Helping create bird-friendly backyards

Frequently Asked Questions

FAQs About Species: Baby Birds | Bluebirds | Cardinals | Goldfinches | Grackles | Hawks | Hummingbirds | Jays | Orioles | Starlings | Woodpeckers | Birds & Disease

Bird Feeder FAQs
Can aluminum on a feeder have an adverse effect on birds?
Does the color of the feeder influence what birds will use it?
How high off the ground should a bird feeder be?
Is it common for finches to take over a hummingbird feeder?
Is there a particular type of feeder that is good for finches?
Pests at feeders and other problems
Should a hummingbird feeder be hung close to other feeders?
The importance of full feeders
Will birds come to a high rise feeder?
What is the best way to clean plastic tube bird feeders?
What is good to use to clean a glass hummingbird feeder?
What's a gourd feeder?
What kind of feeder is best to hold hulled sunflower seeds?
What year was the first hummingbird feeder made?
Who came up with the idea of the bird feeder?
Why won't birds eat from the platform feeder?

Bird Food FAQs
Are crushed egg shells good to put with the bird seed?
Feeding Chickadees may help them breed
Is it okay to feed birds popcorn kernels?
Is it okay to feed rice to birds?
Is it okay to feed wild birds left over table scraps of bread?
What birds enjoy meal worms?
What is the best way to raise mealworms?
When do birds normally eat the most?
Why should we feed the birds?

Bird Seed FAQs
Are there special seeds for singers?
Do different types of seeds attract different birds?
Does bird seed get too old?
Do you have some advice for seed storage?
Do wild birds eat pumpkin seeds?
How do I prevent bird seed from sprouting?
How long have people been attracting birds with birdseed?
Has anyone ever heard of kaifer corn?
The birds won't touch my new bird feeder...
What government agency regulates bird seed?
What kinds of birds does Nyjer® attract?
What types of seeds and berries are best for birds' health?
Which is better for birds, black oil or grey stripe sunflower?

Birds and Disease
Can I handle a feeder visited by a diseased bird?
Does cleaning a bird feeder prevent spreading disease?
House finches seem to have an eye deformation...
Is it harmful to pets to be around a wild bird feeder?
We have a male cardinal with loss of feathers...

Habitat & Landscaping FAQs
What are the kinds of plants that birds will eat?
What are the best berry producing shrubs to plant?
What flowers should be planted to attract song birds?
What's the best way to use a remaining tree stump for birds?
What flowers attract goldfinches?
What flowers attract hummingbirds?
What type of landscape attracts purple martins?
Which birds get along with each other?
Will fertilizer makes the ground feeding birds sick?

Nests & Nesting FAQs
Are cardinals a cavity nesting bird?
Artificial snags as nesting sites
Birds have been building nests on our balcony...
Can a wren house be hung from a rope?
Can the inside of a birdhouse be safely painted or sealed?
Do birds occupy nest boxes when they are not breeding?
How can we tell in advance who will nest in our bluebird box?
How far away from each other should bluebird boxes be placed?
How high should a nestbox be hung?
Should dryer lint be put out for birds' nesting material?
Should all birdhouses be cleaned out in the fall?
There is no adult at a nest with babies in it...
What color birdhouses attract different types of birds?
When is the best time to put our nest boxes up?

Water FAQs
Are all metals safe for use in birdbaths?
How does a bird drink?
How do I make a dripping bird bath?
How to provide drinking water in freezing temperatures?
Is copper toxic to birds?
What's the proper depth of a birdbath?
FAQ TOPICKS
All species
Bird feeders
Bird food
Bird Seed
Birds & Disease
Habitat & Landscaping
Nests & Nesting
Water For Birds


Female Ruby-throated Hummingbird on Feeder
Photos by Lee Duer,
Wild Bird Center of Waldorf, MD