Secrets of Backyard Bird-Feeding Success: Hundreds of Surefire Tips for Attracting and Feeding Your Favorite Birds

by Deborah L. Martin, Arlene Koch

Seeds work like magic to bring colorful birds into close view, but when special treats like homemadebird doughs and fresh fruit are offered, remarkable visitors like waxwings, orioles, and thrashers stopby for a treat. Add in seed-rich ornamental grasses and fruiting shrubs, and birds will find the sceneirresistable.Touting the latest research on what and when birds eat, "Secrets of Backyard Bird-Feeding Success"explains how nutritious food at key times of the year (during egg laying, migration, and harsh weather)can mean survival--or not--for feathered friends. From seeds and suet to plants and feeding stations,readers will learn easy, practical, and low-cost ways to entice birds into stopping by regularly, along with tips on specific types of bird-friendly fare, such as nuts, nectar, berries, and even bugs! A gallery of the 50 most popular backyard feeder birds lists their preferred foods and feeder styles plus behavior and migration details so readers can anticipate and prepare for a specific bird's arrival.Feeding backyard birds is a win-win situation for both bird and birder--the birds get a reliable sourceof food and bird lovers get lively song, color, and motion in their welcoming backyards.

Genres: Nature

303 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2011

Reviews

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely everything you ever wanted to know about attracting wild birds to your backyard can be found in this comprehensive book on bird feeding. There are chapters on many of the food types birds prefer from seeds to suet, fruit, nectar and bugs. There is even a section on home cooking with recipes for making your own bird treats and suet cakes, a chapter on various types of feeders, how to care for them and instructions on how to create your own inexpensive feeders.

A chapter that I was interested in was what kinds of plants and shrubs I should put in my garden to provide natural food for birds. I also wanted to know how to get rid of squirrels, but the advice was the same as what I already tried. They are impossible to get rid of and I end up feeding them in another part of the yard in an effort to keep them from disturb the birds.

Scattered throughout the book are lots of gorgeous photos and sidebars with tips and helpful tidbits of information. Such as, Myth or Truth: Does throwing rice at a wedding harm birds? Short answer, no it doesn’t. Some of the sidebars are in the form of charts, which I find easy to read, plus there are a series of informative quotes and other notes in highlighted boxes scattered among the text. This volume is much more visually pleasing than the previous edition of this book published a few years earlier.

The last chapter, which comprises the second half of the book, is a reference section including photos and profiles of about 100 of the most common feeder birds with information on what type of foods they eat, what part of the continent they can be found on and during what seasons of the year.

There is so much more in this book, I’m barely putting a dent in describing it. It is a great resource for anyone who wants to start a backyard feeding station, improve the one they have, or just make their yard more attractive to wild birds.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review of an advance copy:
Rodale books are always fabulous, and this is no exception. This comprehensive title includes chapters on seeds, suet, nectar, fruit & berries, "creepy-crawly treats," kitchen castoffs, and garden plants as well as a chapter on different feeding stations. The chapters are followed by a more than 100 page bird-by-bird guide, with recommended plants, food, and feeders to attract each bird. The chapters are filled with gorgeous full-color photographs, excellent tips and suggestions, and a number of recipes. This book is highly recommended for both amateur and expert bird-feeding enthusiasts.

[JoAnna Studer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the pictures and advice in this easy-to-read guide. Thanks for writing a through book for us! We saw my favorite, Black-capped Chickadees within hours of putting out a better seed mix as described in the book. We have also seen many Cardinals, the state bird of our beloved OHIO! Read this if you want your seedmix to bring all the birds to your yard!

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book denoting common backyard birds, what they like to eat including flowers, trees and shrubs that attract them and their general habits.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This very helpful book is loaded with hints, tips and information on how to attract and feed the wild birds in your neighborhood. There is so much advice regarding what to serve your birds and during what season. There is information on which types of shrubs, flowers, trees and plants will attract your feathered friends. Also information on what types of seeds, seed mixes, fruits, bugs, homemade suet recipes, are best for your birds. An all-around terrific book for bird enthusiasts!