Here are tips for making your bird feeding more successful. They're adapted from the Non-game Wildlife Program of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources

Five Ways to Double the Number of Bird Species at Your Feeders:
1. Feed the birds in all four seasons.

2. Provide water in all four seasons. It's best if the water is dripping,
splashing or misting during the summer and heated during the winter.

3. Use at least 8 to 12 feeders in your yard, grouping them together in 2 or 3 clusters.

4. Provide protection from predators by placing feeders in the open, at least 10 feet away from anything that might hide a predator. This allows you to protect the birds. You can also fence off an area with chicken wire or rabbit fencing (a wire with openings no larger than 2 inches by 4 inches and at least 30 inches high).

5. Clean the bird feeders and the surrounding ground area regularly.

Top Ten Bird Foods for Minnesota:
1. Black Oil Sunflower Seed
2. Suet / Suet Cakes
3. Peanuts / Nuts / Peanut Butter
4. Safflower
5. Shelled Corn
6. Finch Mixture or Niger Thistle
7. White Proso Millet and Cracked Corn
8. Apples, Oranges, Grape Jelly
9. Mealworms
10. Sugar Water / Hummingbird Food

 © Bachman's 2007