This product will attract a variety of colorful songbirds to your backyard.
Cardinals, chickadees, nuthatches, sparrows, titmice and woodpeckers are attracted to this blend.
Packaged in a consumer friendly clear poly bag, light enough for easy carrying.
Contains: 90% oil seeds (mixed tree nuts, black oil and striped sunflower seeds) & 10% cereals (millets & cracked corn).
The Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) is a showy and inquisitive bird often found at the edge of mixed forests, woodlands and residential areas if they are well treed Both males and females are similar in plumage and size, measuring approximately 25-30 cm long with a wingspan of 40 cm and a body mass of 70-100 g. The Blue Jay has a long, graduated tail and a head crests. Markings include various shades of blue on the back with wings and tail marked with black bars and a black necklace and eye-line. The belly is light grey to white. Juveniles are similar to adults with the exception of the blue areas that are slightly greyer and the black areas are slightly browner. The Blue Jay is unmistakable in appearance and is unlikely to be confused with and other species with the exception of the Stellar’s Jay which is similar in size but is dark blue-grey on its belly and lacks white on its wings and tail.
The Jay is an omnivore therefore it eats nuts, seeds, soft fruit and berries as well as insects and small vertebrates. Blue Jays are quick to take human food such as nuts, bread and dog food. Generally, Jays will be seen picking food from the ground, trees and shrubs or platform bird feeders. Additionally, these birds will catch insects from the air.
Reference: Tarvin, Keith A. and Glen E. Woolfenden. 1999. Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata), The Birds of North America Online (A. Poole, Ed.). Ithaca: Cornell Lab of Ornithology; Retrieved from the Birds of North America Online: http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/469
doi:10.2173/bna.469
Photo Credit: © 2008 Nick Saunders. Photos may not be used without written permission from Nick Saunders. All Rights Reserved. www.saskbirder.com
The cardinal is a beautiful, well-loved bird that is a blessing to have visit your feeder. These birds are 20-25 cm long with a wingspan of 30 cm and a body mass of 42-48 g. The male is a bright red while the female is primarily grayish, brown. Both sexes have a black facemask and a prominent crest and orange bill.
These birds can be spotted in shrubby woodland edges and in some cases forest interiors and urban districts throughout eastern and central North America from southern Canada into Mexico and Central America. In recent years these birds have been spotted further north due in part to the provision of bird feeders changing habitat and increasingly moderate temperatures.
Cardinals are primarily vegetarian feeding on nuts, seeds and fruit. They can be found foraging the ground for wild seeds but since they are opportunistic feeders they will readily feed from bird feeders with appropriate bird food.
Reference: Halkin, Sylvia L. and Susan U. Linville. 1999. Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis), The Birds of North America Online (A. Poole, Ed.). Ithaca: Cornell Lab of Ornithology; Retrieved from the Birds of North America Online: http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/440
doi:10.2173/bna.440
Although there are numerous Chickadees, the Black-capped Chickadee is the most common throughout North America and therefore the focus of this article. These cute, curious and tame birds are 12 to 15 cm long with a wingspan of 20 cm and a body mass of 10-14 g. Both males and females are similar in appearance with a solid black cap and bib, white cheeks, gray back, tan flanks and dark gray wings and tail.
These birds are common to woodlands, parks or any place with sufficient foliage to support adequate food and shelter. They can be found from coast to coast of most of Canada and the northern two thirds of the United States.
Chickadees eat both animals and plants, which they glean from bark, twigs and feeders. They can often be seen clinging to a tree or a feeder to get their food but will rarely be seen foraging on the ground. Interestingly, these birds rarely eat their food where they acquired it but rather carry it off to eat it elsewhere. Since these birds are so tame, they can frequently be spotted on backyard feeders or may even feed from an outstretched hand if you have enough patience.
Reference: Smith, Susan M. 1993. Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus), The Birds of North America Online (A. Poole, Ed.). Ithaca: Cornell Lab of Ornithology; Retrieved from the Birds of North America Online: http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/039
doi:10.2173/bna.39
Photo Credit: © 2008 Nick Saunders. Photos may not be used without written permission from Nick Saunders. All Rights Reserved. www.saskbirder.com
These birds are very common, flourishing in large cities to remote deserts but rarely seen in dense forests. There are numerous species of doves but this article focuses on the Mourning Dove. Doves can be spotted from the southern half of central Canada, throughout the Unites States from coast to coast to Mexico. These streamlined birds are 22-35 cm long with a wingspan of 45 cm and a body mass of approximately 120 g. Both males and females are a grayish blue or grayish brown with the exception of black spots on the wings and behind the eye and black-bordered white tips on the tail.
Doves are opportunistic feeders that primarily feed on grains and seeds. These birds are lazy feeders that avoid foraging or searching for food amongst litter or other inedible objects. They feed from the ground almost exclusively with the exception of other flat surfaces such as platform feeders.
Reference: Otis, David L., John H. Schulz, David Miller, R. E. Mirarchi and T. S. Baskett. 2008. Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura), The Birds of North America Online (A. Poole, Ed.). Ithaca: Cornell Lab of Ornithology; Retrieved from the Birds of North America Online: http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/117
doi:10.2173/bna.117
The most common Grosbeak in North America is the Rose-breasted Grosbeak, therefore the focus of this article. These birds are 18-21.5 cm long with a wingspan of approximately 31 cm and a body mass of 39-49 g. Males have the telltale black head with red triangle on the breast and white under parts while the female is more subdued with a brown-black upper body and tail with a speckled brown and white belly. Females exhibit a distinctive pale crown-stripe and white wing-bars.
These birds can be found in deciduous and mixed forests and near shrubby streams, ponds, marshes, roads or pastures. They can also commonly be seen in well-vegetated urban areas, parks, gardens and orchards. These birds migrate from Canada and northern U.S. to Mexico during the winter.
Grosbeaks birds eat both vegetable matter (specifically fruit and oil-rich seeds) and insects. Feeding will occur by gleaning from trees and flowers and occasionally by ground foraging. These birds will also feed from bird feeders when available.
Reference: Wyatt, Valerie E. and Charles M. Francis. 2002. Rose-breasted Grosbeak (Pheucticus ludovicianus), The Birds of North America Online (A. Poole, Ed.). Ithaca: Cornell Lab of Ornithology; Retrieved from the Birds of North America Online: http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/692
doi:10.2173/bna.692
Photo Credit: © 2008 Nick Saunders. Photos may not be used without written permission from Nick Saunders. All Rights Reserved. www.saskbirder.com
The White-breasted Nuthatch and the Red-bellied Nuthatch (Canadian Nuthatch) are both common birds to Canada and northern United States. Both birds are small measuring between 11-14 cm long with a wingspan of 21-28 cm and a body weight of 10-21 g. In both species males and females are similar in appearance with the female being slightly paler in colour. The white-breasted Nuthatch is characterized by a dark crown, white face and breast, bluish gray back and wing that have white edging. Under the tail and on the sides the plumage is rusty coloured. The Red-breasted Nuthatch is similar to the White-breasted Nuthatch but has a characteristic red belly and a black stripe extending from the base of the bill through the eye to the neck. Both species have the characteristic long bill, upturned.
Nuthatches are common resident of deciduous forests and woodlands in North America. They generally live in pairs in permanent territories throughout the year.
These birds are omnivorous eating both insects and plant matter with a preference for high oil-content nuts. Nuthatches characteristically walk head downward on large branches and trunks, probing crevices in bark for its seed and insect prey. It also uses such crevices to hold fast large seeds and nuts, which this bird then ‘hacks’ open with its bill. The name “nuthatch” is presumably derived from this behavior. These birds regularly visit feeders during fall and winter, a time of year when pairs hoard food in large amounts, dispersing it throughout their territory and using each site to cache only one item. These birds prefer to feed from nut feeders stocked with high quality nuts and fruit.
Reference: Grubb, Jr., T. C. and V. V. Pravosudov. 2008. White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis), The Birds of North America Online (A. Poole, Ed.). Ithaca: Cornell Lab of Ornithology; Retrieved from the Birds of North America Online: http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/054
doi:10.2173/bna.54
Photo Credit: © 2008 Nick Saunders. Photos may not be used without written permission from Nick Saunders. All Rights Reserved. www.saskbirder.com
The Ring-necked Pheasant, a native of Asia, is one of the most successful and well-known introduced birds in North America. This species is exceptionally popular as an upland game bird throughout much of its range. These birds measure 50-70 cm long with a wingspan of approximately 80 cm and a body mass of 0.5-3.0 kg. The male Ring-necked Pheasant has a spectacular multicolored plumage, long tail, and chicken-like appearance that is difficult to confuse with any other North American bird. The female is more subdued with black and brown speckled feather throughout her body.
Populations do best in hay and grain agricultural regions, especially areas with grassy field borders, wetlands, and numerous small patches of idle land with tall grass, forbs, and lesser amounts of brush and trees. Populations are established on most mid-altitude agricultural lands from Southern Canada to Utah, California to the New England states, and south to Virginia. This species is commonly raised in captivity and has been widely introduced; many scattered and small populations occur outside the normal range.
These birds consume both insects and plant matter including seeds, grasses, leaves, roots, fruit and nuts. Waste grain from fields makes up a large proportion of this birds diet. Birds find food by foraging the ground for scattered grains and roots. They will also gather food from bushes, shrubs and will sometimes jump to acquire fruit from trees.
Reference: Giudice, John H. and John T. Ratti. 2001. Ring-necked Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus), The Birds of North America Online (A. Poole, Ed.). Ithaca: Cornell Lab of Ornithology; Retrieved from the Birds of North America Online: http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/572
doi:10.2173/bna.572
Although there are a number of species of quail, the Gambel’s Quail is the focus of this article. It is a popular game bird in the American Southwest and is a favorite of hunters and suburban dwellers alike. Its jaunty plumed topknot, carried by both sexes, its gregarious nature, and its distinctive gathering calls all make for ready identification. It is one of the smallest southwestern quails averaging a length of 25 cm and a mass of 160–200. The Upperparts and breast are neutral gray, the face is boldly patterned black and white, the crown is cinnamon, the abdomen cream with dark chestnut flanks streaked with white, and a black patch on the center of the abdomen. A set of about 6 black, comma-shaped feathers (plumes) that tightly overlap, appearing as one feather, arises from center of crown. This feature, which also occurs in other species of quail, is commonly called a topknot.
This bird lives in the Sonoran Desert in southern Arizona and Sonora, Mexico, with the species extending into all adjacent states.
These birds feed on seeds of forbs, grasses, shrubs and trees. They also consume cacti fruits from saguaro, cholla, and prickly pear, as well as a variety of berries. Insects account for smallest segment of diet and are taken primarily during spring and summer nesting season by both adults and chicks. They generally feed on the ground as a covey slowly walking along a wash or a hillside, each bird pecking tidbits of food from the ground as it travels.
Reference: Brown, David E., Julie C. Hagelin, Mark Taylor and Jill Galloway. 1998. Gambel's Quail (Callipepla gambelii), The Birds of North America Online (A. Poole, Ed.). Ithaca: Cornell Lab of Ornithology; Retrieved from the Birds of North America Online: http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/321
doi:10.2173/bna.321
The Red-winged Blackbird is one of the most numerous birds in North America. These birds are approximately 9” long with a wingspan of 13”. Size varies somewhat depending upon location with the female being smaller than the male. In addition, the male possesses the tell-tale plumage of dark feathers with red wing-tips bordered with yellow while the female is mottled brown on the back and streaked brown on the belly.
This blackbird can be found in marsh and upland habitats, such as meadows and cropland, from southern Alaska and central Canada to Costa Rica, California and the West Indies.
Red-winged Blackbirds primarily eat plants including corn, weed and tree seeds, sorghum, wheat and sunflower seeds and some insects. Studies have found that these birds prefer seeds with high fat content. These birds are known for gaping, which is using the beak to open the sheathing leaf base of aquatic plants to expose insects. Additionally, they will forage for seeds or insects on the ground and on vegetation or in some cases at feeders.
Reference: Yasukawa, Ken and William A. Searcy. 1995. Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus), The Birds of North America Online (A. Poole, Ed.). Ithaca: Cornell Lab of Ornithology; Retrieved from the Birds of North America Online: http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/184
doi:10.2173/bna.184
Photo Credit: © 2008 Nick Saunders. Photos may not be used without written permission from Nick Saunders. All Rights Reserved. www.saskbirder.com
Both the Hoary Redpoll and the Common Redpoll are small finches measuring approximately 13 cm long with a wingspan of 22.5 cm and a body weight of 14 g. Although similar in appearance, the Common Redpoll is less bulky, has a longer bill and has numerous broad streaks on the breast, flanks and under the tail while the Hoary Redpoll is with under the tail and has fewer streaks. For both species the male has a red cap and some red on the chest while the female only has a red cap.
Both Redpolls are artic birds making northern United States, Canada and the arctic home. These birds will inhabit any terrain so long as there are sheltered hollows or brush nearby.
These birds feed on small seeds of various trees, shrubs, weeds, and grasses, along with other plant parts, supplemented with invertebrates in summer. They feed actively in trees, low shrubs, weeds and grasses displaying frequent acrobatics, hanging upside down to work on buds and catkins. In some cases they will also search the ground for fallen seeds. Redpolls will frequent bird feeders.
Reference: Knox, Alan G. and Peter E. Lowther. 2000. Hoary Redpoll (Carduelis hornemanni), The Birds of North America Online (A. Poole, Ed.). Ithaca: Cornell Lab of Ornithology; Retrieved from the Birds of North America Online: http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/544
doi:10.2173/bna.544
Photo Credit: © 2008 Nick Saunders. Photos may not be used without written permission from Nick Saunders. All Rights Reserved. www.saskbirder.com
The sparrow is a very common bird to North America with many different species. Both sexes are similar measuring 16-18 cm long with a wingspan of 25 cm and a body mass of 22-32 g. They have a median crown stripe that is bright white, pale tan, or gray; eyebrow stripe that is white, pale tan, or gray behind and lateral crown stripes that are dark brown to black. They also have a white throat patch edged with black, often with 2 black lines from the bottom of throat patch to the lower mandible. The breast and lower throat is gray, often streaked with brown. Their flanks are light brown and streaked and the belly is white. Their back is chestnut streaked with black and the feathers are edged with beige. The wing feathers are brown edged with buff with 2 narrow white wing-bars.
The sparrow can be found throughout North America living in forests especially those with opening with low, dense growth, in town parks and even urban areas.
Sparrows eat grains, small seeds, fruit and insects when available. They forage in loose flocks and can often be seen at feeders or foraging under feeders for dropped seeds
Reference: Falls, J. B. and J. G. Kopachena. 1994. White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis), The Birds of North America Online (A. Poole, Ed.). Ithaca: Cornell Lab of Ornithology; Retrieved from the Birds of North America Online: http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/128
doi:10.2173/bna.128
Photo Credit: © 2008 Nick Saunders. Photos may not be used without written permission from Nick Saunders. All Rights Reserved. www.saskbirder.com
Titmice are cheerful birds with a number of species. They are a small bird measuring approximately 15 cm in length and having a wingspan of 24 cm and a body weight of 10.5-21 g. All titmice have a crest and are primarily grey. In general, the upper parts are dark gray, while the belly is lighter gray to white.
These birds are regular inhabitants of forests in central to southern United States. They also populate orchards, parks and suburban areas.
Dependant upon the species, titmice will feed either exclusively on insects or on a combination of insects and seeds, nuts and fruit. Titmice hoard food in fall and winter and can be seen caching sunflower seeds taken from a feeder: the birds stored the seeds within 40 m of the feeder and took only one seed per trip. This makes this bird an interesting guest for any backyard feeder.
Reference: Grubb, Jr, T. C. and V. V. Pravasudov. 1994. Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor), The Birds of North America Online (A. Poole, Ed.). Ithaca: Cornell Lab of Ornithology; Retrieved from the Birds of North America Online: http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/086
doi:10.2173/bna.86
This is the only bird in the Western Hemisphere to receive worldwide importance through domestication. As a North American native, the domestic turkey of Mexico became established over much of the world traveled by Europeans. It even returned to America with English colonists of the Atlantic seaboard. There are six subspecies of the Wild Turkey. It is a very large bird measuring 90-115 cm long, with a wingspan of 125-160 cm and a body mass of 4-7.3 kg. It has long powerful legs, a long neck, and a large fan-shaped tail. Its wings are rounded with ample secondaries, producing powerful wingbeats for rapid take-off. It has a long bill and the head and neck are mostly bare, with sparse feathering. The feathering of the body is metallic-iridescent. The feathers of the males are dark with with rusty tips while the females feathers are white tipped. A tuft of coarse filaments (the beard) hangs down from the upper breast, typically in males and often in females.
The Wild Turkey, endemic in North America, is found from southern Canada south through the 48 contiguous states and along the Sierras to central Mexico. Native Americans, and later the Europeans who populated North America, sought these large birds for food. This is a non-migratory species, socially complex, with an array of vocal signals. A strong short-distance flier, it roosts in trees at night but spends most daylight hours on the ground. A game bird noted for its elusiveness and as a table delicacy, it has been reestablished by modern game management in and beyond its pre-Columbian range.
The turkey eats primarily vegetable matter but also insects and small vertebrates. These birds forage the ground in flocks, occasionally gleaning fruit from shrubs and small trees.
Reference: Eaton, Stephen W. 1992. Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo), The Birds of North America Online (A. Poole, Ed.). Ithaca: Cornell Lab of Ornithology; Retrieved from the Birds of North America Online: http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/022
doi:10.2173/bna.22
Although there are numerous woodpecker species, the focus of this article is the Downy Woodpecker. This is the smallest woodpecker with a length of 14.5–17.0 cm, a wingspan of 30 cm and a body weight of 21-28 g. Like the majority of woodpeckers the Downy Woodpecker is black-and-white-checked. They have largely black upperparts with white stripes on the head above and below the black ear-coverts, white spots on wing-feathers and white along the center of back. The tail is black down the centre, becoming white laterally and with white areas barred black. The under parts are unmarked and vary geographically from white in most areas to grayish white in the Pacific Northwest. Sexes are alike, but male has a red patch on the nape of the neck.
The Downy Woodpecker is one of the most widespread of North American woodpeckers and is a year-round resident coast to coast; from the tree line in Canada and Alaska to southern Florida and the meager riparian forests of southern California. It is generally present in open, deciduous, woodlands throughout its range. It is also often seen in orchards and wooded, human-modified habitats such as urban and suburban parks and residential areas. It will venture into open areas where it sometimes nests in cavities in fence posts and feeds on arthropods found in tall weeds in vacant lots and fencerows.
The diet of this bird consists of insects, fruit, seeds and some plant tissue. It is particularly fond of mullein stalks where it can probe for insects. Since it is a relatively tame bird, it will feed at feeders specifically designed to hold nuts.
Reference: Jackson, Jerome A. and Henri R. Ouellet. 2002. Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens), The Birds of North America Online (A. Poole, Ed.). Ithaca: Cornell Lab of Ornithology; Retrieved from the Birds of North America Online: http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/613
doi:10.2173/bna.613
Photo Credit: © 2008 Nick Saunders. Photos may not be used without written permission from Nick Saunders. All Rights Reserved. www.saskbirder.com