As we welcome birds to our feeders and water features, we always want to provide a safe and clean environment (Hairy Woodpecker photo by Paul Konrad).

An important part of providing food and water for wild birds that is sometimes overlooked is to provide a safe environment for the birds you attract. You want to provide a safe feeding station in a location where birds are a safe distance away from windows to avoid collisions, won’t be harassed by predators, have clear sight lines for the birds to view the area while they visit your feeders and bird bath, and provide escape cover where birds can flee if necessary. The position of your feeding station will also make birds more, or less, safe.

Birds are always watching for predators, know where the nearest cover is located, and they must feel safe, which means its best to keep your feeding station in an open area. The most concerning predator at any feeding station must be domestic cats, whether they are pets or feral cats. Cats are one of the leading factors that account for the deaths of billions of songbirds annually – yes, more than 2½ billion songbird deaths in the United States and Canada. So be aware of cats, be sure to keep vigilant of new cats finding your yard and feeding station, and do what you can to keep them from feeling safe in or near your yard.

Cat Tracks

It’s actually pretty easy to scare cats from your yard, and they usually react quickly to being yelled at, barked at, or by clapping your hands, yelling, and chasing them a few steps. They quickly get the message they are unwanted near your property; some never return while others require repeated reminders they are not welcome, but even return offender quickly know you mean business. Even beyond protecting the birds at your feeding station, if your landscaping attracts birds, keeping cats away is just as important for the birds that perch, feed, and loaf in your landscaping.

In some cases, a problem cat might be a neighbor’s pet. In that case you may be able to encourage the neighbor to keep their cat indoors – for the good of the cat and for the good of birds. Outdoor cats are much more likely to be hit by cars or preyed upon by coyotes or other animals. There are lots of reasons to keep pets indoors or in a confined pet area in the owner’s yard. Some communities have ordinances that ban free-roaming cats, along with unsecured dogs. Problem feral cats can be referred to a local animal control office or an animal shelter.

Squirrels Too?

Yes, squirrels can be a problem for birds too; not that they prey on birds, but that they can keep birds from being comfortable at a feeding station or water feature just by hogging the resources. Options are to provide a separate feeding site for squirrels that has their preferred foods – corn, nuts, and sunflower seeds within easy access – at a location away from your bird feeders. That’s not an absolute solution though, so it’s also a good bet to use squirrel-proof feeders or baffles on the poles, posts, or hangers your feeders are mounted on. Also, make sure the feeders are positioned at least 12 feet away from any tree, deck, or other feature so squirrels can’t simply jump to feeders. As for suet, there’s always the option of providing hot pepper suet that squirrels will only taste once, but birds relish.

Raptor Watch

Rarely, if ever, the birds at your feeders may attract a raptor, more specifically a hawk or falcon that specializes in hunting small birds – a Cooper’s Hawk, Sharp-shinned Hawk, or rarer yet, a Merlin. For the most part, you can treat raptors like cats, scare them once and they’re not likely to return, and if they do, chase them again. But before you give chase, appreciate these impressive birds that have evolved to specialize as predators – they are truly among the most interesting of all birds, and you’re lucky when you can add birds of prey to your yard list.

Positioning Your Feeders & Bird Bath

Where you place your feeding station should be guided by choosing a safe location for birds. Of course, the position will also be dictated by the window or windows you want to view birds through. That said, you will want to keep a few factors in mind: First, windows are a flight hazard for birds that may attract some birds to try to fly through them. Birds may see the reflection of sky and plants in a window and think they can fly or escape in that direction. It may actually be best to keep your feeders so close to your viewing window(s) that birds can’t get much inertia before they bump into glass. Otherwise, it’s best to keep feeders far enough away from the window so birds don’t see the window as a good flight option.

Also, be sure the feeding station (including a bird bath) has open sight lanes in each direction that double as open flight lanes for the birds that visit your feeders or bird bath. The sight lines provide birds with a view to see potential predators and other concerns, and it makes your feeding station more attractive for birds. Open sight lines also serve as flight lines that provide clear, easy access and make a viewing window less of a potential flight path.

It’s also helpful to provide a couple perches near your feeding station that birds can perch on as they approach feeders or a water feature, or as they leave, or when displaced from a feeder by other birds. Preferred perches might be a branch poked vertically deep into the ground or snow; and you can position these perches so you can easily photograph birds that perch on them.

Managing Window Strikes

If your feeders are close to a window, you may hear an occasional bump, but the bird did not get the speed or inertia to harm itself when it bumped against the glass. In fact, it could be considered a part of a learning process that birds that visit your feeding station go through. They may bump once, but probably not again after learning the window reflection is not a realistic flight line – it just looks like one at times. Perhaps other birds even learn from that bump – who knows. But the key is that you are providing a safer location for birds to feed, water, bath, and interact when your feeding station is positioned just a few feet away from the glass.

If your feeders and water features are 20 feet or more away from a window, they are more likely to take more open routes from the feeding station, even when startled, than to fly toward a window. A small window reflection is not going to be as attractive an open escape route or flight path. If, however, you have a problem with window strikes at a larger picture window or window bank, you will want to look at some of the ways of removing the reflective properties of the glass, which is where CollidEscape comes in. CollidEscape is a clear window covering from the inside, but its outer covering prevents the reflections using a number of methods. Learn more about CollidEscape at White | CE (collidescape.org)

Keep it Klean

Of course, cleaning your feeders and water features is an especially important part of providing a safe feeding station. At the same time, keeping the ground under and around your feeding station clean is just as important, and it will help to keep unwanted rodents and other varmints away. Using shelled seeds, especially sunflower seeds and peanuts, also eliminates most or all of your ground cleaning chores. Keep your feeding station clean for you, your family, and your neighbors, as well as the birds that you attract.

Take a closer look at your feeding station, your viewing window, and your yard with the above safety measures in mind – perhaps with a new appreciation for the safety of the birds that you attract. Protect the birds that visit your yard, at feeders, water features, and landscaping attractions in every way you can to ensure your birds are always benefitting from your backyard birding endeavors. And enjoy this period as we transition from fall to winter birding at home and beyond.

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