Bird watching without leaving your home, Feeding Backyard Birds: FAQ

Attracting birds to your yard is an easy way to get started with birdwatching from the comfort of your home. All you need is a feeder and some bird seed and you can be well on your way to hosting countless species.

We get a lot of questions about how to feed birds at home and what kinds mistakes to avoid so we put together this FAQ.

Do I need to feed birds year-round? No. You don’t have to, but birds benefit from reliable food sources in every season. Winter is when feeders matter most, when natural food is scarce and birds need the extra calories to stay warm. If you’re only going to feed part of the year, start in fall and run through early spring.

What do I do if I find a sick bird near my feeder? Take your feeders down right away for at least two weeks. Clean and sanitize everything before putting them back up.

How do I know if my feeder is in a good spot? Feeders should be within 3 feet of a window or more than 30 feet away. Anything in between puts birds at risk of a window strike.

Can I feed birds if I have outdoor cats? No. Outdoor cats are one of the leading causes of bird mortality.

Why aren’t any birds coming to my new feeder? Give it time. Birds need to discover a new food source, and that can take days or even a few weeks. Once one bird finds it, others tend to follow.

Attracting birds to your yard doesn’t require a lot of work. A clean feeder, the right seed for the species you’re hoping to see, and a spot that keeps them safe from windows and predators goes a long way. Add a birdbath and a few native plants and you’ve created something that genuinely supports the wildlife around you, not just in your yard but in the broader neighborhood ecosystem we all share.

For more information on this or other bird topics, visit www.birdallianceoregon.org .