How You Can Support Birds Right Now

Each spring, there is a swell of bird activity as many migrate into the region. After spending the winter abroad, birds flock back to Ontario for the warmer spring and summer months. After such a long journey, they arrive in need of resource: food to eat, places to nest, and nesting material. As they migrate back or through the area, they are also at high risk of flying into windows and becoming injured or dying. 

Below you'll find a full breakdown of what you can do to support returning (and year round) birds, right now. 

Baltimore Oriole and Rose Breasted Grosbeak enjoying mealworms. Photo by Kristen Martyn. 

1. Do What You Can to Limit/ Prevent Window Collisions

Make sure your feeders are at the appropriate distance from windows. Many birds will be stopping on their way through. It is best if feeders are 3 or 25 feet from a window. Essentially, if a feeder is very close to a window (3 feet or less) a bird leaving it cannot gain enough speed to hit a window hard enough to cause damage or injury. This is why our Window Feeders are a great option for observing birds closely, as they are unable to fly away from the feeder and into the window. Otherwise, make sure your feeders are about 25 feet away from windows, especially problematic windows that have a lot of reflection. 

Use Window Decals to help birds perceive windows. Window decals break up the reflections that confuse birds and make windows much safer for them. The less space between decals, the better. We carry WindowAlert and Feather Friendly  decals which are great for homes. They have a UV coating and birds see in UV so this helps them become aware of the window. The decals appear like clear stickers to us. 

Feather Friendly decals applied to a window. Photo by Kristen Martyn. 

Keep your blinds down or partially closed. Although this is not a completely sound solution, it does tend to cut down on reflection and help in reducing collisions. 

2. Garden for Wildlife 

Habitat loss greatly affects bird populations. By planting native species in our yards, we can contribute to replacing what's been lost, while providing opportunities for food and shelter to a wide range of species. 

Read our former blog Gardening for Wildlife: 10 Native Plants You Need in Your Yard this Spring, for some inspo before you head to the garden. 

Monarch Butterfly on Butterfly Milkweed. Photo by Kristen Martyn. 

3. Provide a Nesting Box and/or Nesting Material 

You can support nesting efforts by providing nesting material and/or nesting boxes on your property. Natural nesting materials such as twigs, leaves, grasses, plant down like cattail or milkweed fluff, pine needles, strips of bark, moss, and feathers all work. These are the most commonly used materials by our native bird species. You can also help provide natural "fluff" by growing catkin-bearing native plants in your yard such as maples, poplars, and willows. 

Store-bought nesting material designed specifically for wild birds such as Wild Birds Unlimited Nest Building Material, or Hummer Helper Nesting Material are also great options. Both of these options are composed of all natural fibres that have not been treated with pesticides or other harmful chemicals.

Read more about Nesting Material Do's and Don'ts. 

You can offer nesting boxes for a wide range of species including everything from chickadees, to nuthatches, bluebirds, swallows and more. Check out our full range of nesting boxes here. 

Baltimore Oriole grabbing nesting material from a Hummingbird Helper Cage and Nesting Material. Photo by Kristen Martyn. 

4. Provide High Protein Foods

As you can imagine, creating nests, laying eggs, feeding nestlings, all takes a lot of energy. During nesting season you may spot birds looking a little worse for wear. Being a new parent isn't easy! You can help them out by supplying protein rich, high energy food sources such as Bugs and Bits, a nutrient dense blend of mealworms and Bark Butter bits, or our Nesting Superblend, with essential protein and calcium. 

Chickadee bringing mealworms to its young. Photo by Leanne Leblanc. 

By supporting birds, we are consistently rewarded with their presence. There is little more joyful than watching nesting families, new life, and migrant bird activity right from the comfort of home. 

Happy nesting season to all! 

Warmly, 

Heather