Terrific trivia about your backyard birds, updated every Tuesday! Check out this page, Instagram, or Facebook every week for the newest Tuesday Tweet.

October 2025

• Leaving leaves on your lawn provides natural mulch that enriches the soil and protects overwintering insects... like butterflies and bees! It's an easy way to support backyard biodiversity while reducing yard waste and maintenance.
• Birds typically begin caching seeds in late Summer or Early Autumn. When natural food sources like fruits and seeds are abundant. Caching is a survival behavior that peaks in September. Helping birds to create winter food stores to survive the coming harsh weather and the scarce food conditions of winter.

September 2025

• You need to clean birdhouses at the end of each nesting season typically in the Fall and before the next breeding season too in late winter or early Spring. Cleaning is vital to prevent disease and parasite spread. Because old nests harbor harmful bacteria, fungus, and ectoparasites which can be fatal to new nestlings. Cleaning also makes the box more appealing to new birds for the next season and deters rodents from nesting inside.
• Bird feeder activity slows this time of year because of abundant natural food sources, as plants have produced seeds and berries. Insects are still arouond in numbers, migratory birds are leaving, and juveniles birds are feeding independently and focused on other things like molting. Activity will pick back up again in late fall when natural food sources make birds want to visit feeders again.
• Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds birds begin their Southern migration in August and are traveling south in earnest in September. In order to reach their wintering grounds in Mexico and Central America in October or early November. Factors such as declining daylight hours, dwindling food sources, and cooling temperatures trigger this instinctual journey. Males often leave first, followed by females and juveniles.
• September marks the start of the Fall migration season for many bird species. Birds will be building energy reserves for their journey. Making feeders a valuable resource for them to refuel. Continue providing a consistent, fresh food source. Especially high-fat and protein options, to support these migrating birds.
• Late summer is an important time to offer high-protein foods to support molting and breeding many birds undergo molting (replacing feathers) during late summer and are also still raising young... Requiring higher protein food like sunflower hearts/chips, mealworms, and peanut splits.

August 2025

• Hummingbird feeding peaks in late summer. August is often a busy month for hummingbird feeders as both the adult birds and the season's young prepare for Fall migration. Keeping feeders filled and clean throughout August and even into early fall provides essential energy reserves for these migrating birds.
• It is estimated that American Robins east approximately 14 feet of earthworms a day. 50 to 110 earthworms! Robins can hear earthworms underground by tilting their heads to detect movement of them.
• After the breeding season, and usually beginning in mid-summer birds begin molting replacing worn feathers to stay insulated and flight ready. Northern Cardinals and Blue Jays often lose all of their head feathers at once rather than a little at a time like most other songbirds making their molt mostly unnoticeable. So, no worries if you see a bald, scary looking, bird missing feathers in your backyard. It is quite common this time of year.
• Goldfinches are strict vegetarians feeding almost entirely on seeds. Even during nesting they do NOT feed their young insects like most other birds. Therefore providing fresh source of seed, like sunflower chips and Nyjer (mistakenly called Thistle Seed- it's a daisy seed) will attract Goldfinches to your yard!

July 2025

• House wrens often build false nests and yes, they do it on purpose. Males will fill multiple nearby cavities with loose twigs that resemble starter nests. This behavior serves two purposes: One: Attracting a mate by showing off nesting options. Two: discouraging competition by occupying potential nest sites used by other cavity-nesting birds. Only the actual nesting cavity will be lined and finished by the female.
• What is that white pouch being taken from your bluebird nest? Have you seen this happen? It is called a fecal sac. It's a mucous membrane that surrounds baby bird's waste. Making it easy for adult bluebirds to pick up and carry away. This behavior keeps the nest clean and reduces the chance of attracting predators with the smell of waste. It's an impressive example of avian housekeeping.
• Do Blue Jays love peanuts? Yes!! Especially peanuts in the shell. They're smart, bold birds known to carry off multiple peanuts at once to stash them for later. Up to 2 miles away!! Offering peanuts is one of the best ways to attract them to your yard.
• Black-capped chickadees feed their hatchlings between 6,000 - 9,000 insects and caterpillars from hatching time until the young fledge (which is about 16-18 days). That's hundreds of insects per day per nestling! This intense feeding of insects highlights why native plants that support caterpillars are so vital for healthy chickadee populations.
• Female birds collect most of the calcium needed to lay eggs the night before laying. Calcium availability can limit the reproduction of wild birds. What do they eat? Insects, spiders, seeds, shells, bones, soil, and soil dwelling critters are all calcium rich bird foods. Gardeners: Another reason to let those bugs and snails be! Fewer calcium sources = fewer eggs. And, keep in mind, another great source of calcium is WBU Super Nesting Blend!

June 2025

• This time of year, many birds are bringing their fledglings to feeders as they learn to find food on their own. It's a critical stage where young birds observe and mimic. Young birds are building the skills they need to survive right now!
• Bluebird dads are the best. They feed and guard their young. They step up. Ruby-throated Hummingbird dads? Useless. They vanish after mating leaving mom to do all the work. Deadbeat Dads with pretty feathers.
• Hummingbirds build velvety, compact cups with spongy floors and elastic sides that stretch as their young grow. They weave together twigs, plant fibers, and bits of leaves. And use spider silk as threads to bind their nests together and anchor them to the foundation.