Why is my bird feeder not attracting birds
Certainly an issue most of us have to contend with when we attempt to attract birds to feeders, yet it can be achieved by upping our backyard birding game.
Why bird feeders are not attracting birds could be because not enough time is provided to give wild birds time to find this new bird feed source. Indeed, you could be up against competition by neighbors of which, you'd need to match what they are doing. Carry on hanging feeders in a well it up, visible high area.
You know what, wild birds should be coming to bird feeders all year round, and while it may feel like birds in your area have disappeared because you don't have any at your feeders, but that isn't to say they've gone for good.
In fact, wild birds will always be in your neighborhood when you know they are present, it just may be there's an abundance of natural feed in their natural habitat.
Similarly, these same wild birds may be currently relying on one of your neighbors, who are doing a brilliant job of attracting a variety of birds to their yard daily.
With that, you'd need to force wild birds in to your yard, while being the new reliable, quiet bird paradise that will bring birds back again every day of the week.
Go ahead and get your bird feeder up and running, suspend them off a bird feeder pole or tree branch now, and keep them hanging at all times without fail.
Never allow bird feeders to run out of feed as it will only force birds to go elsewhere, and therefore you'll have to attract wild birds all over again, if you get too lazy.
Keep bird feeders for seeds, peanuts and suet available, with an option to put dried or live mealworms in a mounted or suspended open dish. All bird feed can go in a tray or dish, as this platform will open your bird feed to a mix of wild bird species.
Your bird feeders may not be attracting wild birds because of the environment you've set them in. Backyards must have a mix of vegetation and grass to succeed - with it being a draw for wild birds to visit - as its essentially like their own habitat in the wild.
Continue to suspend a mix of bird feeders while at the same time slowly build a backyard birding paradise, beginning with grown or planted trees, plants or wild flowers.
Late to the game
It does feel like forever when wild birds finally turn up to bird feeders, but in the end you can expect a few visitors once in a while.
When no wild birds are coming to bird feeders at all, then that is a serious problem.
What problem that is can depend on personal circumstances, yet a neighborhood too close to a busy city or indeed, an area that lacks an abundance of trees - which become a birds natural habitat - then all this and more can contribute to keeping birds away.
It could be however you are just too late to a game that started many years ago.
What I mean is, your near neighbors might of established their dominance over the bird feeders birds for a long time now; thus local birds may be naturally going to a group of reliable bird feeders, not too far away.
You may be late in getting into the backyard birding game, but its never to late to begin.
Just because your neighbors are doing well, that isn't to say you can steel some wild birds back - beginning with keeping a mix of wild bird feeders available - in order to attract a variety of wild birds who do on occasion pass by or briefly visit your feeders.
In regard to just the one bird feeder, that really isn't enough. You must expand on your bird feeder collection so you can provide a wider variety of bird feed, which in turn will possibly attract far more bird species than ever before.
No natural greenery
What you must do while at the same time making sure a variety of different bird feeders are made available, would to be begin the procedure of landscaping your yard - which can also be called birdscaping.
First things first, you must absolutely grow a lawn as its the only way to attract natural wild bird feed, like insects, spiders and worms for Blackbirds to Bluebirds to forage on.
Avoid laying turf as it delays bugs and insects making home on an artificial surface, or at least grass that takes time to feel more natural to wild life.
Growing grass can encourage many wild birds into a yard, and especially ground feeding birds who only feed off the lawn, or indeed will pick up any feed that spills below suspended bird feeders, hanging off a pole or branch.
Trees are vitally important to most wild birds as its a place to nest, roost, feed and often acting as a place to drink water.
You don't have to wait a decade to grow a Spruce, White oak or a Crabapple tree, oh no... all you have to do is buy one of these trees or more via your local garden center - of which will provide partially grown trees to plant in your yard.
Similarly, you will want to grow berry trees or plants which will attract fruit-eating birds who know how to find natural berries.
In the meantime, just grow as many bushes and shrubs, with an option to grow flowers and plants in raised planters; which will open up your yard to a mix of wild birds, who will 100% visit a wild birds paradise.
Remember, all this is grown or planted alongside a mix of bird feeders suspended off a bird feeder pole in the sun, where later feeders can hang off a twig or branch - belonging to a newly planted tree or shrub.
Busy yard, family disturbance
What else we must consider why your bird feeders are not attracting birds at this time, could be due to circumstances you can quickly resolve now.
That is if your home and yard are busy with kids and adults, along with pets who may play in the yard on a daily basis.
Birds aren't going to come to bird feeders where dogs can grab them while at the same time, there's screaming children playing. What you must do is discourage this for a while to see if it makes a difference - or why not move the bird feeding station pole to a location out of the way of disturbance in the day.
Small yards won't allow this opportunity yet there's an option to put a bird feeder pole in the front yard, which just may happen to see wild birds finally begin to use it.
Bird feeders hanging higher up in a tree could help too - as children and pets remain out of reach - yet there's an option to hang bird feeders off the guttering or anywhere along the roof overhang.
All circumstances outlined thus far could refer to Hummingbirds too, thus why there's no Hummingbirds at your feeders, which could be because of noise and disturbance. Hummingbirds are far more timid than any other bird species and therefore, are unlikely to come close to a feeder in an area riddled with movement of people and animals.
With that, don't forget Orioles and Hummingbirds come to feeders as early March in the spring, up until no later than September. Why are there no Hummingbirds at feeders after or before this time, would be because Hummers and Orioles are out of season.
Lack of running water
You know what, you can landscape your backyard with additional natural vegetation as it will indirectly attract wild birds to feeders, even if bird feeders don't come into the equation at this minute in time.
Forgetting about bird feeders again for just a minute: did you know you can attract wild birds to a bird bath successfully, if you at least give this setup a chance to draw wild birds to any visible and accessible bird bath location.
You can't draw wild birds to a bird feeder by noise, but you can to a bird bath. If we can attract birds to a bird bath, then who know's; birds just may be able to trust you enough, which will hopefully see them begin to feed at feeders.
Don't sit a bird bath on the ground too close to suspended bird feeders, because of bird poop and debris.
Instead, sit a bird bath that is on a stand up to 10 feet away to avoid a mess developing, while at the same time both bird bath/feeders remain in proximity to each other.
Now, what you can do to attract wild birds to a bird bath - and then hopefully the bird feeders after birds are done drinking or bathing - is to add a bird bath wiggler or solar powered fountain feature.
Wigglers create ripples in the water which can grab the attention of passing birds, while the fountain feature males the pleasing sound of cascading water, which birds love.
Summary
So you may not technically be late to the game just yet but you unfortunately may have given your near neighbors too much of a head start.
What I mean is your neighbors could be pros at attracting wild birds to feeders, because they may have been doing it for many many years.
You being new to the game means you are at a disadvantage, as wild birds will naturally head to bird feeders they've come to rely upon. Don't give up though, there may be work to be done on your part, but you could steal some birds away in due course.
First thing to do is make sure your landscaping matches that of back/front yards that do well to attract wild birds in your street or area.
Grow grass to appeal to insect-eating ground feeding birds, while a few partially grown trees, shrubs and bushes you can plant, will get you all caught up with the competition... and you may also possibly shoot way ahead of the race.
Next up, match what bird feeders the neighbors are using, who seem to be doing well at attracting wild birds, so you can replicate it.
And with that, don't forget to utilize the same wild bird feed they currently offer, which can include one or several of seeds, peanuts, suet cakes and possibly dried mealworms.
Before doing all that, there could be a chance your family and pets are disturbing wild birds who want to come to your bird feeders, but are often frightened away by kids playing, dogs running around, or cats waiting to pounce on any visiting birds.
Last but not least, you can attract wild birds to a bird bath that uses a running water feature, as wild birds can hear it far and wide. Who know's then, birds may begin to use the bird feeders as soon as they're seen, sitting or hanging near to a bird bath.
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