Behaviour around the feeding places
If the birds are being fed during the winter it is important to keep food tables filled during spells of extreme weather. Storm or cold or a cover of snow can cut the bird off from its usual sources of food.
Birds have to eat in the morning and evening
In contrast to mammals, who can store fat reserves to be utilized during extreme conditions, the birds have to eat enough every day to make it through a night of cold. At daybreak their energy supply is run to the bottom and the bird has to fill it up again to survive. It is enough with a couple of days of bitter cold and ice-covered ground to kill many birds.
The birds secure and watch their feeding places
There is often enough food for the birds in the wild, but they are opportunists. They will take advantage of whatever sources they can find.
Even though it may seem contradictory the wild birds will not become dependent on the bird tables. They are very mobile and naturally dependent on several feeding places. Their survival depends largely on their built-in ability to find unpredictable spots with a food supply. When one place is emptied, they will move on to the next. In a bird’s everyday life a number of feeding places are frequented and in this way they are able to monitor the changes in food supply.
Feeding tables are simple, dependable places that birds can use comfortably. If you go on holiday in December, the birds will find food naturally or at other bird tables in the neighbourhood. When you come back and fill the table again, the birds will be back within two days as they constantly watch known feeding spots.
Small birds will not settle with one feeding place.
Even though it seems the birds will stay at the bird table all day and become dependent of the easy supply of food, this is not actually the case. In fact, there are several individuals visiting the table, and they move from table to table constantly.
Local garden birds will attract new guests
Getting the local garden birds to frequent the table is also important as they will attract new, interesting visitors. If a passing flock of, for example, bullfinch sees that there is traffic towards a certain table, they will feel safe to settle down for a bit and rest and will gladly partake of what is on offer.
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