Your favorite feathered creatures are a beautiful sight on your property. You set up a bird feeder to attract more avians to your home because you simply love them. But why aren’t birds coming to my feeder? Many people ask this question at one time or another.
Don’t let a temporary setback dampen your spirits. You can always attract birds to your property. Once you learn what drives avians from feeding from your feeder, then you can find ways to lure them back.
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Reasons Why Birds Refuse to Visit a Feeder
Let’s find out the most common reasons why birds stay away from bird feeders.
Reason #1: Predators
Bird predators are everywhere, and they can easily be lurking in your backyard. So if you’re wondering why birds are not visiting your feeders anymore, then check your property for the existence of predators, such as cats and hawks.
Birds are scared of predators, and they tend to stay away from places where their lives are at risk. That’s why it’s a great idea to make your property safe for birds to visit.
Reason #2: Natural Food Source
During the summer, spring, and fall, natural food is plentiful, so birds not coming to feeder is expected. These beautiful flying creatures are always looking for food, but they usually prefer live insects, organic seeds, and plants.
Still, birds will still use your feeder as long as you offer them food. Just be patient; they’ll be back eventually.
Reason #3: Bird Feeder Food
Birds feed all day long, and they consume seeds, nuts, and other processed avian foods. Birds also hunt for natural food to feed themselves and their young.
However, if your bird feeder food is not attractive to the avian species, then they would certainly stop visiting your feeder.
The best thing you can do is avoid inexpensive and low quality bird food. Yes, birds have great taste in food. And you may want to fill your feeder with different kinds of food everyday.
Reason #4: Filler Seeds
If you’re wondering why there are no birds at my feeder, then the answer could be filler seeds. Seed manufacturers create fillers such as cracked corn and red milo, which are added to bird seeds to add volume and to save money.
And birds, especially native US avians, hate fillers, so they tend to stay clear from feeders with seed fillers.
Reason #5: Inconsistent Food Source
One of the major reasons why birds stop coming to feeders is the inconsistency of the food source. Keep in mind that providing the avian species with food requires commitment. You simply cannot just refill your feeder whenever you feel like it. The process must be done on a daily basis.
Take note that if birds find no food in your feeder, they will move on and may not come back. So be consistent in your bird feeding habit.
Reason #6: Scraps Of Human Food
Birds love to eat, but they are not too keen about human food. It’s a common mistake for birders to place human cooked scraps, meat, biscuits, and bread on their feeders. But birds don’t like them as much as humans do. In fact, the avian species favor fruits, jellies, mealworms, suets, nuts, and seeds.
If you keep on placing human food on your feeder, then you could attract predators instead. If this happens, then birds will surely stay away from your feeder.
Reason #7: Dirty Bird Feeder
In a new bird feeder no birds will come to eat if the feeder is not clean. Therefore, sanitize it regularly to prevent foul smells and bacteria buildup. Birds like good hygiene, too.
Read more: Guide to cleaning a bird feeder using vinegar.
Reason #8: Noisy Surrounding
If your bird feeder is placed in a noisy setting, then that is the reason why avians don’t eat in your property. Children are rowdy at times, so they can scare the birds away. And if your home emits loud noises from your sound system, then the birds will stay away too.
During bird feeding time at dawn and dusk, keep kids away from your feeder. But if the kids want to watch the avians eat, then ask them to be quiet. And keep other noises down as well.
Valuable Tips to Attract Birds to Your Bird Feeder
Birds stopped coming to feeder? Well, it’s a sad occurrence but the good news is there are things you can do to rectify the situation. Check out the best tips in luring birds to your feeder easily.
- Use dry seeds – Birds can get sick if they consume moldy seeds. And to get birds to come to your feeder, make sure that you serve dry and fresh seeds only. Also, spread a couple of seeds at the bottom of the feeder; birds will see them more easily.
- Create a safe setting – Keep your cats away from your yard, or secure your backyard from neighboring cats. Once you create a safe place for the birds to feed, they will come to your feeder.
- Feed at the right time – Birds love to eat at dawn and before darkness takes over. They usually eat less during mid-day, so keep your feeder full at the right time. It’s important to let the birds know you got their backs in terms of avian food.
- Add a water source – It’s not enough that you offer food for the birds. Place a source of water beside your bird feeder to attract more avian species. After all, birds need to stay hydrated at all times. And a nectar solution would be a nice touch as well.
- Use different feeder types – Birds not coming to new feeder could be because of the kind of feeder you’re using. No one type of bird feeder can attract all bird species.
- So it’s wise to purchase all kinds – the tube, hopper, and platform feeders. You can also go for specialty feeders like peanut, thistle, suet, and nectar feeders.
- Install a staging perch – Make it easier for birds to come to your feeder by installing a staging perch. This allows the avians to exercise caution as they look for predators before enjoying their food.
Conclusion
Now, you can stop wondering why aren’t birds coming to my feeder. By knowing the reasons above, you can remedy the situation and change the circumstances. Starting today, there would be more birds singing on your property.
If you find this post helpful and informative, kindly share this on your social media. And leave your thoughts in the comment section. We welcome new ideas, so feel free to comment.
George and I became friends after a birdwatching trip with our new group. And we have been enjoying every adventure together. When he told me the idea of establishing a site that shares our experiences and fun, I immediately agreed. After trials and errors, here we have Thayerbirding.
