Learn about tube feeders including: advantages, types and helpful accessories.
Woodpeckers are attractive and outgoing members of our community of backyard birds. Occasionally, though, their pecking habits can create some conflict with humans. Never to worry—there are plenty of solutions you can implement to make sure that you and visiting woodpeckers can happily coexist.
Purchase the book at any of our 5 local All Seasons Wild Bird Store locations. The newly released 3rd edition Birds of Minnesota, by local but internationally known naturalist and author Stan Tekiela, is also published in Minnesota at Adventure Publications in Cambridge. This third edition includes 14 new species of Minnesota birds from the first edition, updated photographs…
GLOSSARY OF BIRDS’ LIFE STAGES Throughout our website and newsletters, you'll likely see us refer to birds' life stages by name. We thought it'd be a good idea to give a short review in case any of the terms are unfamiliar. Examples of life stages in a finch, thrush, robin, chickadee and robin HATCHLING. A bird just out of…
Ants and bees can take the fun out of feeding hummingbirds and orioles. Luckily, there are some simple tricks and products that will help you deter pests and still provide meals for your favorite nectar-eating birds! Hang your hummingbird and oriole feeders from an ant moat filled with water. The ants can’t swim across the moat and are prevented…
Up to 20 different species of warblers pass through the Twin Cities area between mid-April and the end of May, with the bulk passing through between the 5th and 15th of May. If you’d like to catch a sighting or two of these colorful migrants—in your backyard or around town—Minnesota birding expert Bob Janssen has helped us to prepare…
Your feeders found new homes with the Scouts of America, a nature center and Wayzata Schools. Each year we hold a Feeder Swap sale, during which we ask our customers to bring in a used bird feeder to donate in exchange for 20% off a new feeder (in addition to their Frequent Feeder Member Discounts). In turn, we fix…
Bird species in which the male and female look the same are called monomorphic. Several of our favorite backyard bird species are monomorphic, such as Black-capped Chickadees, Blue Jays, House Wrens and Mourning Doves. Other monomorphic species in Minnesota include American Crows and Bald Eagles. Here are some clues to help you figure out who’s who of the look-alike…
Pole systems allow you to create a feeding station that's optimally placed in your yard. They also allow your to customize the number and placement of feeder and perching spots. It may seem daunting when you're considering how to set yours up, so we created this video as a guide to the Erva pole systems we carry in our…
Minnesota hosts several birds that sport orange and black coloration. Let's take a closer look! Baltimore Oriole This eye-catching songbird (8-1/2 in / 22 cm) is a summer visitor throughout most of Minnesota, coming to feeding stations to dine on orange slices, grape jelly, nectar and mealworms. The male Baltimore Oriole has a black head and back with orange…
Prepare Your Yard for Spring Migrants To be sure, one of the joys of feeding birds is hosting migratory birds for a brief time each spring as they make their way to summer breeding grounds. With some preparation—and a little luck!—you may be able to entice one ofthese migrants to stay and raise their broods in your own backyard.…
March is a month of transition from winter to areas of open water therefore signaling the return of water fowl. Canada Geese The first week of March often brings the return of the Canada Geese. Pairs claim nesting territory honking noisily. A pair of geese can be seen standing on the ice of the marshes and wetlands as if…
Note: this is the full article by Guest Contributor MELISSA BLOCK. An excerpt is featured in the March/April 2019 edition of our Bird's-Eye View Newsletter NEST DESCRIPTION : Cardinals Northern Cardinal on Nest Males sometimes bring nest material to the female, who does most of the building. She crushes twigs with her beak until they’re pliable, then turns in the nest…
Note: this is the full article by Guest Contributor MARK NEWSTROM. An excerpt of this article is featured in the March/April 2019 Bird's-Eye View Newsletter Since the beginning of this author’s life in the mid-1950s, the variety of birds seen in and around the Twin Cities area has surprisingly changed. Herein are five examples of bird species that were not…
A raptor, also known as a bird of prey, is a carnivorous, meat-eating bird. All raptors share at least three characteristics: keen eyesight, eight sharp talons and a hooked beak. The word “raptor” comes from a Latin term rapere meaning “to seize or grab.” Minnesota raptors include eagles, falcons, hawks, kites, osprey, owls and vultures. Most Minnesota raptors have…