When you start feeding the birds, you'll want to maintain a safe feeding spot. Here's some tips to help you keep birds safe while they visit your bird feeder...

Feeding the Birds Safely

by Jane Lake

Setting up a bird feeder is a two-fold gift; it provides sustenance for birds when winter feeding may otherwise be difficult -- and it is also a gift to yourself and your family as the winter scenery becomes enlivened by the electric blue flash of a bluejay or the friendly chatter of finches.

Here are some safety considerations to keep in mind if you choose to feed the birds:

Once you start feeding the birds, you have a responsibility to keep feeding them throughout the winter. If you go away, make sure that filling the bird feeder is on the list of things that the caretaker of your house will do.

Keep the feeder stocked until April, or until after the last winter storm. Those lingering storms often arrive at a critical time for birds and a reliable food source is essential.

Once the temperature gets milder, salmonella is a risk. Make sure your feeder is clean and dry and there is a way for water to drain from platform feeders. Don't let fallen seed combine with bird droppings under the feeder to make a toxic brunch - periodically shovel away fallen seeds and dispose of them.

Try to place your feeder in a spot that offers birds some cover where they can safely scan the terrain and check for cats. Dense evergreens nearby provide a protective retreat. Keep the feeder at least three yards away from any convenient hiding places for cats. If you own cats, add a bell to their collars to give the birds an audible warning of nearby predators.

Store seed dry and out of reach of rodents. Small amounts can be kept in plastic or glass containers; larger amounts can be placed in a clean garbage bin with a closely fitted lid.

Birds flying into windows is the main cause of death around feeders. Break the reflective view that tricks birds into thinking they can fly through the window by displaying suncatchers or covering the window with drapes or a temporary paper covering.