Backyard Birding
Turn your backyard into a bird haven with tips on feeders, habitats, and attracting your favorite species.
Feeders and Food
The Well-Equipped Birder: Squirrel-Proof Feeders
BWD Editor Dawn Hewitt and Production Director Bruce Wunderlich tested out a two different squirrel-proof feeders. Here are their reviews. Dawn Roamwild…
Cleaning Bird Feeders in Winter
It’s wintertime here in Ohio, and that means keeping an eye on the weather forecast on the regular. As a steady supplier…
Top 10 Foods for Winter Bird Feeding
Winter: ‘Tis the season for feeding birds all across North America, especially in those regions where it gets mighty cold and snowy….
Go Ahead and Feed the Birds!
White-breasted nuthatch photo by Shutterstock. Last summer, wildlife organizations in several Midwestern and mid-Atlantic states issued advisories for backyard birding enthusiasts to…
What Foods for What Birds?
The experts at Bird Watcher’s Digest have compiled this informative bird food and seed list to help you attract the birds that…
Top Four Foods to Attract and Feed Woodpeckers
Suet Suet is number one on most woodpeckers’ list of preferred foods offered by humans. Suet is dense, hard, white beef fat….
Feeders and Feeding: Peanut Butter Suet
Help birds endure the harsh winter weather with a special treat! This recipe is popular with jays, titmice, nuthatches, chickadees, woodpeckers, sparrows,…
A Recipe for Suet Dough
This peanut butter and lard suet dough recipe from Julie Zickefoose is popular with woodpeckers, jays, titmice, nuthatches, chickadees, sparrows, towhees, cardinals,…
Feeders and Feeding: Orioles
I feed the birds all winter here in Missouri. We help each other survive the cold, snowy months. Do I quit feeding…
DIY Projects
Do It Yourself: Bird Bath Heater
Keep your birdbath water warm all winter long When winter comes to our farm, the daily ritual of feeding our birds intensifies…
Do-It-Yourself: Prevent Squirrels from Raiding your Bird Feeder
This baffle prevents squirrels from accessing a hanging feeder from above. Two metal salad bowls, one 10-inches and another 18-inches in diameter,…
Do-It-Yourself Stovepipe Predator Baffle
Materials: Aluminum electrical conduit, ½-inch diameter, 5-foot length Iron rebar, ½-inch diameter, 5-foot length One hanger iron (two 7-inch strips attached with…
Build Your Own: Bird Bath Fountain
Birdbath and fountain: sound and motion make for special allure A home-made garden sculpture at a fraction of the retail cost. A…
Backyard Tips: How to Make Your Own Hummingbird Nectar
Hungry hummingbirds sip at a backyard feeder. Photo by J. Quinn. ’Tis the season for hummingbirds! Hanging a hummingbird feeder in your…
Build Your Own: Easy Platform Feeder
Attract Birds and Protect Seed With a Simple and Effective Feeder Design The more places birds can feed in your yard, the…
Do It Yourself: Birdbath Tips
Easy Drippers We know that water in motion attracts birds, and I’ve discovered an inexpensive, easy way to add a dripper to…
Build Your Own: Build a Brush Pile
Create a winter shelter for wildlife in your backyard High on the list of important microhabitats you can create for wildlife in…
Do-it-yourself Pipe House
A new use for PVC pipe! by A.J. Hamler, excerpted from the March/April 2011 issue of Bird Watcher’s Digest Many do-it-yourselfers use…
Hummingbirds
Frequently Asked Questions About Hummingbird Feeders
Feeder Placement There are a few things to keep in mind when placing your feeders. First of all, the feeders need to…
Myths About Hummingbirds
One of the most persistent myths in the world of birds is that hummingbirds migrate on the backs of larger, stronger birds. On…
Frequently Asked Questions about Hummingbirds
1. How I can estimate how many hummingbirds I feed each day? A: Hummingbird experts Nancy Newfield and Bob and Martha Sargent…
An Introduction to Hummingbirds
General Info The hummingbird family, Trochilidae, occurs only in the Western Hemisphere, where it is second only to the tyrant flycatchers in…
Prepare for Peak Hummingbird Season! Here’s How
For those of us who adore hummingbirds and enjoy watching their antics, late July and August are an exciting time of year,…
Hummingbird Behavior – Feeding, Foraging, and Reader Observations
The Avian Nectar Feeders When the words “nectar feeder” come to mind, most people envision hummingbirds gracefully flitting around flowers in a…
Autumn is Here! Should I Take Down My Hummingbird Feeder?
This answer depends upon where you live. Some regions of North America host hummingbirds all year long, so the answer for them…
What do Hummingbirds Eat?
Introduction “What do hummingbirds eat?” is a question often asked of hummer enthusiasts. It’s a simple question, and you’d think the answer…
Tips for Identifying Hummingbirds
Identifying a hummingbird is very similar to identifying other bird species—if the hummer is sitting or hovering in one place long enough…
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