No more wild birds at feeder

[Oh4summer]

This may seem like a really silly question but I'm just curious to see if this has happened to anyone else. For years I have a multitude of wild backyard birds at my bird feeders, so much so that I often can't keep up with keeping my feeders filled. Three weeks ago I filled my feeder and it is still full. No birds. We put our chicken coop in back in June and have chickens about 60 feet away from the feeder, a good distance. Also, we can't free range because of so many hawks here, we live in the woods. Anyway, my wild birds have dwindled down to nothing. The feeder has been full for three weeks. I love my chickens but I'm sad that we are no longer getting wild birds. My question is, has this happened to anyone else? Are the wild birds not coming around because of the chickens?

 

[nuthatched]

Fall migration?

 

[Debbie292d]

This may seem like a really silly question but I'm just curious to see if this has happened to anyone else. For years I have a multitude of wild backyard birds at my bird feeders, so much so that I often can't keep up with keeping my feeders filled. Three weeks ago I filled my feeder and it is still full. No birds. We put our chicken coop in back in June and have chickens about 60 feet away from the feeder, a good distance. Also, we can't free range because of so many hawks here, we live in the woods. Anyway, my wild birds have dwindled down to nothing. The feeder has been full for three weeks. I love my chickens but I'm sad that we are no longer getting wild birds. My question is, has this happened to anyone else? Are the wild birds not coming around because of the chickens?

We have tons of wild birds here too, but only put sunflower seeds in the feeders. The feeders are hung high in the trees so the bear can't reach them. The chickens free range under these feeders and get free sunflower seeds which are high in Vit. E and Selenium (wry neck prevention/cure.)

I've wondered where the Cardinals and Chickadees went as we had tons and now rarely see one in the past few weeks. Neither of those are migratory, so it's very odd. The woodpeckers and finches are still here. I'm wondering too as we live out in the country bordering a forest. It's been about two-three weeks like this.

 

[TwoCrows]

According to Audubon, wild birds are disappearing at alarming rates now due to not only loss of habitat but global warming, and weather extremes. Of the 10,000+ species of birds on the planet, nearly 10% are now facing extinction. I have noticed huge losses in the various finch species, I never see House Finches or Gold Finches at my feeders any more. Evening Grosbeaks and Crossbills haven't been seen in nearly a decade here. My hummingbird feeders were very quiet this year, fewer and fewer show up every year. Very sad situation.

 

[Debbie292d]

According to Audubon, wild birds are disappearing at alarming rates now due to not only loss of habitat but global warming, and weather extremes. Of the 10,000+ species of birds on the planet, nearly 10% are now facing extinction. I have noticed huge losses in the various finch species, I never see House Finches or Gold Finches at my feeders any more. Evening Grosbeaks and Crossbills haven't been seen in nearly a decade here. My hummingbird feeders were very quiet this year, fewer and fewer show up every year. Very sad situation.

We must've had your Evening Grosbeaks here as, for a while this summer, they were outnumbering all the rest, but now that you mention it, they are gone too. I sure hope we'll see them this winter, maybe when their food supplies in the forests run out, but if it's true what Audubon is saying, maybe we won't.

 

[TwoCrows]

We must've had your Evening Grosbeaks here as, for a while this summer, they were outnumbering all the rest, but now that you mention it, they are gone too. I sure hope we'll see them this winter, maybe when their food supplies in the forests run out, but if it's true what Audubon is saying, maybe we won't.

So you have my Evening Grosbeaks! They are one of those "irruption" birds that move with the food sources, we've been in a severe 20 yr dought so I doubt we will see them here again.

I think birds will greatly decline in the coming years, loss of habitat takes huge tolls on wintering birds down south. Millions don't migrate back up each year. Something like 3 billion birds have been lost since the 70s and they continue to decline. Heartbreaking for me, I came for the planet's beauty, stayed for the birds. No sense sticking around without the wild birds.

 

[kcan2]

I was blaming our new birdfeeders, which, like yours, have been staying pretty full for the past month or so. This past August we practically had a plague of house finches and more cardinals than ever. Everyone keeps telling me that there is a lot of stuff in the woods to eat right now, so maybe the birds are getting the good eats in before winter comes.

We also had a TON of hummingbirds this year, which dwindled as it got to be closer to migration time.

Not sure if wild birds molt like our chickens do? And when they molt, but I do know that my chickens and even my pet indoor bird had pretty hard fall molts this year, which of course affects energy levels a bit.

 

[Oh4summer]

We have tons of wild birds here too, but only put sunflower seeds in the feeders. The feeders are hung high in the trees so the bear can't reach them. The chickens free range under these feeders and get free sunflower seeds which are high in Vit. E and Selenium (wry neck prevention/cure.)

I've wondered where the Cardinals and Chickadees went as we had tons and now rarely see one in the past few weeks. Neither of those are migratory, so it's very odd. The woodpeckers and finches are still here. I'm wondering too as we live out in the country bordering a forest. It's been about two-three weeks like this.

yes, it just seems very odd. i've had all kinds of wild birds here over the years and even earlier this summer. maybe it's migration but it just seems odd to me to go from having so many birds to absolutely nothing. I'll wait to see if my winter juncos come back. If not, then I'll know that something is really off. I just thought that maybe it was the chickens.

I also give my girls sunflower seeds!! They love them!!!

 

[Oh4summer]

I was blaming our new birdfeeders, which, like yours, have been staying pretty full for the past month or so. This past August we practically had a plague of house finches and more cardinals than ever. Everyone keeps telling me that there is a lot of stuff in the woods to eat right now, so maybe the birds are getting the good eats in before winter comes.

We also had a TON of hummingbirds this year, which dwindled as it got to be closer to migration time.

Not sure if wild birds molt like our chickens do? And when they molt, but I do know that my chickens and even my pet indoor bird had pretty hard fall molts this year, which of course affects energy levels a bit.

I guess that could be true as far as having lots to eat in the woods. Our yard is all woods and I have noticed that there are TONS of acorns this year, which we always believe predicted a hard winter with lots of snow. So far we haven't been wrong about that. More acorns, more snow, usually. We'll see. Anyway, maybe my wild birds are finding lots of fodder in the woods this year.

 

[Bac2wild]

You also mentioned having a lot of hawks around. One or more may have made your feeder its/their favorite hunting "ground". Bird feeders are always good for concentrating their food for them.