Feeding the birds is not just tossing scraps out the door or throwing crumbs to city pigeons. Learn to provide for the native birds in your backyard. Family fun guaranteed.

Steps

1. Seed Feeder: Do some research to find out what types of birds live in your area. Also find out what type of seed to buy using the links below. Purchase a feeder to dispense the seed. (Again, do some research; there are hundreds of different types of feeders to choose from: platform feeders, tube feeders, etc.) Some of the more expensive feeders have "baffles" that prevent squirrels and other pests from eating. Many feeders are also made to dispense a certain seed, or for a certain species. For example, "thistle socks" are made to contain thistles only, and can only be used by goldfinches. Clean the feeders once a week with soap and water.
2. Nectar: If you want to attract hummingbirds, you can set up a nectar feeder. "Nectar" is a solution with a sugar-water ratio of 1:4. Do not fill the feeders with too much nectar, and take care to clean your nectar feeder in the summer; sugar can ferment and kill the birds.
3. Mealworms: Some people offer mealworms in a shallow dish to attract bluebirds. You can buy these at a pet store, or you can raise your own.
4. Water: Birds are attracted to the sound of water, so you can buy a birdbath with a "faucet", or make your own dripping system: Fill a shallow dish with water. Punch a small hole in the bottom of a bucket. Fill the bucket with water, and hang from a branch or supporting structure. The water should drip (not pour) into the dish.
5. Peanuts: Many birds, such as jays and nuthatches, enjoy peanuts. String the shells together. Don't offer peanuts in the spring and summer, as parents will offer these to baby birds, which will choke.
6. Suet: Suet is a huge source of protein and fat, and is very helpful in the winter. You can buy it in slabs, or make your own. Nail or attach with mesh to the trunk of a tree. Don't offer suet in the summer, as it can go rancid.
7. Fruit: Fresh fruit, as well as jelly, is popular, and will attract orioles and robins, as well as others. Dispense jelly in a shallow container. Slice oranges in half, and impale each half on a spike (nail, small tree branch, etc.). These can also attract wasps and ants; clean frequently.

Tips

• Buy only high quality mixed seed; low quality (inexpensive) mixes will have fillers the birds will not eat, such as milo, wheat,and too much cracked corn, resulting in a waste of food and money.
• Nectar should not be dyed red; a red dispenser or spigot will suffice.
• Feeding the birds will not prevent them from migrating; birds use feeders to supplement their meals. Backyard bird-feeding has, however, caused some species, such as the Northern Cardinal, to expand their winter ranges.
• Offer a wide variety of food to attract a wide variety of birds.

Attracting birds to your backyard provides you with a connection to your local environment. You might never realize how many different, beautiful and unique birds live in your neighborhood until you invite them into your backyard!

Steps

1. Do some research. Find out what types of birds are in your area and are likely to be attracted to your sanctuary. While you're at it, obtain a field guide with which to identify the birds that will soon frequent your yard.
2. Provide food. One of the easiest ways is to buy feeders and seed, but you can also plant trees and shrubs to attract birds. Stick with native plants and avoid ornamental plants. Do research. Use plants that bear fruit or nectar.
3. Offer shelter. Different species nest in different places; study the birds to determine what you can provide. If you are planning on building nesting boxes, take note that boxes with different holes, shapes, and orientations will attract different species. Make sure that your nest box has adequate ventilation, and is supplied with a "baffle" and reinforcement ring at the opening that will prevent predators from entering. You can also provide nesting material such as string, hair, or other fibers. Don't put it right next to a feeder, as the hustle and bustle there can discourage birds from using the shelter to nest.
4. Give them nesting material. Stuff mesh bags with pieces of yarn or string, straw, pet fur, hair from your comb, small bits of cloth, and anything a bird can use to make a nest. Hang the bag near the nest boxes in spring.
5. Provide grit. Birds don't have teeth to chew their food, so they swallow bits of sand that help grind the food in their gizzard. You can help by offering crushed eggshells; this serves a dual purpose by giving the birds calcium needed for egg-laying. Be sure to bake the eggshells to kill Salmonella and other pathogens before offering them.
6. Create a water source. Birds are attracted to the sound of dripping or moving water. You can buy a birdbath or create a shallow pond with a fountain. If you're short on time or resources, you can hang a water-filled container with a hole on the bottom above a dish. Try not to place the water source near trees or bushes where cats can hide before pouncing. Also, make sure the water is not more than 1 inch deep.
7. Plant native plants . Use a local field guide or call your local Audubon Society chapter to find out what grows naturally in your region, and add these plants to your garden. Not only are they likely to attract bird and butterfly species, but native plants are more suited to the local climate and tend to be lower maintainence than imports.

Tips

• If you don't have the motivation, time, or resources to create a bird sanctuary in your yard, you can always contribute to a "communal" bird sanctuary. Donate money and/or volunteer hours to conservation organization such as The Nature Conservancy that buys tracts of land and saves them from development.
• Don't rake the leaves. Birds will forage for insects hiding under dead leaves in the spring.
• Keep your feeders, houses and water sources clean.
• Don't remove dead trees unless they are a danger - standing dead trees are important nesting and foraging spots for many species especially woodpeckers which eat the insects that infest dead trees.
• Also try to feed a variety of and suet; if you start to feed the birds in the winter, don't stop it as it will likely cause great hardship, or even death, for every bird relying on that feeder.
• Try to buy bird houses made by companies that mainly sell bird-related items. They will be better-quality houses that are more protective.
• Don't be discouraged if birds don't imediately come to your sanctuary. Birds are often wary of changes in their environemnt and will take time to warm up to the new feeder or bath.