How To Save Money On Wild Birdseed

When it comes to luring in wild birds into your yard, buying different types of seeds can get expensive. And, if money is tight, sometimes feeding your wild feathered friends can fall to the back burner. So, how do you save money on wild birdseed instead of trying to buy the expensive stuff all year round? Here are some helpful tips and suggestions that you can try:

1. Buy Bulk: A lot of time mixes and seeds can be bought in different size bags and the larger bags have a better price per pound. Buying bigger bags can also mean that you have more seed on hand and you won't have to buy as frequently.

2. Grow A Birdseed Garden: Believe it or not, but birdseed is very easy to grow and the natural seed will attract even more birds than filled feeders. How do you do this? We have a special two-part blog that shows you exactly what to plant to draw in wild birds and keep them coming back. Saving some of these seeds when they fall off can also help you save up some free seed for the winter or times when you can't affort to purchase a bag.

3. Buy Better Seed: Higher quality seed such as hulled sunflower chips might be more expensive, but they will also not be overfilled with filler seeds that only a few birds will eat. Instead, they are filled with higher quality seed that all birds love and you won't waste as much seed.

4. Offer Alternatives: A lot of birds will eat more than just birdseed.

Consider adding in nectar, chopped fruit, bread scraps, or other types of food to your feeders in addition to or in replacement of seeds.

5. Shop Around: Watch for sales on bird seed at some local feed stores and when the "birdwatching" season (Spring and Fall) are over. Sometimes you can find great deals on stores that are trying to clear out their shelves for new items.

6. Use Efficient Feeders: Watch your bird feeders and how much seed is being emptied. You might be surprised to find out that you're feeding more than just birds - such as squirrels, deer, raccoons, and so on. You can purchase feeders with built in cages or smaller feeding ports so that it will deter some of the non-feathered feeders.

Hopefully these tips will help you to save money on bird seed so that you can still enjoy your wild bird friends throughout the year - even if money is tight.

How To Attract Breeding Birds In The Fall - Pt 2

Now that you know what foods to offer the birds when you set out feed, what are some other ways that you can attract birds to your yard in the fall and winter? Easy, offer them a water source. Fresh, unfrozed water is sometimes harder to come by than food for birds during the winter months. So, if you can offer them water, they will always remember that they can go there.

For those that live in areas that get a lot of snow or freezing temps, it's a good idea to find a heated bird bath that will keep the water from freezing up. There are some that look like large rocks that sit on the ground with a heater built in the bottom. Others look like normal bird baths with a heater in the bottom of the bowl and a plug in at the base that will hide it from the weather. There are also heating elements that you can buy that will soak in the bird bath itself and turn on when the water starts to freeze.

Always keep in mind that offering water to your birds that will not freeze over throughout the winter will mean more to them than anything else.

So how about feeders? I mean, we haven't talked about that yet right? A specific feeder design isn't really as vital to getting birds to your yard as you might think. You can spend as much, or as little, as you want on feeders. As long as they offer the food in a way that birds can get it, they will work. Here are some of the different ways that you can offer food that will appeal to different kinds of birds:

1. Spread the feed on the ground: Some sparrows and other birds enjoy eating on or near the ground. So, you will find that throwing out a handfull or two will bring in those birds that love to feed off the ground.

2. Hanging feeders: When you purchase hanging feeders, you want to make sure that they are placed somewhere that water will not build up in the bottom and rot the food. There are plenty of different types of hanging feeders that will really be beneficial to the birds and will bring you in different types of birds. If you are trying to attract specific birds, such as finches, make sure that you purchase the feeders that are designed for them.

3. Homemade feeders: Believe it or not, but birds don't look for designer labels. Some of the very best feeders can be made right at home. In fact, one excellent design is to hollow out a coconut leaving a round hole in two sides (about an inch in diameter or so), wrap it with small wire, and suspend it from a tree. Smaller birds especially will love this one and it's a fun project to make with kids. You can also sink a post in the ground, put a platform on the top with molding around the edges to keep the seeds on with a small area at each end for water to run off, and you have another cheap, homemade bird feeder.

Remember that it doesn't matter what types of bird feeders you have in your yard - as long as you keep them filled and keep a fresh, unfrozen water source, you'll attract breeding birds all year long. Make sure that you read the first part of this blog to ensure that you are planting the right things in your yard to attract more wild birds.

How To Attract Breeding Birds In The Fall - Pt 1.

When it comes to attracting breeding pairs into your backyard, Spring is usually the time. But what if you want to attract those that will breed in the fall and stay throughout the winter while their babies hatch and grow? Can it be done? Of course it can, if you simply know what to do.

Many people don't start feeding birds until severe or cold weather breaks out, and they are missing out on some prime time to lure new birds to their yards. Fall is the real season to begin feeding birds, even if there are natural foods that are abundant around your yard, or around the area. And, since some of these natural foods are readily available, you may not see a massive influx of birds into your yard just yet. Instead they are out gathering up those natural goodies that they love.

The birds that will visit your feeders however are mainly scouting out food sources that will be available when the natural foods they love dry up for the winter. For example, the red-bellied woodpecker and the tufted titmouse will always scout out feeders, food sources, and safe places to nest during the winter months well in advance of the bad weather setting in.

Keep this in mind: cold will increase the calorie requirements that

birds have and it will happen right at the time that normal food becomes harder to get. The insects stop flying and wiggling around, tree buds are suddenly iced over, wild fruits are no longer growing, and so on. So, birds have to be ready for the weather, which is why they take plenty of time to figure out where the food supply will be when they will really need it. They note where food will be available, they locate alternatives when it comes to natural food sources, and they take inventory of contingent provisions.

It's always a good thing to have your yard included in their inventories of where food will be. If birds discover that your yard is worth visiting, they will remember that. And, when they first snow storm hits that kills off their natural food sources, they'll be in your yard right away. Chirping, hungry, and calling to their friends that they found food.

To attract these birds to your yard, you want to make sure that you offer a variety of the following foods:

1. Black oil sunflowers

2. White millet

3. Niger

4. Safflower

5. Cracked corn

6. Broken nuts

7. Suet (in hanging baskets for woodpeckers)

8. Chopped up fruits (for birds of all types)

You can buy these seeds and feed at most major discount stores, and at specialty pet or animal stores. If you are interested in buying fruits for the birds, make sure that you read up on the particular fruits that are native to your area, such as apples, peaches, strawberries, and more. These are the fruits that will attract birds that will stay throughout the winter.

In the next part of this "how to" blog, we'll show you other tricks that you can use to ensure that birds are constantly visiting your yard throughout the winter months as well as breeding there.

Tips For Introducing New Foods To A Picky Bird

When it comes to your feathered friends, choosing a well balanced diet is key to keeping them healthy and happy for a long time to come. But, when you have a picky bird, it can be hard to figure out what to feed them and how to introduce new foods to them. When you are ready to give them new foods that you aren't sure if they will like or not, here are some excellent tips that can help you make an introduction easier:

Start young if you can - young birds are usually much more willing to try new foods than older birds who may be "set in their ways."

If a food is totally new to a bird, it may not even recognize it as food. Offer new food in a familiar dish with other foods you know your bird already likes, and he or she may try the new food. Even if your bird only gets a taste of the new food by accident they still might decide they like it.

Place a couple of treats such as sunflower seeds, raisins or cheerios in a dish of new food. Your bird will likely get a taste of the new food while extracting the treat (the key here is to only use a couple of the treats and make your bird dig through the new food to get to them).

Offering new foods first thing in the morning is helpful, since this is when many birds naturally forage for food. Offer new foods alone first thing in the morning, and then give them their usual food a couple of hours later.

Try different forms of new foods - some birds prefer raw vegetables to cooked, while others are the opposite. Some like cooked veggies warm, others prefer them cooled. Some birds might be more willing to taste a puree or even juice made from new vegetables.

A food that is ignored in a food dish might be eaten if offered in a clip on the side of the cage or in a play area. Try weaving greens through the bars of the cage, and using a clip for slices of vegetable or fruits.

Offer a chunk of corn on the cob, which many birds like to gnaw on.

Bright orange or yellow fruits and vegetables often attract attention Try a mix of brightly colored veggies, in bite sized pieces and mixed together (cooked or raw).

Give leafy greens freshly washed and still wet and hung from a clip. The droplets of water may attract your birds attention.

Offer foods after you have a bite - watching you eat the food may be all the temptation your parrot needs. Try making a fuss, acting like this is the best food you have ever had, and maybe even feed some to another family member to help convice your parrot that this is something he/she really wants to eat!

Most birds enjoy eating freshly sprouted seeds, which are an excellent source of nutrition and are often helpful in enticing birds to make the leap from seeds to greens.

Never starve a bird into trying a new food.

Keep in mind that your bird might take a few tries with a new food or treat before they even go near it. So, don't worry if they don't take to it right away. Also, make sure that you don't leave a new treat in their cage until it rots and can cause health problems for your new bird.

Bird Diets: Seeds Vs. Pellets

When it comes to finding the right bird feed for your pet bird, how do you know what's the right type of feed for them: seeds or pellets? Well, let's take a look at both sides so that you can see what might be the best for your bird.

Now, keep in mind that in the wild, birds have a very large variety of what they can eat and they will not get that as a caged bird. Also, you should know that with just seeds or pellets, a bird cannot get the balanced nutrition that it needs like it will get in the wild. Pellets do a better job of providing a more balanced diet than just seeds do. But, either way, a bird's diet should always be supplemented with tons of fruit, vegetables, and other goodies that will help to ensure that they are getting the vitamins, nutrients, and minerals that they require to be healthy.

Birds should be fed quality commercial pellets as a staple in their diets. They should also have a variety of fruits, veggies, and other greens on a daily basis as well. You can easily add in some seeds as a treat for them too, just make sure not to let them eat too many seeds - think of them more as "junk food" for your birds. If they are offered seeds on a daily basis instead of the healthy things that they need to eat, they will go for the seeds and that can lead to health problems in the long run for them.

When you take the time to make sure that they have a variety of different types of foods in their diet, your bird will be a much happier, healthier pet and will live a long time.

Top 10 Tasty & Nutritious Treats to Share With Your Bird

Looking for some good, healthy treats to give your pet birds at home? Many bird diets lack certain vitamins and minerals that birds need, which can lead to a host of serious health conditions. Feeding your bird a healthy diet does not have to be costly or time consuming. When you feel like your bird deserves a special treat, try serving up one of these cheap and easy options that are packed with taste as well as beneficial nutrients.

1. Fruit

Grapes, oranges, bananas, melons -- just about any kind of fruit imaginable is good for your bird. Full of taste and various vitamins, fruit is a wonderful source of nutrients and is a favorite among the vast majority of pet birds. As with any fresh food you offer your bird, remove and discard any leftovers a couple of hours after serving. This prevents bacteria growth inside of your pet's cage!

2. Beans

Beans, beans, the magical fruit... They're good for you and good for your bird, too! Beans are an outstanding source of protein for your feathered friend. Try boiling a 15 bean soup mix without any seasoning. Allow the beans to cool, and then offer a scoop to your bird. Chances are that this will become a fast favorite with your little friend. Remember to never serve raw beans to your pet, as some varieties can be poisonous unless cooked.

3. Sprouts

Do you like alfalfa sprouts on your salad? Your bird will like them too! Be sure to thoroughly wash any sprouts that you offer your bird. Some may have come into contact with pesticides in their journey from the garden to your local supermarket, and you don't want to pass these toxins on to your pet.

4. Vegetables

Wild birds feast on an amazing variety of vegetables in their natural habitats, so it only makes sense that fresh veggies are good for captive birds as well. Try offering your pet some thoroughly cleansed broccoli, cauliflower, or greens next time you serve these veggies in your home. Other avian favorites include carrots, asparagus, and peas.

5. Pasta

No matter whether it's cooked or uncooked, birds love pasta. The good thing is, it's full of energy enhancing carbohydrates! Try boiling some bowtie pasta with vegetables and serving it to your bird when cool. If your pet prefers his pasta crunchy, fill a few raw macaroni noodles with peanut butter for a fun and tasty snack.

6. Bread

Whole grain breads taste great, and are a wonderful source of fiber. Try offering your pet small bites of bread as a treat for good behavior. Your pet will think he's in hog heaven!

7. Popcorn

Believe it or not, many pet birds enjoy snacking on popcorn! You can serve your bird either popped or unpopped kernels. If you choose to serve the popcorn unpopped, boil the kernels for a bit in plain water to soften the tough hulls. If you desire, you can pop the kernels for your bird using a very light amount of pure vegetable oil. Be sure to never give your bird microwave popcorn. These varieties are extremely high in fat and salt, which can be harmful to your pet's health.

8. Cereal / Grains

Grain farmers often complain when flocks of wild birds descend on their crops to feast. A hungry group of birds can strip a field of grain in no time -- because grains are nutritious, and very good for them! Whole grains are another good source of vital protein, not to mention beneficial carbohydrates. Try serving your bird oats or shredded wheat, and watch the feeding frenzy begin!

9. Nuts

Nuts are extremely high in fat, and should be used sparingly to prevent obesity in your pet. They are, however, very tasty, and many birds appreciate them as special treats. Nuts can be used as exercise toys as well as treats, many birds will spend hours exercising their beak and jaw muscles on the shells of some varieties. Always make sure that any nuts that you serve your bird are clean and unsalted.

10. Peppers

Although many humans have trouble eating spicy peppers, birds can definitely take the heat. It seems that our avian friends lack the taste receptors that pick up on a pepper's stinging bite, which makes them a favorite of birds around the world. Try giving your pet a nice fresh chile or banana pepper and watch him chomp through it to get to the meat and seeds inside. You may find out that you have quite a hot little tamale on your hands!

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How To Boost Your Bird's Diet At Home

Sure, it's easy to go out and buy a bag or box of bird feed, throw it in the dish and be done. But, just like humans, birds need variety and some extra boosts to their diet to help keep them healthy and happy. Believe it or not, but there are plenty of "human" foods that are good for your birds. Here are some tips that will help you boost your bird's diet at home without doing a lot of extra work:

Boost Tip #1: Raw is better than cooked - When feeding fresh fruits and

vegetables to a bird, offer them raw. Cooking drains the food of precious nutrients that could benefit your feathered friend. Check with your vet, online, or with your local pet store to see what types of fresh fruits and veggies your particular breed of bird likes best.

Boost Tip #2: Skip the seasonings - Although a little crushed pepper usually doesn't hurt, salt some other seasonings can be extremely harmful to a pet bird. It's best to leave the flavor as nature intended it - your bird will love it!

Boost Tip #3: If cooking, cook wisely - If you do choose to feed your bird

a cooked dish, pasta, for example, make sure to prepare it in cookware that does not have a non-stick coating. Stainless steel is preferred, as it won't contaminate the food.

Boost Tip #4: Make sure the foods you offer aren't poisonous to birds - There are, in fact, some "people foods" that are toxic to pet birds, and should never be offered, not even as a treat. Be sure to know what these foods are so that you never serve them to your feathered friend.

Boost Tip #5: Introduce fresh foods slowly - Some pet birds, particularly those used to seed and pellet diets, may not be interested in fresh foods right away. When introducing new foods, be sure to offer your bird his regular diet as well, to prevent possible weight loss and illness.

Simply follow these boost tips and it won't be long before you are boosting your bird's diet, health, and happiness in a safe way that they will love.

Birds of Birdland: The Cockatoo

The Cockatoo is a larger bird that many people confuse with the Cockatiel. They are actually any of the 21 species that belong to the bird family Cacatuidae, and are a species of parrot as well. In the wild, they are found throughout Australia, the Philippines, some of the eastern Indonesian islands, New Guinea, and the Soloman Islands.

Cockatoos are easily recognizable by their crests and curved bills and are generally larger than most other parrots. Their size difference is the easiest way to tell them apart from the Cockatiel, who is the smallest of all the parrot species. Of course, the plumage of the Cockatoo is a bit less colorful than most parrots, being mainly white, black, or grey - but they have beautifully colored crests, and usually colored cheeks and tails as well. Cockatoos are very popular birds among bird lovers, although they do take a lot of care, which is why many newer bird owners choose the smaller Cockatiel.

Their main diet is made up of seeds, fruits, flowers, and insects and they are very social birds. They like to eat in flocks, especially on the ground. But, they only like to eat later in the day when the sun has gone up and warmed their nests. Then, they love to travel around in very noisy flocks looking for food. Since they love such a wide variety of different foods, you can start off with a normal diet of prepackaged Cockatoo food and then add fruits and vegetables as well as other treats. If you aren't sure what else they can have, talk with your local vet, check for special home recipes online, or talk with local breeders or pet stores.

When it comes to breeding them, Cockatoos are monogamous birds, meaning that one pair will bond for many years. Most Cockatoos will actually pair up for life before they have even reached sexual maturity, and will even delay breeding for about a year. The females will breed normally for the first time when they are anywhere from three to seven years old, and males will be a bit older when they are ready to breed. Cockatoo's sexual maturity is delayed so that they can develop the skills needed for raising and parenting their baby birds, and is much longer than other bird's sexual maturity.

One of the main reasons that Cockatoos are kept as pets, and popular ones at that, is due to the fact that they are very smart and have engaging personalities when it comes to humans. They can be problematic however, and love to eat drywall and other areas around homes that can cause them harm and harm your home. Making sure that they have plenty of toys that they can tear up and destroy and affection will keep this from happening. They are very affectionate birds and will become really attached to their owners as well as some other people, but the will also demand attention from you. While it is hard for them to mimic human sounds, it can be done with a lot of work from their owners. They love different sounds, such as cartoons, music, talk from their owners, the radio, and more, so it's always a good idea to leave some noise on to help them work on their ability to mimic noises.

If you are considering getting a Cockatoo, you do need to know that they live a very long time. Normally, a Cockatoo will live anywhere between 30 to 70 years, although it has been reported that some have lived over 100 years.

Where To Gain Experience In BirdLand

Everyone knows that leveling up in Birdland is the name of the game. But, if you don't really understand how to level or where to get the best experience points, it can be extremely hard to level at all. To help you understand where the best experience points come from, here are the different things that you can do in your cage and neighbor's cages to help you level:

In Your Cages

Here are the things that you can do in your cage to level up by gaining experience and coins:

Love Your Bird - You'll gain the following for each bird in your

cages that you click "I love my bird":

+3 coins

+4 experience

You can see in the screen shot that when you "love" your bird, they will have little hearts floating around him or her. Also, you'll see the coins and experience that you gain float up from the bottom of your screen. Make sure that you keep all your birds happy at least once a day to gain a good amount of both coins and experience.

Breeding - You'll gain the following when you breed your birds together,

plus you'll be able to get money by selling birds that you breed:

+3 experience when birds breed

+4 when baby birds hatch

Fill Feed Dish In Your Cage - You'll gain the following for each bird dish that you fill up in your cage:

-30 coins

+1 experience

Fill Water Dish In Your Cage - You'll gain the following for each water dish that you fill up in your cage:

-15 coins

+1 experience

Cleaning Your Cages - You'll gain the following each time you completely clean your cage up:

+1 experience

Gaining Coins From Your Treasure Box - You'll gain the following each day you log in and click your treasure box:

+60 coins

You can also play the great game that is in Birdland to gain experience and coins, as well as feathers, but I'll tell you all about that in my next post.

In Your Neighbor's Cages

Cleaning Your Friend's Cages - You'll gain the following each time you completely clean your neighbor's cage up:

+1 experience

Gaining Coins From Your Friend's Treasure Box - Just like your own treasure box, you will gain coins from your friend's treasure boxes each day as well. Here's what you'll gain from their treasure boxes:

+15 coins

+1 experience

Filling Friend's Food Dishes - When you visit your neighbor's cages

and feed their birds, here is what you'll get from filling their feed dishes. You'll gain this each time you fill a dish:

+1 experience

Fill Friend's Water Dishes - Just like their food dishes, when you visit your neighbor's cages, you'll also be able to fill their water dishes. Each time you fill a water dish in a neighbor's cage, you'll get the following:

+1 experience

Love Friend's Bird - Just like loving your own birds, you can love your neighbor's birds as well. You simply click the bird, then click "I love ____" When you do, you'll recieve the following for every bird you love:

+3 coins

+4 experience

As you can see, it is an excellent idea to visit your neighbor's cages daily. Even if they only have 10 birds, you can gain 40 experience points and 30 coins. So, those friends that have several cages with 20+ birds can easily rack up the experience and coins for you and help you level up even faster.

The BirdLand User Interface - Learning The Basics

When it comes to playing Bird Land, you'll have to make sure that you know how to use the interface to find the things you want, and keep your birds happy. So, here is your quick user interface guide that will help you through the game faster than you can say "bird feed"! Take a look at the screenshot below and you will see that we have numbered everything you'll need to know about the user interface:

1. This is where you can see what level you currently are, and how many experience points you have. It will also show you how many experience points you need for the next level so you will easily see what you're working toward.

2. These are your coins and feathers. You'll need these both to purchase things in Bird Land.

3. This is the meter that tells how your birds are. When you click on a bird in your cage, the meter will change and will show you if the bird is hungry or unhappy and you will know what to do to make them better.

4. This icon represents your gifts that you have waiting.

5. This is the name of your cage.

6. Food bowls are essential to keeping your birds happy. Without food and water your birds will die, so you have to make sure that you have plenty of both to keep your birds happy and healthy. You'll also earn experience points for filling them up, so make sure that you do this both in your cages and your friends cages.

7. Treasure chests are where you'll find your daily free coins. You can also find these in your friend's cages as well.

8. Call for neighbors allows you to post a message on your wall that you need more neighbors in Bird Land.

9. Your arrow tool allows you to select different things in your cage, such as items, your birds, and food and water bowls.

10. The hand tool allows you to pet your birds.

11. The cleaning tool allows you to clean up your cage, and your friend's cages as well when you are visiting.

12. The shop offers you an excellent amount of different birds, accessories, decorations, and more. Make sure that you visit the shop and get the items you want and need for your cage. Just about everything that you can buy will either help you take care of your birds or offer you experience points when you place them in your cage.

13. This little gift box will allow you to send gifts to your friends and neighbors in Bird Land.

14. This is the game icon and you will find that playing this game a few times a day will easily keep your coins building up. It's a fun little game and allows you to collect coins and feathers, as well as experience points!

15. These icons allow you to toggle the sounds, the music, the graphics quality, and fullscreen mode.

16. This icon tells you how many birds you have in your cage now and how many it will hold. Pay attention to this, as you cannot place more than a certain amount of birds in each cage.

17. This area will show you how many cages you currently have, how many are open for expansion, and how many more you can unlock as you play Bird Land.

18. Want to visit your friends? This area will show you your friends and their levels. You can click on their icons and visit their cages to help them out and make some coins and experience points.

19. This icon will allow you to invite friends to come and play Bird Land with you.

Now you know all of the basics of the user interface in Bird Land and you can easily find anything you need in the game quickly!