Birds are amazing! Their beauty, grace, and song bring us joy and amusement as well as peace and tranquility to our busy lives. Just because you live in a city and may not have a large backyard with acres of land doesn’t mean you can’t also enjoy close-up viewing of your favorite and colorful songbirds.
With all the uncertainty in our world, birds bring us closer to the awe-inspiring power of nature and its gift of life on earth. Many species have adapted to live in or near urban environments. Fortunately, with the advent of Window Bird Feeders like ClearView Deluxe, you can provide a safe and enjoyable feeding environment for your bird friends even on a small balcony or deck.
Here are 5 tips to attract birds to brighten your windows daily!
1. Purchase a modern Window Feeder with strong suction cups.
Having the right feeder is key to attracting birds to an apartment balcony or smaller backyard while also providing them with a safe feeding environment. Our favorite window bird feeder is the ClearView Deluxe Window Bird Feeder. It gives you a 100% Clear View of your visiting birds and has 4 premium Performance Ring® suction cups that are off set to provide the strongest hold possible! Make sure to clean your window with Windex or other window cleaner before placing the suction cups for the strongest hold!
A great tip is to wipe your finger beneath your eyes and apply the face oil to the suction cup. It works!
2. Provide a clean water source.
Birds need water too and a reliable clean water source will keep birds coming back! Their alternatives may not be safe or sanitary. ClearView Deluxe provides a unique solution to separate feed from water through an innovative interlocking design to keep your water cleaner longer!
3. Choosing the right seed.
If your feeder is in a high-traffic area or you just want a cleaner feeding environment, you may want to consider Waste Free seed that provides huskless seed hearts for seed-loving birds. It can be a little more expensive but may be worth the extra expense to reduce the mess from discarded seed husks.
If you are worried about squirrels, you can buy Hot Pepper seed or Safflower seed (Cardinals love it). Birds are just fine with the spicy seed, but squirrels don’t like it!
To attract insect-loving birds like colorful Bluebirds, vocal Wrens, and energetic Warblers you may want to consider also providing live or dried mealworms. Live mealworms are more expensive and messier to handle but are a great way to attract new bird species to your feeder. Once attracted, you can transition to dried mealworms and provide live ones periodically as an optional treat. But remember, don’t use pesticides nearby! If birds find and eat live or dead insects that have been sprayed they will likely die as a result.
4. Chum the area to attract your first birds.
When you initially set up your feeder, you can attract birds more quickly by “Chumming” your area by placing small clumps of feed in nearby locations (like on a deck or balcony post), to make it easier for birds to find your feeder. You can also put seed and mealworms side by side in different compartments to attract a wider variety of birds.
5. Keep a safe feeding environment and routinely clean your feeder.
Remember to clean your feeder every other week or at least monthly by disinfecting with a 9-1 diluted bleach solution or sanitizing in your dishwasher (by itself on the top rack), to provide the safest feeding environment possible. I recommend ClearView Deluxe as it is Dishwasher-safe and can be sanitized every two weeks or so.
If you have large clear windows, I strongly recommend placing some anti-strike window decals or alternatives nearby to prevent bird strikes.
Please commit to being a steward of nature by regularly cleaning and sanitizing your feeder to reduce the potential for bird-borne diseases and offer a clean water source for your feathered friends. You will love to see the birds come close up to your windows and know you are providing them with the safest feeding environment available with ClearView Deluxe.
Songbirds bring a special energy and optimism to brighten your days!
Thanks for joining the cause for bird health!