Do you love watching our wild birds? If so, why not open a bird cafe?
If this is on your bucket list, then read on.
Bird Cafes
A bird cafe is a feeding station for wild birds. This can be in your garden, on your patio, on your balcony or anywhere that you have space. Feeding wild birds not only helps them to thrive and survive harsh weather conditions, but it also attracts some of the more colourful species. You can get endless hours of relaxation and pleasure, watching the comings and going of our feathered friends. Their antics can also be amusing, and you will soon find out which birds are top of the pecking order.
How to Get Started
Gone are the days when a few slices of old stale bread were put out as bird food; nowadays the approach to feeding birds is far more scientific. Some of the things on offer are as follows:
- Sunflower seeds and hearts
- Suet blocks or balls enriched with insects or fruit
- Mealworms both dead and alive
- Niger seeds
The above foods will imitate what the birds feed upon in their natural habitat of fields, hedges, forests, lakes and ponds. However, instead of having to trek to some wild, remote spots to view birds, why not do so from the comfort of your own home?
Fortunately feeding wild birds is now a major industry with bird food readily available. Also available are numerous feeding stations such as bird feeders, bird tables and ready-made feeding stations.
What Birds Can You Attract?
While wood-pigeons, doves, blackbirds and house-sparrows will still feed on bread slices, some birds are more discerning in their tastes. Most common finches such as the goldfinch, greenfinch, siskin and bullfinch prefer to eat seeds. They enjoy niger seeds and sunflower seeds, for which you can buy special dispensers. Others, such as great tits, blue tits and coal tits prefer insects such as mealworms.
Why not open your own bird cafe and cross this off your bucket list?
