boldly exhibit evolution in real time.
Learn these seven species and you'll never go dateless again.
This is it! We’re here! Spring!
Make your own bird food with these easy recipes and projects.
With this easy vegetarian recipe, you can attract insect lovers like woodpeckers and nuthatches.
Give feathered visitors a dietary boost with Zick Dough, an energy-rich delicacy made by nature writer Julie Zickefoose.
In a few easy steps, you can bring these nectar-loving birds to your feeder.
Attract birds to your yard with a project that's fun for kids of all ages.
This kid-friendly DIY will keep similarly hued visitors coming back for more.
Native plants beat even the best bird feeder. Here’s what to put in your garden to transform it into a year-round wonderland.
Easy ways to make sure your visitors stay healthy and happy.
From your windows to what plants you grow, there are many ways to make your sanctuary a safe place for avian visitors.
Make sure you're helping, not harming, your feathered visitors with these simple steps.
A few small steps can protect your nectar from bears and insects.
With these 9 steps, you can create an avian winter wonderland and get a jump on spring migration season.
Maintaining a fresh bath is a simple, essential way to keep birds hydrated, clean, and disease-free. Just follow these easy steps.
Birdfeeders and trees help birds, but they also increase the likelihood of deadly window impacts. Here’s how to make your yard truly bird friendly.
The easy buffet draws bears to human habitats. If you live in bear country, experts suggest putting away feeders in seasons the mammals are active.
Hummingbird Feeding FAQs
For hungry hummers in need of nectar to fuel their high-speed lives, territorial disputes can get ugly.
At least 53 species of North American birds drink nectar—the naturally occurring sweet liquid produced by plants. Hummingbirds and orioles are the...
These talented fliers can hover, whiz forward and backward, and come to a complete stop in an instant.
Scientists catalogued the hues of 114 avian species. Humans can’t see every shade, but birds can.
Warmer weather is on its way—and so are migrant hummers returning from their southern wintering grounds to their summer breeding ranges. Here’s a regional guide for when they should arrive and the food they’re seeking.
The glittering, colorful feathers on the throats of male hummingbirds help them attract mates and defend territory. Here's how they work, up-close.
A makeshift green space can serve as a rest stop for these tiny travelers.
Sean Graesser’s larger-than-life photos reveal a fascinating, tiny world where hummingbirds carry passengers aloft.
If a creature can catch them, you can bet it's eating them.
Amid mounting global health concerns about PFAS, communities living along the waterway must grapple with how contamination is affecting life on the river. Yet as hard as it is to conduct health studies on humans, it’s even harder with wild animals.
A intrepid researcher faces steep odds as she attempts to study nutcrackers in the Cascade Mountains. But the birds—and the singular trees they help sustain—are too important for her not to persist.
Best-selling author and ecologist Carl Safina has made a career out of his deep explorations of the animal world. But his recent relationship with a rescued owl caused him to go even deeper.
Fifty years after its passage, the powerful policy has proven effective at preventing wildlife from going extinct. Only with innovation and advocacy can it continue to do so for decades to come.
Once widely persecuted, the majestic scavenger is making a remarkable rebound in Europe, but new threats could undermine a full recovery.
Let us send you the latest in bird and conservation news.
