Wisconsin Forums

[AJE]

All songbirds have four basic habitat needs food, water, a sheltered place to raise young and provide cover from the elements or predators. We need to stride to keeping our favorite birds healthy and happy; thus its important to know how to properly maintain birdbaths, birdhouses and birdfeeders as well as where’s the best suited place for locating these items. The following is some suggestions on creating a backyard habitat.

*By placing more than one birdfeeder in our yards, around different locations this will help to disperse bird activity and avoid overcrowding. This also will allow you to place many different feeds for the birds to choose as well. Note: If you’d like to discourage any predator activity, feeders should be placed away from areas prone to danger. You’ll need to keep in mind about squirrels and other scavengers’ critters that might be out for an easy meal, so rigging up a proof system is also a good idea.

*Birdhouses provide a great opportunity to observe new life, but in order to consider this shelter you’ll need to have the birdhouses securely mounted, and it’s also important to consider what type of bird your aiming to attract. All birds opt for different elevated heights, shapes and sizes for their homes so do some research on the species of songbird prior to placing at the optima spots accordingly.

*Birdbaths should be placed high enough that predatory mammals cannot reach the water. Baths should also be filled to a maximum depth of 2”, as shallow water is more accommodating to the smaller birds. If you have a deep pond make sure to add a rock inside so our winged friends won’t be so hesitant to have a drink or to enjoy a cool bath.