Mother’s DayDon’t forget Mom!

Mother’s Day is Sunday, May 13

Birds of Summer The best of warm weather bird feeding in your backyard!

Feeding birds in the summer seems counterintuitive. The weather is warm, snow is months away, and birds have ready access to the insects, worms, and

grubs teeming just below the surface of your backyard. So why flll your feeders in the summertime? Supplementing natural food sources for birds has many benefits for the birds and for you. Filling feeders with seed will not cause birds to rely on you for a pri-mary food source. In fact, most birds receive less than a quarter of their diet from feeder offerings. But during the migratory season, birds will appreciate an extra helping of seed from your feeders, especially in the months when seed remains scarce. Attracting birds to your feeders helps your garden, too. Many birds eat garden pests such as aphids and mosquitoes, offering an alternative to spraying harsh chemicals on your lawn and plantings. Birds also help pollinate flowers, and some birds feed on the seeds of many annoying backyard weeds. The biggest bonus of feeding wild birds, of course, is the explosion of color and activity that fills your backyard. During the warmer season, many birds sport brighter breeding plumage, making them easier and more fun to identify. They’re also raising families nearby, and eventually you’ll find a new flock of not-so-tiny baby birds discovering and learning to feed from your bird feeders. Common summer birds such as nuthatches, chicka-dees, titmice and array of woodpeckers will still frequent your feeders, and as the summer progresses, you may also see hummingbirds, bluebirds, goldfinches and other finches. Of the more than 300 hummingbird species in the world, only about 8 species fly north into the United States and Canada. Hummingbirds, the tiniest of birds,

will be looking for nectar during the warmer months. With no sense of smell, they rely on bright colors to spot possible food sources. Planting flowers is a great way to lure them, and hanging a few hummingbird feeders filled with sweet nectar will encourage them to stay. Goldfinches are another easily spotted bird during the summer, and can be found in most every state. Of the three species, the American Goldfinch is the most com-mon, and one of the easiest to identify. Adult males are vivid yellow with black caps and black wings adorned with white markings. Lesser Goldfinches, adorned with more muted, softer hues, live in the western states, and the least common goldfinch, the Lawrence’s Goldfinch, resides in only two states. These little finches are acrobatic flyers, and will be more than happy to perch in flocks at your feeder full of Nyjer® seed.

Mealworms, fresh or dried, are a great way to attract the pretty bluebird. There are three bluebird species in the US. Eastern bluebirds are predominately found east of the Rocky Mountains, noted for their bright blue and coral coloring. The Western and Mountain Bluebirds, also sporting beautiful blue jackets, live west of the Rockies with the Mountain species inhabiting eleva-tions above 7,000 feet. Summer is a great time to discover the beauty and fascinating habits of all the birds in your area.Let us help you bring more color, song and fun back your backyard!

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Wild birds . . . [an] explosion of colorand activity that fills your backyard.

SummerBirds!The summer season brings the brilliant colors of

Goldfinches, Bluebirds and Hummingbirdsas they appear in their brightest plumage,

ready to dine at your feeders.

Look for the arrival of three of summer’s favorites!In this issue, find suggestions for the bird feeders

and food designed to attract them to your yard.

SUMMER 2018

Ruby and other little gems

Mother’s DayGifts she’ll treasure forever!

Make a date with Mom this Mother’s Day!Step outside and relax with Mom amid a show of color and song.

Gift Mom a bird feeder, seed, bird bath or new bird house.We offer a terrific variety of fun and unique Mother’s Day gifts

to transform her backyard intoa bright and beautiful wonderland.

The shimmer and shine of goldLooking for goldfinches?Hang a few feeders filled with Nyjer®.Nyjer is a tiny, oily seed that birds, goldfinches in particular, love to eat.This tiny seed is contained within a thin husk, so the small amount of debris you may notice under your feeder is not the birds throwing the Nyjer away, it’s the remains of that shell.For the best results and to gain more birds at your feeders, be sure you always have fresh Nyjer available as birds aren’t as attracted to seed once it’s been around for a while.

Best Nyjer feeders:Mesh, with perfectly sized holes allowing birds to easily remove seeds while able to land and cling from any angle.Nyjer Click’n Clean and Click’n Clean UpsideDown Feeders, designed to allow birds to select just the right amount of seeds without spilling extra onto the ground. Both feature an easy to remove click-off base that makes cleaning a breeze.

The upside-down version is made specifically for goldfinches as these little birds are happy to dine while hanging head-down! It’s a great sight to see if you’ve never watched them,

and is a clever way to invite goldfinches while excluding other diners.Offer Nyjer and you’ll find more than just goldfinches alighting on your feeders. Keep watch for house finches, purple finches, pine siskins, and you may also see nuthatches, downy woodpeckers, chickadees and other small-billed birds flying in to feast.

The Birds of Summer are here!

Beautiful bluesLove Bluebirds?Attract them with mealworms.Bluebirds eat a diet of insects, native fruits and berries, includ-ing mealworms. Live or dried, mealworms are readily devoured and make a perfect treat that can be served in a variety of bluebird feeders, like the Covered Mealworm Feeder, right.Easy to spot, bluebirds are small and colorful with brilliant blue feathers. Look for the Eastern, Western or Mountain bluebird species, depending on where you reside. The return of the bluebird, once on a decline due to lost natural habitat, can be credited to the addition of bluebird houses in yards across the country. Bluebirds love wide spaces so favorite backyards are those with expansive open areas and natural cover to use for shelter.The female bluebird nests in spring and summer and prefers natural or man-made cavities. Our Bluebird Winged Nest Box and Traditional Cedar Bluebird Nest Box are sized specifi-cally for bluebirds, and feature side ‘wings’ that open for safe observation of nestlings (and make seasonal cleaning easy).

Our Convertible Bluebird Box serves double duty as a roosting box in winter and nesting box in summer. Mount houses 6’ off the ground in an open area facing away from the wind.Use a pole baffle to discourage predators!

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Hummingbirds: fastest wings in the west (north, south & east, too!)Small and colorful, hummingbirds get their name from the humming sound their wings make when they flap them, from 720 to 5400 times per minute, depending on the species. They’re tiny and fast, some reaching flight speeds up to 33 miles per hour - and are the only bird that can fly backwards and upside down!With their thin bill and very long tongue, these little guys are designed to dine from tubular flowers and hummingbird feeders, eating up to half their body weight every day and stopping to feed from five to eight times an hour. With no sense of smell, they rely on bright colors - they love red - to signal the possibility of food.Fill one or several vividly colored feeders with fresh hummer nectar (changing it often) spaced somewhat apart as they’re territorial and will defend their feeder from other hummers.Keep the feeder clean with a feeder brush specifically designed for the ports.

Summer brings three favorite birds up front and center!Summer can be one of the most enjoyable seasons to watch bird feeders.

Keep an eye out for three favorite birds that have arrived to‘bloom’ into their brightest plumage:

Goldfinches, Bluebirds and Hummingbirds.

WBC Hummer Sugar is an easy-to-use, pure nectar mix specifically designedfor use in feeders toattract hummingbirds.No refrigeration needed. Gluten-free.

Depending on your area, you’ll find one or more of eight hummingbird species found in the US (out of over 300 species worldwide):Costa’s, Ruby throated ( most common of the eastern states), Anna’s (only one to winter in the US), Allen’s, Black-chinned,Broad-billed, Broad-tailed, Calliope and Rufous.

Wild Bird News®

ISSN pendingCorporate Editionis a publication ofthe Wild Bird Centers of America, Inc.®

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