Top 5 Reasons Why Birds Stop Visiting Your Feeders

Bird activity at the feeders sure has slowed down over the last week or so.  No change in the food or the location of the feeders, and no significant change in the weather.  So what is it?  Why do birds stop coming to your feeders?

1)  Is the food still fresh?  Sorry folks - birdfood doesn't stay fresh forever.  All seed dries out and niger seed is especially prone to drying out.  It is a very small, but very high fat seed.  Once niger seed dries out, it loses some of its fat content and finches will just turn their beaks to it.

Seed shells should be shiny and dry.  If its been sitting in the feeders for months, subject to air, heat, and humidity, chances are it has lost some of its nutritional value and is less desireable to the birds, especially if they can find those nutrients elsewhere.

Suet or suet dough should be tossed out in the garbage if it is moldy.  Seed cylinders or blocks that are mushy should be tossed.  Nectar should be changed regularly and immediately tossed if moldy or cloudy. 

Remember, especially during the summer, there are lots of natural food sources out there - if you're offering dried out or moldy food, why would a bird chose it over a juicy bug or a berry eaten fresh off a tree?

 

2)  Are the feeders clean?  Birds don't like to eat out of dirty, moldy feeders anymore than you'd eat off a crusty, moldy plate.  Bacteria can develop in feeders so an occasional cleaning with a mild bleach solution (1 part bleach to 10 parts water) will kill the bacteria.  Make sure to rinse the feeder well and let it air dry in the sun if possible.

Every now and then a feeder comes in for repair that is crusted hard with seed residue, mold, seed sprouts, bird poop, even live bugs.  This is frankly disgusting.  You're not helping the birds - and may be HARMING them - by offering them a bacteria-laden birdfeeder.  Part of the Zen message on this blog is one of Responsibility, that birdfeeding comes with responsibilities to the birds and that if you're unwilling to accept the responsibilities, DON'T FEED THE BIRDS.

Bottom line: clean your feeders multiple times throughout the year, every 2 months if you can. Have an extra feeder or two so you can take a feeder down to clean and put another in its place right away.  If you won't commit to cleaning your feeders, do the birds a real favor, don't feed them.

3)  Natural food sources are plentiful.  At many times during the year, activity at feeders can decline as natural food sources become widely available.  Birds don't rely on your feeders to survive, though they certainly provide an easy source of food.

Birds eat insects, insect eggs, seeds, nuts, buds, berries and fruit, worms, and more.  When these are plentiful and easy to find, most birds will prefer them.

Right now I can look up at the tops of the white pines across the road.  It is laden with pine cones full of seeds.  Acorns are plentiful.  Trees are full of ripe fruits and berries.  Crawling and flying insects and bugs of all types are everywhere.  When the entire habitat is a bird's buffet table, your yard is just one of the many dishes to choose from. 

4)  Is there a new predator in the area?  Is a new cat showing up in your yard?  Just yesterday I looked outside and my eyes met the yellow eyes of a cat.  Long legged, fully black, slim and young, it was friendly and obviously acclimated to people.  But a cat - any cat - will prey on birds when left outside.

I am a cat lover but please keep your cat indoors.  They'll live longer (like my cat that lived to age 23) and healthier.  And you'll have more birds at your feeder.  If it is your neighbor's cat, talk to your neighbor about it.  Don't take it out on the cat - it's not his fault, he's just being the predator he is.

Another visiting predator might be a Sharp-shinned or Cooper's Hawk.  These accipiters are bird-eating birds.  It is always hard to lose a bird to a hawk strike, but by bringing birds in close to us by providing feeders, we are inviting nature AND ITS FULL CIRCLE OF LIFE into our yard.  Hawks taking smaller birds is part of that circle of life - we have just become witness to it.

5)  Changes happen.  This is nature we're talking about.  Another message of this blog is that of Acceptance, that "Nature happens. We cannot MAKE natural things happen (or NOT happen). We can create habitats to encourage natural things to happen around us, but there are no guarantees."

Birds move on to other areas.  Family groups break up.  They migrate.  They die.  They find new food sources.  They establish new territory.  They have wings.

All we can do is create a habitat that is inviting to the birds.  One that is safe and clean, that provides the things they need - food, water, shelter, a place to raise young - and if we are lucky, they grace our yard with their presence.

Use this slow time to clean all your feeders, buy some fresh birdfood, and then fill your feeders only partway until the activity picks up again.  And enjoy nature for ALL it offers - the highs AND the lows.

Comments

[shelley Hite]

Thank you for your informed site. After reading the reasons birds stop visiting bird feeders that they previously flocked to it, I walked outside and down the stairs to take a look around. Sure enough there were two black cats just sitting there where the birds would also eat seed which had fallen from the seeder onto the ground below. The neighbors have 8 cats, but have always keep them indoors, Apparently they have changed their minds about keeping the cats indoors, and while I like cats, I don't like having to say good-bye to the birds. I have spent a lot of time creating a haven for them on my balcony (water fountain bird bath, full of flowering bushes and trees, and even put down fax grass for a more authentic look. It's such a shame since I picked an apartment based on trees being next to my balcony. Anyway, thank you so much for providing the reasons birds might of stopped coming by. Without your advice, I would never of thought to look for the cats. Thanks again.

[Barbara]

Thanks for the info. I have had bird in my yard for years. Yes, a stray cat starting coming around ad now I have no birds. I love cats but not in my yard.

[The Zen Birdfeeder]

Cathy, sometimes it just takes time for birds to get used to a new feeder. You've done the right things; hopefully by now the birds have found it!

[Cathy]

I bought a Droll Yankees Yankee Tipper about 4 weeks ago. It is spring here in the South and I have NO BIRDS on my feeder. The previous feeders have been destroyed by squirrels, so I bought this thinking the squirrels would not bother it, and they aren't, but either are the birds. I have lived here 8 years and we ALWAYS have had birds in the past and lots of them. There are no changes in our yard, no pets and yes, the feeder is clean, new and filled with bird seed. I hung the new feeder in the same place as the old one. I called Yankee and they suggested I fill it half way and spill some seed on the bottom, which I had already tried, didn't make a difference. Please help!

[The Zen Birdfeeder]

Pam, If the feeder is 4-5 feet off the ground, that is ideal. Sometimes patience is needed when introducing feeders to the yard the very first time. I like to say it might take 2 minutes, 2 hours, 2 days, 2 weeks for birds to find a new feeder.
Tie a ribbon to it to call it out to overhead birds. Move it slightly to see if they prefer another location. Shake the feeder to be sure the seed is loose, and refill it if the seed starts to mold.
Good luck and keep us posted!

[pam]

I got a new feeder yesterday and no birds yet .I used Midwest bird seed and a cage is over the feeder .it's not very high up would that make a different?

[The Zen Birdfeeder]

Deb, probably #3 above. The moderate weather and natural food sources are keeping birds in the mid-Atlantic from visiting birdfeeders. With cold temps, as well as snow and/or ice, they'll return!

[The Zen Birdfeeder]

Anne-Marie, could be that they just need to find it and/or get used to it. Sometimes birds find feeders fast, sometimes it takes a while.
When trying to attract cardinals though, which are ground feeders, the birdfeeder needs to have an adequate perching area for them to feel comfortable. Even then, some individual cardinals just never get used to feeding off the ground.
The shininess has nothing to do with it though. Good luck and let us know!

[deb]

Hi! I had tons of all kinds of birds then they all stopped coming. I live in Pennsylvania....it's cold now and they should be stopping by. I cleaned my feeder and put black sunflower in it and hung a suet cake also. Is there anything else I can do? Help!!!!

[Anne-Marie]

We just moved to a house that's on a river. We have gobs of birds out here, including my very favorite: Cardinals. I had to buy squirrel-proof feeders, but the one that I bought has a shiny aluminum lid and is hardly being used. The Cardinals won't even touch it. Why? New? Shiny?

[The Zen Birdfeeder]

Joyce, thanks so much. I appreciate your kind comment! Please stop by often!

[joyce]

What a fabulous site. Thank you so much for the info.

[The Zen Birdfeeder]

Grace, sounds like you might have young jays that are investigating food sources. Hopefully they'll quickly find that feeder is not a good source and will free it up for the hummingbirds. Keep us posted!

[The Zen Birdfeeder]

Sandra, I think you may have identified the issue - inadequate perching area. Especially with the cardinals, which are ground-feeding birds by nature, they require a decent size, comfortable perch.
If you can extend the perches that would be ideal. Good luck!

[Grace]

My hummingbird feeder is attracting yellow /green jays. I’m all for sharing, but the jays are scaring the hummingbirds away. Is this normal? What can I do? PS. Love your site.

[Sandra Shanklin]

I just got two new squirrel proof birdfeeders. Using the same seed I have always used. Mixed seed
in one, sunflower in the other. With the old feeders I had many birds including lots of cardinals and bluejays. All the birds have come back to the new ones, except those two. They seen to know it is food, but just don't know how to use it. The only difference I can really tell is the perches are a tiny bit shorter. Could this make a difference? I want my redbirds and bluejays back.
Thanks.

[The Zen Birdfeeder]

Roger, sometimes when you change things up, birds take a while to get used it. They fall back on what they know! Give it some time, or remove the other feeder temporarily. Good luck and have fun feeding the birds!

[Roger]

I recently added a much larger bird feeder close to my original bird feeder the birds have stopped coming what should I do

[The Zen Birdfeeder]

Isabelle, sometimes it takes birds awhile to find new feeders and to recognize them as a food source. Spread some seed underneath the feeder and temporarily tie a ribbon around the feeder to attract their attention.
Check out this post about the Rule of 2s and hanging a new birdfeeder http://wildbirdsunlimited.typepad.com/the_zen_birdfeeder/2011/03/hanging-new-birdfeeder-rule-of-twos.html

[The Zen Birdfeeder]

Re Johnson, I haven't heard before about peppermint stopping bird activity. I guess time will tell.
What we find is that sometimes a change of routine (a different feeder) takes awhile for the birds to adjust to. They may not recognize it as a source of food.
Be patient, and keep the seed dry and loose. Fill the feeder only halfway until they start to use it.
Good luck!

[isabelle reali]

I put bird feeders out for the first time yesterday and they all but not today. I thought maybe the food was old so I threw it out and bought new but no birds at all.

[Re Johnson]

We have had birds of about 7 species coming in for five years, now nothing , I added a brand new feeder filled with top notch seed , still not a chirp , peep or peck. What I think : I poured strong peppermint oil all around the house ( stops mice) a couple of weeks ago. But there is a hummingbird feeder 15 ft from bird seed and we have hummingbirds coming in all day. We miss our feeding birds.

[The Zen Birdfeeder]

John, thank you for your sincere concern for the birds!
Bleach is perfectly safe to use to clean birdfeeders when used in the proper dilution (9-10 parts water to 1 part bleach) and thoroughly rinsed. Water is fine for that rinse.
I also strongly recommend a good drying in the sun as well.
Bleach will kill bacteria and mold, so it is a good option for cleaning birdfeeders.
Enjoy the birds!

[John H]

I wouldn't have thought bleach, even in the diluted solution, would be ok to use to clean the feeder. Bleach just makes me nervous, knowing how powerful it is. Is there anything else that would be safe to use and effective, or would just a very thorough rinsing after cleaning be sufficient to remove the bleach? Thank you.

[The Zen Birdfeeder]

Ilisa, the raccoon scent might affect the squirrel's interest in the feeder, but I wouldn't think the scent alone would keep the birds away.