Can you put bird seed on the ground
It can be a matter of throwing bird seeds on the ground but you'd need to be a little more organized or else you'll miss a few opportunities.
You can put bird seed on the ground with a large number of ground feeding bird species quickly cleaning up. Not all birds can use feeders so to put seeds on the ground can cater to all birds. Reduce waste by using less, while favoring bird seed blends that feature nut meats or corn to attract more species.
Rest assured, ground feeding birds will happily eat seeds off the ground; not all species but those that do eat seeds do so as part of their dietary needs in the wild.
Its important to know what wild birds eat in the wild, at what time of the year to be sure bird food doesn't go to waste - with bird seeds they can be consumed by birds all year, specifically more in wintertime.
How to feed ground feeding birds in your yard is by simply throwing seeds on the ground, preferably on the lawn or an area birds frequent most.
Don't waste too many seeds early on at this stage, as its only later you'd get a better idea of how much or little bird seeds to use on a daily basis.
Feeding birds on the ground is vital, but you'd also need to consider birds that use bird feeders only - as these birds are unable to forage on the ground.
What is useful about managing bird feeders while feeding birds on the ground, is that any spoil coming off the bird feeders can be cleaned up under feeders, with a guarantee ground eating birds will eat it all up.
Seeds safe on ground
Absolutely can you put bird seed on the ground, in doing so you'd be catering to a number of ground feeding birds that frequent your yard, possible the most.
While its mostly common to see birds use a bird feeder of different types; ground feeding birds are not all capable of doing so, with lack of dexterity at the bird feeders, ground feeding birds prefer to forage below feeders.
Seeds are safe to be put on the ground, with a few exceptions mind you.
Wait until better weather until you throw seeds over the ground, as wet conditions can quickly spoil bird seeds on the ground, in a matter of days.
Not a problem if bird seed is gobbled up within a day or two, but leftover bird seed allowed to rot on the ground can attract pests, as well as being a health hazard to dogs and pets, or indeed children.
Seeds must be thrown where birds are likely to eat them quite quickly, doing so whilst they forage in the lawn, or if they can be tempted to the deck.
Fed to ground feeding birds only
What happens when you put bird seed, including other bird food options on the ground is its only likely to attract ground feeding wild birds only.
That way at least with no bird feeder in use, birds are more free to forage for food, rather than depending on using a feeder that many ground feeders can't use - but some will try such as Bluebirds or American Robins.
Ground feeding birds are mostly seed or nut eaters in the wild, so this is what you must focus on.
Fruits or insect mixes can be used, but focus on bird seeds more as it makes up the bulk of their dietary intake all year round.
Seeds should be fed to wild birds all year, but do prioritize bird seeds in the winter as few species switch to eating seeds more and similar food to build up energy.
How you'd attract ground feeding birds is by throwing seeds over the lawn, making sure birds already visit your yard on a daily basis, or else it all goes to waste.
Reduce seeds, waste less
You can simply throw bird seeds over the ground in hope a number of birds will gobble them up, but in reality it doesn't work quite like that.
What would probably happen is bird seeds will go to waste, having used too many bird seeds, or indeed your yard is not frequented enough by wild birds.
Its time to find a common ground at the beginning, by only offering a small amount of bird seeds - then increasing the amount or reducing it in time once you've got a better understanding of not only how many birds visit, but only those that feed off the ground.
Seeds can last for several days on the ground, but poor conditions or the heat can speed up the germination process, thus seeds will quickly spoil.
In wet conditions, this is where an elevated ground bird feeder would come in useful, whereas whenever the ground is covered in snow, more seeds can be added on top of the blanket of snow.
Reduce seeds to avoid waste, failing to do so would see rotten bird food piling up in the yard - which is not only good for birds but its not safe for your family.
Bird seeds on the ground world be foraged for most of the day, thus bird seeds on the ground would be cleaned up with no hassle on your part.
Feed birds seed mixes
No shortage of the kind of common backyard bird species you can attract to your yard, and in doing so you are bound to notice a few well known faces.
Don't despair with concern over lack of birds that would eat up seeds, as there is many, both large and small birds that would eat seeds all day.
On that, not all birds will eat any type of bird seed, so a mix of seeds must be offered.
What you need to use is a cheap packet of bird seed mixes, emphasis on mix, as these blends contain everything a ground feeding bird would closely eat in nature.
If you pay any attention you'd notice certain species forage through the bird seeds, picking out what their dietary needs require.
Expect most birds to eat any seeds, while others would forage for sunflower or safflower seeds available.
Nut meat, or peanut kernels within the seed mix blend would be eaten by bird seed eaters, or exclusively by nut eating birds - while other bits and pieces such as cracked corn or wheat also present will be consumed.
To attract as many wild birds to feed on seeds carefully placed or scattered over the lawn in a wide area - use seed mixes only to cater to as many birds as possible.
Keep tidy or throw over
Options to consider before you go ahead and throw bird seeds over your beautiful lawn, is to consider keep-tidy options.
Benefits to using a ground platform bird feeder is keeping the bird seed mix contained within a small area, for you to manage to clean up and replenish with fresh seeds.
Bird seeds can rot on the ground far more quickly, so an elevated position a few inches above the ground, can preserve the bird seed mix a little longer.
You can pick between keeping bird seeds tidy in a feeder, or simply throwing seeds over the ground - with both being quite effective. But bird seeds should be offered in a small area, to avoid forcing foraging birds over a wide area.
Why not use most bird seeds on the ground bird feeder, then use a little more seeds to sprinkle over the lawn or patio nearby - to at least attract birds to feed off your yard.
Don't feel a bird feeder made for the ground would go to waste; whilst ground feeding birds would use a ground bird bath less, they won't miss an opportunity to forage for their favorite seeds within a ground feeder.
To conclude
You can freely put bird seeds on the ground in order to cater to ground feeding birds, while allowing wild birds unable to use a bird feeder, to feed on the ground.
Seeds can be safe on the ground if you know it can't cause a mess, attract pests or can be an hygiene concern around pets or children.
Regardless, all that can be avoided if only offering a little bird seed at a time to avoid waste.
What the weather is doing can certainly speed up the life expectancy of bird seeds, so make sure its quickly eaten up while considering wet conditions or the heat can spoil the seeds within a day or two.
Favor bird seed mixes that contain a blend of different types of seeds, nut meats, cracked corn, wheat and other scraps within a seed mix for wild birds.
Not all birds eat seeds so can be seen foraging on the ground for any available peanuts, or even mealworms if included in the blend - while avoiding seeds all together.
Bird seeds can be put on the ground for sure, but try to do so in a tidy manner.
Pile bird seeds within a few square feet only so all birds can congregate in this same area now and every day you throw out bird seed. Avoid birds foraging over a wide area in your yard - while using the same space on the ground to feed birds.
Other than throwing bird seeds down, you can keep things a little more tidier with the use of a ground platform feeder, but it certainly isn't needed, so can go without.
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