USABirdSupply.com Wild Bird Supplies

By Christine A. Smyczynski

Finches will eat from almost any type of feeder, as they can cling to many surfaces and even feed upside-down. Why not offer them an environmentally-friendly alternative to a tube feeder and put a finch sock out in your yard? Pre-filled finch socks are also easy to use, just hang it up, sit back, and wait for the birds to flock to your yard.

Finch or thistle socks are refillable mesh pouches that hold nyjer seed, the preferred food of finches. Birds can feed from any place on the sock since they love to cling while they are eating, so multiple birds can feed at once. They actually prefer feeding at the finch socks over tube feeders.

USA Bird Supply has several different sizes of finch socks available on their website, on sale until the end of February. The Heath pre-filled 13 oz. thistle sock, regularly $4.99, on sale for $2.19, is filled with nyjer seed and ready to hang. Heath also makes a larger 25 oz. thistle sock, regularly $7.99, on sale for $3.19.

Once the finch sock is empty, you can refill it with your own nyjer seed. For extended storage you can even put these convenient pouches in the freezer to keep them fresh. Finches, as well as chickadees, siskins, and other birds will enjoy feeding from finch socks.

By Christine A. Smyczynski

Probably the most popular bird depicted in winter paintings and photos is the cardinal. Its brilliant red color is striking against the backdrop of newly fallen snow. Actually, the male cardinal is brilliant red; the females are a brown color with just tinges of red on their wing, tail, and crest.

Research has shown that the brighter the red of the male bird, the more the female is attracted him. However, the downside is that the red plumage also attracts predatory birds like hawks. It’s rumored that the bird was named cardinal because the red is similar to the vestments worn by Catholic cardinals. Both the male and female cardinals are songbirds, and you’ll often hear them singing duets in the springtime.

Prior to the early 1900’s, cardinals were only seen in the southern states. however, by the 1950’s and 1960’s, the bird began expanding its range up north. Once thought of as a summer bird, many cardinals stay year round, mainly due to the number of people who have put out backyard bird feeders.

While cardinals will eat many types of seeds, their favorite is sunflower seeds. They prefer to eat from a large platform or pole mounted feeder. USA Bird Supply has three different types of cardinal feeders on their website.

The Droll Yankees Cardinal Feeder ($55.99) has a 13” diameter base covered by a clear dome to protect both bird and feed from the elements. It can be hung or pole mounted.

No No makes a Red Cardinal Feeder ($33.99) which is all metal and ready to hang, no assembly required. Of course it’s red, to match the beautiful red cardinals it will attract. The feeder holds up to 2 ½ pounds of sunflower seeds.

You won’t have to leave the comfort of your home to get up close and personal with the birds if you get a Duncraft Cardinal Mirror Window Feeder ($29.99). Two strong suction cups hold the feeder on your window and the one-way mirror allows you to watch the birds without them seeing you.

By Christine A. Smyczynski

This article is about No No feeders. Now, a No No feeder is not for some rare species of bird or a feeder your don’t want your kids to touch, a No No feeder, which is manufactured by Sweet Corn Products, is made with no plastic and no wood, hence the name No No.

These all metal feeders, which are made from steel with zinc plating to prevent rust, are environmentally friendly and unique in design. Some of the feeders are painted different colors, like green, red, or bronze. These collapsible feeders are easy to store, sturdier than conventional feeders, and easy to clean. They don’t have to be cleaned often, but when you do, you can just pop them in the dishwasher. Most of them are specifically designed for black sunflower seeds, but you can also use peanut pieces or safflower seeds.

USA Bird Supply has a number of these feeders available. The No No Hourglass Feeder ($29.99) holds up to 6 pounds of black sunflower seeds and has 2 perching rings, which hold between 15-20 birds.

The No No Tray Feeder, which also retails for $29.99, holds up to 2 ½ pounds of seed and feeds 10-15 birds at a time. They also have a red Cardinal Feeder ($33.99) which has a metal roof to protect both seeds and birds. In addition to cardinals, finches, woodpeckers and chickadees might feed. No No also makes a Mesh Lantern Feeder ($33.99) and a 3-Tiered Bird feeder ($28.99).

By Christine A. Smyczynski

A recent news story on one local TV station focused on the growing rat problem in one of our suburban communities. It was suggested that bird seed on the ground is one of the things that attracts the rodents and there was talk of banning feeding the birds to help control the rats.

However, rats, and other critters like squirrels and raccoons, can’t eat the seed if they can’t get at it, so you don’t have to stop feeding the birds; you just have to keep the seeds from getting on the ground.

First, you should make sure that you have your feeder in a spot that rodents and others can’t climb to on jump to. Next, you should make sure you use seeds with no shells, which are less likely to fall to the ground, since the birds eat the whole thing. Some suggestions include black oil sunflower seeds, thistle, and safflower seeds.

To make sure that the seeds don’t end up on the ground, install a seed catcher or tray below your feeder. USA Bird Supply carries a number of seed trays.

The Birds Choice Recycled Pole Mount Seed Catcher ($50.99) is a large 23” x 21 ½ “ platform made from recycled plastic that you mount on the pole under your main feeder to catch the seeds. Birds can also perch and feed from the platform.

Songbird Essentials makes a 30” Large Seed Hoop ($22.99), made of vinyl coated fiberglass mesh which attaches to any feeder. Droll Yankee has a couple of seed trays. The 10 ½” Omni Seed Tray ($11.99) attaches to the bottom of any tube feeder, while their clear 7 ½”seed tray ($7.99) attaches to pole feeders or seedcake feeders. For the budget conscious, Heath makes a plastic seed saver tray which attaches to tube feeders, which retails for a mere $3.99.

By Christine A. Smyczynski

Those cute little finches, including goldfinches, yellow finches, purple finches, house finches, and rosy finches, just love feeding on thistle and nyjer seed, a tiny black seed which is high in calories and oil.

Their bird friends, including cardinals, redpolls, and grosbeaks also like the same kinds of seeds, so you might also find them at feeding your finch feeders. Place the feeder near your deck or window for the best view of the birds, which tend to feed in groups.

There are a variety of finch feeders on the market. One of the easiest to use are finch socks, which come pre-filled. They are mesh socks filled with nyjer seeds that you just have to unroll and hang. Up to 10 birds at a time can cling to and feed on them. At USA Bird Supply a 13 ounce sock retails for $4.99, while a 25 ounce sock is $7.99. They also sell unfilled sock that can be filled with seeds you buy in bulk.

Other finch feeders available from USA Bird Supply include the Heath Copper Sky Nyjer Feeder ($23.99) which has 6 feeding perches and hold 2 pounds of seed. Droll Yankee makes a similar tube feeder ($26.99) which also can feed 6 birds at once.

Birdscapes makes an Upside Down Goldfinch Feeder ($36.99) since Goldfinches have the ability to feed upside down. This feeder has 4 feeding ports and holds 3 pounds of seed. If squirrels are a problem, try the Brome Squirrel Buster Finch Feeder ($41.99) which has weight sensitive perches that prevent squirrels from feeding.

USA Bird Supply has a great selection of finch feeders. Visit them on the web at www.USABirdSupply.com.

By Christine A. Smyczynski

Ah summertime…..time to take it easy and perhaps hit the road for a week or so. But wait, what happens to your feathered friends when you are away? Who’s going to fill your feeder and clean the bird bath?

In an ideal world, you’ll have a friend, relative, or neighbor willing to step in and care for your backyard birds. But what happens if they are unwilling or unable to help out? Well actually, the birds will do just fine, as they are wild creatures and they know how to adapt.

Considering it is summer, their natural sources of food are plentiful, so they will not starve. Most people put out the feeders for the pleasure of watching the birds. If your bird feeder wasn’t there, the birds would still find enough food to eat. They will look elsewhere for food. Keep in mind that birds usually feed from several feeders in the neighborhood, so they will find enough to eat.

So, should you fill up your feeder when you leave or take it down? If it’s a nectar feeder, definitely take it down if no one is willing to care for it, as this type of feeder needs to be cleaned on a regular basis. If you have a seed feeder that a smaller bird could get trapped inside, you might also want to remove the feeder too, as you would not want to come home to a feeder with a dead bird inside.

When you return, put the feeders back out; the birds will return, especially at the end of the summer, when the natural supply of food, such as seeds and insects, starts dwindling.

If no one is going to take care of it, your bird bath should also be drained and put away, as you would not want it to become a bacteria-filled breeding ground for mosquitoes while you are away.