Top 10 Bird Feeding Mistakes (And How to Avoid Them)

Feeding the birds is a fun and very rewarding activity, but it’s also an important responsibility. Providing bird food means that the health of your local wildlife is in your hands. Don’t worry though – you can help protect these birds by avoiding common bird feeding mistakes.

Below are the top 10 bird feeding mistakes that people tend to make when they start feeding the birds, as well as our expert advice on how to avoid them.

1. Old Bird Food

Bird food doesn’t last forever! Novices may think you can just add bird food to a feeder and stand back to admire a job well done. However, bird food can go stale or even get mouldy in bad weather conditions. Leaving it out for too long can discourage birds from visiting, or worse, make them sick.

Avoid this mistake by replacing the bird food in your feeder regularly. Swap the bird food out more often in poor weather conditions.

2. No Water

Most people like a drink with their dinner, and birds aren’t too different. One mistake people make is putting out food with no water.

You shouldn’t ignore the fact that birds need to stay hydrated - all that flying is thirsty work! Plus, birds need to bathe to stay clean and cool. Put out clean water and replace it regularly (at least once a day).

3. “Filler” Bird Seed

We understand the temptation to buy cheap bird seed, but you have to pay attention to the ingredients. Gardening centres may use cheap fillers or foreign seeds like split peas and red dari which aren’t healthy or tasty for most garden birds. Feed your birds healthier, more nutritious options, like our new budget-friendly Birdie Basics range!

4. Ignoring Your Local Wildlife

Different birds like different food and have different ways of feeding. If you don’t pay attention to which birds live in your area, then you won’t be able to properly provide for them. Buying a random feeder and filling it with any old seed might get you some visitors – but a successful birdwatcher pays attention. By learning about your local wildlife, you can attract a variety of birds to your garden!

Find out which birds live locally and what they like to eat. As an example, robins like to eat insects and larvae like mealworms. They are primarily ground feeders, so you’ll have more luck with a feeding tray than with a hanging feeder.

5. Bread

This may be the most well-known sin of bird feeding, but it’s still important to repeat – do not feed bread to the birds! Bread is not meant to be a part of birds’ diets and does not contain the nutrition that they require. There are plenty of alternatives to bread that are just as easy to acquire, like peanuts and sunflower seeds.

6. Poor Feeder Hygiene

There’s more to maintaining a bird feeder than just swapping out the seeds. Bird droppings can build up around feeding areas and bad weather can cause mould to grow inside bird feeders. Try to disinfect your feeders or tables once a fortnight, with a disinfectant that is safe for birds. Scrubbing and scraping may seem like a hassle, but it’s an important task to protect the health of your local wildlife. Easy-clean bird feeders can make this job a lot easier!

7. Bad Location

Not all birds are fussy eaters, but most of them are fussy about where they eat. You need to place your bird feeders in locations with cover nearby so birds can keep themselves safe from predators. Hedges and trees make good hiding spots, but when placing your feeders make sure they are as elevated as possible.  

Many of the queries we receive about birds not coming to feeders can be remedied by changing the location of the feeders. Sometimes they are too close to windows (so the reflection bothers birds) or too shaded by buildings. For people with new homes or undeveloped gardens, there are often not enough shrubs and bushes to offer close-by shelter. Cats can also scare them off – a bell acts as a warning signal!

8. Discourage the Competition

Birds aren’t the only critters out there that enjoy a good seed. Squirrels and other large birds compete with garden birds for food and potentially scare your smaller feathered friends away. To combat this, use guardians for ground feeders and hang some squirrel-proof feeders that are designed to keep pigeons and squirrels out while allowing smaller birds to feed freely.

9. Only Offering Food

If you just offer food, birds will only stay for as long as they need to eat. So, why not give them somewhere to rest, too? Nesting boxes will make birds feel welcome in your garden and give them somewhere safe to live. You could even consider adding a nest pocket or two to give your garden birds somewhere to hide and take a well-earned nap! Plus, these can act as a shelter on hot summer days.

10. Not Getting Started!

All these rules may seem a bit complicated, but the absolute worst mistake you can make is to not feed the birds at all! Don’t let us scare you away from this rewarding and fulfilling hobby. With just a little care and attention, your garden could become a safe haven for your local feathered wildlife, which is more important than ever.

Ready to begin? Find high quality bird feeders and seed mixes at Really Wild Bird Food!

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