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Dear BirdGal, What do I do if I find a baby bird in my yard? Rick
Dear Rick, If the baby is a nestling, make every attempt to put it back in the
nest. Don't worry, your scent will not cause the parents to abandon the nest or
the babies - that's an old wives' tale! If the baby is a fledgling, leave it
alone. The parents are probably nearby watching their baby as it learns to fly.
If, in either situation, you must take the baby in, place it in a shoe box lined
with soft tissue paper and keep it warm. Do not try to feed it! Cincinnati area
residents call Second Chance Wildlife (875-3433) for further instructions.
Others, call your local State Wildlife officials for more information. Check out
this website for additional information
http://www.ornithology.com/rehab.html. BG
Dear BirdGal, I bought a new birdfeeder recently but the birds haven't gone near
it. What's wrong? Alice
Dear Alice, You first must make sure the birds can see the new feeder as they
fly through your yard. Birds do not have a highly developed sense of smell so
they locate food by sight. After they have located the feeder and are actively
using it, you can move it to an area better for your viewing and they will find
it. It might help to sprinkle a little birdseed on top of, underneath and around
your new feeder to help the birds locate it. If the new feeder is an addition to
a well-established birdfeeding station, you may have to take the old feeder(s)
down for a few days to "force" the birds to use the new one. Once they have
accepted the new feeder you can put the others back in place. BG
BirdGal, Should I take down all my nesting boxes? P. from Terrace Park
Dear P., No! In the fall, after the nesting season is over, you should remove
any old nests you find in your bird houses and sweep out the inside of the box.
Then line the bottom of the box with 3-4 inches of dry grass. This will insulate
the box for any birds that might use it for roosting on cold winter nights. BG
Dear BirdGal, Is it important to provide water for the birds in winter? Alice in
Milford
Dear Alice, Yes, and you should purchase a heated birdbath or place a de-icer in
your existing birdbath because unfrozen water can be hard for birds to find in
winter. Birds need water to drink and to keep their feathers clean to provide
insulation in cold weather. You may also notice that in the winter, your heated
birdbath may attract unusual species � those that don�t usually visit your
birdfeeding station! BG
BirdGal, Is there something special I can put out to attract insect eaters to my
feeders in winter? Michelle
Dear Michelle, Sure, you can attract insect-eating birds like chickadees,
nuthatches, titmice and woodpeckers to your feeding station with suet and/or
peanuts, both good sources of protein. Suet is simply the fat removed from
processed beef. Unrendered suet can be obtained from your butcher, but it must
be handled properly or it can become rancid. Commercial suet cakes have been
rendered and mixed with various seeds and require no special handling. Either
type of suet can be offered in wire baskets or mesh bags. Peanuts or woodpecker
nut-mixes can be added to your current birdfeeder or placed in a peanut feeder
(wire mesh feeder). You can also try the following recipe to attract
insect-loving birds! BG
PEANUT TREAT
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup shortening
1 cup flour
4 cups corn meal
Mix ingredients by hand until consistency of cookie dough. Add more corn meal if
too sticky/soft. Add more peanut butter and/or shortening if too dry and
crumbly. Stuff treat in suet logs or place in small containers (margarine tubs,
tuna cans, etc.). Peanut treat can be made in large batches and frozen for use
throughout the winter months.
Dear BirdGal, I saw the strangest new bird in my yard late this summer. It
looked like a cardinal but it had a black head. What kind of bird was it?
Perplexed
Dear Perplexed, I hear about bald cardinals (the head looks black because the
skin shows) every year at this time. The head is the one area of the bird�s body
it can not reach for preening and removal of parasites. Feathers destroyed by
mites will fall out leaving the bird temporarily �bald�; the feathers will grow
back during the birds normal molt (see molting article in this issue of BirdChat).
BG
Hi BirdGal, I saw the oddest thing the other day in my backyard � I witnessed a
female cardinal feeding a baby bird that definitely WAS NOT a cardinal. Wassup
with that? Confused in Milford
Dear Confused, you saw exactly what you say you saw! My guess is that you
observed a cardinal feeding a cowbird, convinced it was her baby. Cowbirds are
parasitic brooders. Female cowbirds lay their eggs in the nests of other
species. When the baby cowbird hatches, the host parents raise it as if it were
their own. I have witnessed this phenomenon many times in my own backyard. BG
Hey BirdGal, Will the birds become dependent on me if I start feeding them this
fall? What if I go away for a few weeks during the winter, will they starve?
Just Curious
Dear Curious, Studies have been conducted indicating that birdfeeder
availability during the winter in the colder, northern states probably improves
the survival rate of chickadees, but overall, birdfeeding does not affect birds�
survivability. Because birds have wings, they instinctively forage for food
visiting many locations during the day searching for different sources. Birds
never become dependent on one source and most studies have shown that birds with
easy access to feeders only use them for 20% of their daily rations. If your
feeders are empty or you stop feeding, they will seek out other sources. Birds
are creatures of habit and remember where they have found food in the past. BG
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