Feeding wild birds is good for people and good for the birds.
While there are detractors regarding feeding wild birds, it remains a hugely popular and widely accepted practice which more veterinarians accept as a positive development for our little backyard friends.
With a little research you can determine the right foods for the birds you want to attract.
Remember human food does nothing positive for wild birds.
Avoid human foods when attempting to attract wild birds to your backyard.
Birds utilize an amazing amount of energy in a day, both for thermal regulation and movement.
Similar to Tour de France cyclists who burn up to 10,000 calories a day, an active bird like a hummingbird will burn a similar amount of energy on a pound for pound basis.
How can we help these birds? By giving them access to the foods they need to survive and thrive.
Those foods are high in energy; high fat, easy to access and digest and readily available.
One of the best foods available to birds from backyard enthusiasts is suet.
Suet is commonly in the form of Suet Cakes.
Often rolled oats, bird seed, cornmeal, unsalted nuts are incorporated in to the fat to give birds extra energy.
Suet feeders come in a variety of types including; metal mesh, tail prop, upside down and bags.
Suet is available at hardware stores, bird specialty stores and even your local butcher.
Suet is considered one of the best ways to feed in the winter.