When the snows of winter come along, it can be difficult for many bird species to find the food that they need. Having a bird feeder setup in a backyard, a front porch, or some other location makes it possible for more birds to find the sustenance they need throughout the season.
Many birds utilize bird feeders, including feeders that are not based on seed. Hummingbirds can benefit from a feeder too – as well as 70+ additional bird species that will feed off of the nectar that is meant for hummingbirds.
Interesting Facts About Bird Feeders
#1. In the United States, February is considered to be National Bird Feeding Month. It was decided to recognize bird feeding during this month since it tends to be one of the coldest for many northern areas and access to food for birds is limited.
#2. More than 1 billion pounds of bird feed is handed out in residential areas in North America every year. It is estimated that 50 million households participate in feeding birds for at least one month during the year. This makes it the second-most popular hobby or home activity for North American homes. Only gardening is ranked higher.
#3. It is believed that bird feeding is a practice that dates back to at least the 700s.
#4. In the United States, the national pastime is considered to be baseball. In the UK, in the middle of a harsh winter in 1890, a general call was sounded through newspapers across the kingdom to begin feeding birds. This activity was declared to be the national pastime of the UK as early as 1910.
#5. For many local communities, the appearance of robins outside at a bird feeder is considered to be one of the first signs of spring. Not every robin will migrate from its home, however, and some can even be seen looking for food in the snows of winter. This is just one more reason why a bird feeder is such a beneficial hobby.
#6. If there are roadrunners near your home, you may want to be careful about where you place a birdfeeder. Roadrunners are known to eat anything they can catch, including birds. They’ve been observed leaping up to catch hummingbirds at a nectar feeder.
#7. Some birds need to have more food to support their metabolism than others. The Baltimore Oriole is one of those birds, as it can eat nearly 20 caterpillars in a single minute.
Live Bird Feeding Cams
For those who live in apartments or in areas where bird feeders may not be permitted, watching the birds come to visit a feeder on a webcam is the next best way to enjoy this hobby. Here are the best bird feeder cams that are streaming right now.
View Cornell Feeder Cam.
View Sabal Palm Sanctuary Cam.
View Seattle BirdCam.
Birds can cause a frenzy at a feeder when they want to defend the food source they’ve found. It’s part of the reason why this hobby is so popular.