Attract winged friends with these bird feeders

Birds are beautiful creatures that can make a lawn and gar­den feel even more serene. Providing snacks to supple­ment what birds naturally find in the wild guarantees up close and personal interactions with the scores of species that call neighborhoods home.

Bird feeders are particularly important in colder climates and during wintertime when food may be scarce. Keeping birds well fed helps them sur­vive over winter and continue to repopulate in the spring. Bird feeding isn’t all for the birds, either. Ashley Dayer, an associate professor in the De­partment of Fish and Wildlife Conservation at Virginia Tech, argues that feeding birds also is a benefit to humans because it stimulates compassion for the animals.

The type of bird feeder a person places in the yard de­termines which species may be drawn to the property. The following are various types of feeders to consider.

SUET FEEDERS

Suet cakes are high-energy food sources that attract birds like woodpeckers and nut­hatches. They are particularly beneficial in colder months or regions where birds need extra fat for energy. These cage-like feeders snap around the rect­angular suet cake and hang from a pole or tree.

GROUND FEEDER

Ground feeders are simple screen-bottomed trays that sit several inches off of the ground or on a deck to help keep seeds and grain from coming in con­tact with droppings. Ground feeders are a favorite of jun­cos, sparrows, goldfinches, and cardinals, among others.

SUGAR WATER FEEDER

These feeders come in dif­ferent shapes, from tubes to round dishes, and are magnets to hummingbirds. They typi­cally have red coloring to be more attractive to those high-speed flyers.

NYJER BIRD FEEDER

Small birds like goldfinches love to dine on nyjer seeds, which are tiny, black thistle seeds. These feeders are tube-shaped mesh socks designed to hold this specific seed. The small feeding ports prevent seed waste and cater to the small beaks of finches.

HOPPER BIRD FEEDER

These are the feeders many people think of when they envi­sion bird feeders. Hopper bird feeders hold a large amount of seed and often have a roof or a design that mimics a house or barn. The covered design helps to keep seeds dry and might be the best hanging feeder for people who live in areas with a lot of rain. Hoppers will at­tract blue jays, grackles, cardi­nals, and blackbirds.

TUBE FEEDERS

Tube feeders will attract an array of birds. They are cylin­drical in shape with various ports to enable birds to perch and feed.

Window and smart bird feed­ers

These types of bird feeders attach to windows to allow homeowners to view the birds up close. Smart varieties have cameras on the feeders that will send a feed via an app to a smart phone or computer. Some even may identify the bird species on the feeder at any given point in time.

Bird feeders provide enjoy­ment for bird watchers and nutritious food various spe­cies.