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How to choose the best bird feeders for winter

If you haven't done it already, in mid Michigan it is safe to take down all your hummingbird and oriole feeders in November. Clean them first before you store them away. I soak the feeders for about 5 minutes in a Scoot, active enzyme cleaner. You can also use a one part vinegar to nine parts water solution to clean all of your feeders. Rinse your feeders thoroughly and put them in a special place you'll remember next spring.

Tips on how to choose the best feeders for winter:
  1. Any feeder you choose should be easy to fill and easy to clean.
  2. Look for quality. Most Wild Birds Unlimited feeders come with a Lifetime Warranty.
  3. Determine what birds you want to attract. There are certain feeders that are made for specific birds (i.e. finch feeder).
  4. Decide where you are going to put the feeder. Is it going to hang in a tree, on an Advanced Pole System, on a window, or off a deck? The best place to put a feeder is where you can view it easily.
  5. Look for a feeder you don't have to fill every day. Large capacity feeders like the Quick Clean Big Tube, Squirrel Buster Plus, and the Ranchette Retreat Hopper will all stay filled for at least a week. And our most popular winter feeders are the ones that hold our seed cylinders. I used to call it the lazy man feeder until someone took offence. For people that aren't able to get out to fill feeders often during our harsh Michigan winters this feeder is ideal. Depending on bird activity in your yard, a 2lb cylinder can last weeks and a 4.5lb cylinder can last up to a couple months. That's almost the whole winter and it attracts the best birds!
Tips on how to winterize feeders I already have:
  1. Weather Guards are designed to keep snow and rain from spoiling your seed in the tube. It's a clear plastic dome that slips on top of most tube feeders. It will not deter birds from feeding, in fact, many enjoy feeding under the shelter and out of the wet weather. It has a lifetime guarantee and is made in the USA.
  2. Trays not only catch seed falling from feeders but they also makes it more comfortable for ground feeding birds to eat at an elevated level where we can observe them. Attach a tidy tray to your seed tube or Catch-a-Seed trays with hopper bird feeders.
  3. Feeder Fresh can be added to the seed when you fill a feeder. It absorbs moisture and is safe for birds. Made from non-toxic absorbent sand, Feeder Fresh keeps the seed and feeder dry, preventing molds from forming, and thus reduces the chance of Aflatoxin and other mycotoxins.
Wild Birds Unlimited doesn’t just sell the best bird feeders and bird food. We also give you accurate information about our local birds. If you have specific questions, don't be afraid to ask. We are Your Backyard Bird feeding Specialist®, here to help bring you, and nature together.
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Product Highlight: Solid Seed Cylinders

The Seed Cylinder feeders are popular with people who have been bird feeding a long time and for beginners. It is one of the easiest feeders to maintain and attracts a wide variety of birds.

For people that aren't able to get out to fill feeders often during our harsh Michigan winters this feeder is ideal. Depending on bird activity in your yard, a 2lb cylinder can last up to a month and a 4.5lb cylinder can last a couple months.

Our popular Supreme Fare Solid Seed Cylinders are packed pecans, sunflower chips, peanuts, safflower, black oil sunflower and the Cranberry Fare also has cranberries - everything you need to get lots of birds to visit your backyard with very little mess. And it's convenient, too. We have several feeders that hold the cylinders, and create perching areas for birds like the Northern Cardinal.

If you don't have a baffled Wild Birds Unlimited Advanced Pole System and worry about the squirrels, the Safflower cylinder will keep most squirrels and blackbirds away. Seed cylinders are a fun new way to feed the birds that is both easy and affordable.

Related Articles:
- Exciting New Bird Food at Wild Birds Unlimited Stores http://goo.gl/LpVQne
- Why don't chickadees stay to eat at the feeder? http://bit.ly/AkKThH
- What to feed birds in the winter http://bit.ly/rCdQqM
- Holiday gift ideas for nature lovers: http://bit.ly/v8L2va
- Feeding the birds will not make them dependent. http://goo.gl/dqYQu
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Best food for birds in the winter

Meeting Birds' Changing Winter Needs
Studies show the average bird forages for food about five hours per day to meet their energy requirements. In severe weather bird feeders can be important.

As the seasons change, consider the following tips to meet your wintering backyard birds’ nutritional needs as well as attract some migrating visitors.

Bad Food
The biggest no, no in feeding birds is offering seed blends with milo, oats, groats, or other filler seeds that birds won't eat. They are going to need a lot of energy to survive our cold winter and when they stop at your feeder it should be filled with food that will help sustain them through the night.

Wild Birds Unlimited (WBU) sells the best and freshest seed year round formulated especially for the local mid-Michigan birds. It does not include cheap filler grains that decrease the price per pound of a blend of seeds but is left by our birds to grow weeds or rot on the ground. WBU blends actually end up costing less because there is no wasted seed and it attracts more of the birds that you want to watch.

Good Food
When it comes to wild bird food, there are lots of choices. For birds in Michigan studies indicate that Black-Oil Sunflower, Fine and Medium Sunflower Chips, Peanuts, White Proso Millet, Safflower, and Nyjer® Thistle are among the most preferred seed types.

Tidy Food
For the East Lansing Wild Birds Unlimited store, customers’ preference by far is WBU No-Mess Blend. Our unique No-Mess Blend features seeds that have had their shells removed so only the meat of the seed is left. No hulls on the seeds make for a tidier feeding area, since there's no debris on the ground to clean up. Pound for pound, our No-Mess Blend offers the best value because you do not pay for the shells. The birds eat everything happily.
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Long lasting
Seed Cylinders are also a high-fat, quick-energy food source that is specially-designed to meet your birds' hearty appetites. The Wild Birds Unlimited popular no muss, no fuss Spiral Seed Cylinder Feeder holds cylinders of tightly packed seed held together with gelatin so there is no seed spray. The whole block is completely edible. And depending on bird activity in your yard, a 2lb cylinder packed with energy rich pecans, peanuts and sunflower seeds can last weeks and a 4.5lb cylinder can last months.

Bug eating birds like Suet
If you have never fed Suet, you have missed some great neighbors. Lots of migrating warblers will stop at suet feeder as well as common year-round birds like woodpeckers, chickadees, nuthatches and starlings. By adding Suet to your wild bird's menu, you will also attract wrens, jays, titmice, and the ever popular bluebird.

Best Suet
Not all suets are created equal. The first ingredient should always be rendered beef suet. Some people feed straight suet only. If you want to offer more protein the next ingredient should usually be peanuts or tree nuts. Never, never buy suet where milo, oats, wheat, processed grain by-products or artificial flavorings are in the ingredients. These filler ingredients are used to make a cheaper cake but the birds have to pick around and pick out all this filler to reach a little suet.

The Wild Birds Unlimited- East Lansing store's best seller is the peanut butter suet cake, which has only three ingredients: rendered beef fat, chopped peanuts and peanut butter. Again, no milo, no wheat, no corn, and no millet - no filler ingredients!

Why can’t birds drink snow for their water?
Birds can use snow and ice as a source of water but it expends precious caloric energy to convert it to water. If there is an available source of open water, birds can conserve their energy for heat and survival during cold winters. Besides helping birds digest food properly, water helps birds keep their feathers clean and in top condition for effective insulation.

You can use a heated bird bath or add a heater to your existing plastic, metal or stone bird bath to make some water available even on the coldest day and attract birds that may not visit feeders very often. Heated birdbaths do not create warm water, but just keep it from completely freezing.
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Exciting New Bird Food at Wild Birds Unlimited Stores

Right now we are seeing an increase in activity at the feeders. Some birds from Canada and the U.P. are making mid-Michigan their winter resting place. Some Dark-eyed Juncos, Red-Breasted Nuthatches, Pine Siskins, Redpolls, Crossbills, and Snow Buntings are just a few birds seen here only during the winter. The White-throated and White-crowned Sparrows are common migrants in mid-Michigan from mid-September to mid-November.

A few other feeder birds that you will see all year as well as during the winter are the Mourning Dove, Downy Woodpecker, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Blue Jay, American Crow, Black-capped Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, White-breasted Nuthatch, European Starling, Northern Cardinal, American Goldfinch, and of course the House Sparrow to name a few.

And the Wild Birds Unlimited store in East Lansing, Michigan have lots of food and feeders to attract all these birds up close. One of our most popular feeders is the seed cylinder feeder.

The Seed Cylinder feeders are popular with people who have been bird feeding a long time and for beginners. It is one of the easiest feeders to maintain and attracts a wide variety of birds.

For people that aren't able to get out to fill feeders often during our harsh Michigan winters this feeder is ideal. Depending on bird activity in your yard, a 2lb cylinder can last weeks and a 4.5lb cylinder can last months.

Oh the weather outside is frightful, But this feeder is so delightful!
Now we’ve developed a new adorable seed cylinder shape for winter. Our regular Bird Food Cylinders offer a convenient alternative way to feed the birds. And Buttons the Snowman, a whimsical seed cylinder is a fantastic way to introduce friends and family to the hobby of bird feeding.

Available for a limited time only, our Snowman Seed Cylinder is a seasonal mix of safflower, sunflower chips, peanuts, cherries, blueberries and papaya to attract a variety of birds. Simply slide the Snowman Seed Cylinder onto our WBU Seed Cylinder Feeders or WBU Dinner Bell™ feeder and enjoy the feathered holiday visitors.
The Snowman Seed Cylinder is the perfect holiday addition to any yard and 
a great gift idea for the nature lovers on your list.

Dimensions: 7½" x 3" diameter
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Why do Birds Scatter Seeds from Feeders?

I've have a flicker that flicks seeds all over and the jays are no better. What are they looking for? ~ Indianapolis, Indiana

Birds look for the very best seeds. First, fresh and heavy seeds full of oil are chosen over the dried up older seeds. Blue Jays and other birds will shuffle through the seeds until they find what they are looking for. They'll pick a seed up in their bill to test the weight. If it's not heavy enough they'll pick up another to compare the weight of of the seeds. It's not worth their while to eat or cache seeds that are dried out or bad.

Second, certain seeds are preferred over others. Nuts and sunflower seeds are chosen most often by backyard birds for their high calorie/ounce ratio due to its high fat and protein content. Cheap filler grains like oats, wheat and milo decrease the price per pound of a grocery store birdseed mix but aren't eaten by the birds in the east and will be tossed aside.

At Wild Birds Unlimited you will get the very freshest seed, blended regionally for your backyard birds, with no filler grains. This should limit the scattering problem. And we also have feeders that also deter seed flicking. The Hopper and Fly-thru feeders are the easiest for the birds to flick seeds from. The tube feeders are the hardest for them to toss seed around. I have the Squirrel Buster Plus. It keeps the squirrels off and limits seed scatter. Wild Birds Unlimited also has the Quick Clean Big Tube with feeding ports that have a special non-scatter bar.

We also have the Wild Birds Unlimited Dinner Bell™ with a Seed Cylinder. This is our most popular no muss, no fuss feeder. It also has a lifetime guarantee like like the Squirrel Buster Plus and the Quick Clean Big Tube. And depending on bird activity in your yard, a 2lb cylinder can last up to a month and a 4.5lb cylinder can last up to 3 months. The seed is held together with gelatin and there is no seed spray from these cylinders. The whole block is completely edible.

But sometimes it's fun to watch the birds pick through the seeds like kids opening their presents on Christmas morning. And I have a lot of Dark-eyed Juncos and Mourning Doves that will "Hoover" the ground for me.

Related Articles:
Innovative Birdfeeder Design: Quick Clean Big Tube
The Best Squirrel-proof Feeder
The Great Seed Cylinder Feeder
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What Should Be My Next Feeder?

Dear Sarah, I don't know if you remember me. I brought my mom in to see you at the East Lansing store last May. I bought her a squirrel baffle, a bird feeding pole with two hooks and one of those forever square mesh finch feeders. And my aunt also bought a set of snapping poles to take back to Ireland. We are all very pleased with our purchases.

I want your recommendation for another feeder. My mom’s old feeder, not one of yours, is falling apart. I want to get her a good feeder.
Sue~ Haslett, MI

Wow, I work in a store full of the best bird feeders available. In an earlier blog I talked about my top picks.  Before you go shopping think about which birds you want to attract, where the feeder is going to be placed, and if squirrels will be a problem.
Thanks, Sarah

Dear Sarah, Thank you for responding so quickly! I know what I don’t want. My mom’s last feeder was a cheapy and was always clogging and a great big mess. I come over to fill the feeders once a week and read your wonderful blog to Mom. She just had foot surgery and we need something easy to fill and mess free. It’s going on the pole you sold us so there are no squirrel problems. Besides the goldfinches, the chickadees and titmice are two of my favorite birds. My mom likes the Cardinals.
Thank you, Sue

Those are some of my favorite birds too. And let me tell you our most popular no muss, no fuss feeder is the Wild Birds Unlimited Dinner Bell™ with a Seed Cylinder. This feeder also has a lifetime guarantee like your mesh finch feeder. Depending on bird activity in your yard, a 2lb cylinder can last up to a month and a 4.5lb cylinder can last up to 3 months.

I just started using this feeder a couple years ago and you wouldn’t believe the number and variety of birds I’ve attracted. I don’t even believe it! I’ve never said “oh, new bird” so many times since I hung the WBU Dinner Bell™ with a seed cylinder. Our popular Cranberry Fare Solid Seed Cylinders are packed pecans, sunflower chips, peanuts, safflower, black oil sunflower and cranberries - everything you need to get lots of birds to visit your backyard with very little mess.

Cardinals, chickadees, titmice, woodpeckers, jays, warblers, and more flock to the feeder. The WBU Dinner Bell™ feeder has a simple design that can provide a tidy dining experience. The feeder’s built-in dome provides protection from the weather, and the built-in tray prevents food from falling to the ground and it’s a snap to clean.

My recommendation is to hang a WBU Dinner Bell™ with a Cranberry or Supreme Fare Cylinder from your hook. I hope that helps, Sarah

Dear Sarah, That sounds wonderful. This was exactly what I was looking for & I didn't even know it. Thank you for your advice! I will come in to shop as soon as possible.
Sue



Related articles
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How do I winterize my bird feeding station? Part 2

Okay, now that you know what to feed your birds in mid-Michigan during the winter, what about your feeders. What do I put up and what do I take down?

If you haven't done it already, it's safe to take down all your hummingbird and oriole feeders. Clean them first before you store them away. I soak the feeders for about 5 minutes in a Scoot, active enzyme cleaner. You can also use a one part vinegar to nine parts water solution to clean all of your feeders. Rinse your feeders thoroughly and put them in a special place you'll remember next spring.

Tips on how to choose the best feeders for winter:
  1. Any feeder you choose should be easy to fill and easy to clean.
  2. Look for quality. Most Wild Birds Unlimited feeders come with a Lifetime Warranty.
  3. Determine what birds you want to attract. There are certain feeders that are made for specific birds (i.e. finch feeder).
  4. Decide where you are going to put the feeder. Is it going to hang in a tree, on an Advanced Pole System, on a window, or off a deck? The best place to put a feeder is where you can view it easily.
  5. Look for a feeder you don't have to fill every day. Large capacity feeders like the Quick Clean Big Tube, Squirrel Buster Plus, and the Ranchette Retreat Hopper will all stay filled for at least a week. And our most popular winter feeders are the ones that hold our seed cylinders. I used to call it the lazy man feeder until someone took offence. For people that aren't able to get out to fill feeders often during our harsh Michigan winters this feeder is ideal. Depending on bird activity in your yard, a 2lb cylinder can last up to a month and a 4.5lb cylinder can last up to 3 months. That's almost the whole winter and it attracts the best birds!

Tips on how to winterize feeders I already have:

  1. Weather Guards are designed to keep snow and rain from spoiling your seed in the tube. It's a clear plastic dome that slips on top of most tube feeders. It will not deter birds from feeding, in fact, many enjoy feeding under the shelter and out of the wet weather. It has a lifetime guarantee and is made in the USA.
  2. Trays not only catch seed falling from feeders but they also makes it more comfortable for ground feeding birds to eat at an elevated level where we can observe them. Attach a tidy tray to your seed tube or Catch-a-Seed trays with hopper bird feeders.
  3. Feeder Fresh can be added to the seed when you fill a feeder. It absorbs moisture and is safe for birds. Made from non-toxic absorbent sand, Feeder Fresh keeps the seed and feeder dry, preventing molds from forming, and thus reduces the chance of Aflatoxin and other mycotoxins.
Wild Birds Unlimited doesn’t just sell the best bird feeders and bird food. We also give you accurate information about our local birds. If you have specific questions, don't be afraid to ask. We are Your Backyard Bird feeding Specialist®, here to help bring you, and nature together.
Category ›
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