If you are a regular bird feeder like me, just kept a new bird feeder and you noticed how fast the birds have noticed your feeders and came for it, are you wondering how it happened? This article is about the mechanics involved in this from the bird’s side. And credit to you too, you have done some things right. Let’s see everything in detail.
Birds find a new bird feeder so fast by virtue of their strong sight, hearing capability, and by help of signals from other birds. Birds easily find a feeder by seeing from top while flying or migrating. And they have a signal mechanism to communicate to other birds on locations of feed.
There are people who struggle to get birds to their new feeder. As a special case, if you have a window bird feeder and birds are not coming, I encourage you to read my article on why won’t birds not come to your window feeder.
But even with minimal things done right, it is very easy for birds to come to a new feeder. Because birds have the capacity to find a new bird feeder very fast. So, how do birds find a new bird feeder so fast?
Birds can find a new bird feeder so fast in the following ways.
- While flying, they see the feeder from height and they can recognize the seeds and feed easily. Birds are constantly flying and also migrating in seasons. During these flights, they are on constant lookouts for food and many birds that come to feeders are especially interested in seed food.
- When birds find a feed, they automatically flock together and send signals and make sounds to inform other birds about the feed. With this, it becomes easier for the birds to find a new bird feeder so fast.
- Birds also like the sound of water dripping or the sight of the water as it is not just about food but about drinking water and bird baths. Most of the experienced feeders would keep these facilities near to the feeder. A bird finds a new bird feeder so fast as it easily recognizes these sounds in the areas and routes they frequent on a daily basis.
- Birds recognize feeders as they perch on different high poles and standing areas. All during their flight route, birds take some rest or perch on places that are so high. From such heights, due to their strong sight, they can easily recognize any new bird feeders.
- Predator birds easily recognize new bird feeders if the feeders are already flocked by different smaller birds of their interest.
How to help birds find a new bird feeder fast?
Now that you know birds have the capability of finding a new bird feeder so fast, for attracting them faster to your feeder, all that you need to do is help them with the required hints. And do some minimal things right.
The main methods for birds to come to a new feeder are sight and sounds. Coming to sight, how do you make your feeder and feed visible? And how do you attract them? You might be wanting to attract different types of birds. So, place all types of feeds and a clearly visible feeder. Keep these feeders at different heights based on type of birds and their nature. Some birds need high, some medium and some low. And scatter the feed if possible on nearby areas so birds know there is feed and on further search, they can see your feeder.
- Keep attractive feed such as sunflower seeds, and varieties of seeds that birds like. If the birds are the ones that like small seeds, keep smaller size seeds or grains. Do not keep large seeds as the feed. Keep the feeders full for easy recognition. Keep colors to the feeders that are attractive to the birds.
- The other method is the sound. Keep different varieties so that some birds initially visit and the sounds made by these birds can help more birds come. Also, keep the sound of dripping water so that birds are attracted towards the feeder.
- Find out everything that is attractive for the bird of your interest that you are wanting to visit your new bird feeder. Cover all those elements in terms of food, shelter, colors, environment, sounds, plant, etc.
- Keep the feeders in a protective environment with some wild life, vegetation. The environment should look hidden from predators with some shrubs, bushes, etc. At the same time, the feeder should not be hidden, which can cause birds not to see it.
- Keep feeders near to perching or staging areas. Birds prefer to feed for sometime and whenever a need arises or a danger comes, they want a means to escape to a nearby tree or a pole. Keep feeders near such facilities, the birds would like it.
- Keep the bird feeders predator free. There are anti-squirrel designs, anti-predator designs available in the market for bird feeders. Make use of all the latest designs.
How long does it take to attract birds to a new feeder?
It takes 1-2 days to attract birds to a feeder placed in regular routes or places where birds visit, if provided with good feed, favorable height, with water. But if the feeder is placed at a new area where birds frequent less, it may take two weeks. On an average, it takes about 7 days.
There are several other factors such as the type of birds, if any mistakes done in your feeder placement that can distract the birds, the location, the weather where the bird feeders are present. If you place a bird feeder in a town where there are no birds, obviously no bird may visit or they may visit very very late.
Conclusion
That’s all for now. Hope, you now know all the ways how a bird finds a new bird feeder so fast. Also, using the same principles, if you can make your bird feeder follow the guidelines to keep in sync with the birds, it allows them to come to your bird feeder very fast. And all the joy is yours. If you are interested in mourning doves, check this article on different aspects of where to place the bird feeder for mourning dove.
