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Would you like to add some of your tips for attracting birds, butterflies, hummingbirds and wildlife? Please send your tips to: teatime@birds-n-garden.com

We enjoy sharing the information that works for us to attract wild birds, butterflies, vanishing pollinators and all sorts of wildlife to our properties. Anyone can attract more wild birds by making a few modifications or additions. You don't have to go to extremes.

We will create a new page with visitor's tips.

North American Wild Birds - Articles, Charts and Information

1. How to Attract Wild Birds - An Introduction
   
   
2. How to Use Water Features in Your Garden
   
   • Bird baths
   • Man-made creeks and ponds
   • Safety and privacy issues
   • Misters
   • Drip devices
   • Heaters
   • Dust baths along with water
   • Sprinklers
   • Mosquitos
   • Other wildlife attracted
   
   
3. Backyard Habitat - Protective Cover & Nesting
   
   • Variety in texture and size - trees, hedges, flowering plants, ground covers, tall grass prairie, short grass prairie grasses
   • Native plants
   • Hedgerows
   • Wildflower meadows
   • Thicket
   • Brush piles
   • Vines
   • Dead trees and snags
   
   
4. Feeding Wild Birds
   
   • Seeds, suet, fruit, cheese, nuts
   • Insects
   • Types of wild bird feeders
   • Fruit and berry bushes
   • Types of birds you can attract to wild bird feeders
   
   
5. Wild Birds FAQ
   
   • We have a cardinal pecking at our windows. Why is he doing it and what can we do to stop him?
   • I have a nest in a hanging basket at my front door. What should we do?
   • A nesting bird is attacking my family. What can we do?
   • Our nest seems abandoned by the mother bird. She was there for two weeks and now she is gone. Should we be worried?
   • I just put a feeder (and/or bird bath) in my yard. Why are no birds coming?
   • Some bird is singing relentlessly early in the morning (or late at night) and we can't sleep!! How do I get rid of this bird?
   • Where have all my birds gone? They were visiting my feeders on a daily basis and now they're gone.
   • Maybe I'm just looking for an excuse not to weed my yard but is it true that weeds are good for birds?
   • Why does this one pushy hummingbird keep all other hummingbirds from eating at my feeder?
   
   
6. Wild Birds Disease & Dangers
   
   • West Nile Virus
   • House Finch Conjunctivitis - Mycoplasmal conjunctivitis
   • Avian Pox
   • Predators
   • Window strikes
   • Pesticides
   • Communication towers
   • Feral and pet cats
   
   
7. Injured Wild Birds - Links to Help
   
   
8. Wild Birds Photographs - ID Help & animations
   
   • Lesser Goldfinch
   • Ladder-backed Woodpecker
   • Wilson's Warbler
   
   
9. Plant & Flower Chart to attract Wild Birds, Hummingbirds and Butterflies
   
   
10. Bird Blog Notes
    

North American Hummingbirds - Articles, Charts and Information

1. Hummingbird Feeders
   
   • attracting hummingbirds
   • Cleaning
   • Placement
   • Sugar water formula
   • When to put up in spring and take down in fall
   • Aggressive hummingbirds
   • Aggressive bees and wasps
   
   
2. Hummingbirds - General Information
   
   • Lifespan
   • Diet
   • Personality
   • Wing rotation
   • Avoiding window strikes
   • Photograph of hummingbird in my hand
   • Male versus female appearance
   
   
3. More Migration Information
   
   • Spring and fall migration
   • Common Myths
   • Torpor
   • Freezing temperatures
   
   
4. Hummingbirds - FAQ - Lots of information!
   
   • Is a hummingbird's bill a hollow tube?
   • Is a hummingbird's tongue a hollow tube?
   • Do hummingbirds really have feet and legs?
   • What are some common nesting materials that hummingbirds use?
   • Do male and female hummingbirds share in raising the young hummingbirds?
   • One hummingbird is flying a big "U" pattern directly in front of another hummingbird. Is this a warning?
   • How long does it take between laying the first and second eggs?
   • The adult hummingbird is not longer at the nest. Will the young birds die? Can they take care of themselves already?
   • What else can I do to attract hummingbirds besides putting up a feeder and planting nectar-rich flowers?
   • What are some hummingbird predators?
   • Can I send you a photograph of my hummingbird so that you can identify it?
   • What is the length and weight of a Ruby-throated Hummingbird?
   • What is the wingspan and weight of the Ruby-throated Hummingbird?
   • How far can they migrate?
   • If they have to eat so often, how can they travel so far?
   • Do hummingbirds hitch rides on the backs of, under the wings of or in the back draft of larger birds such as geese?
   • Where have my hummingbirds gone?
   • Do hummingbird feeders have to be red?
   • Why aren't the hummingbirds using my feeders? I have fresh sugar water in them and they are not dirty.
   • Can I catch a hummingbird and take it to live at my mother's house? She has never seen one.
   
   
5. Hummingbird Books
   
   
6. Hummingbirds - Spring Arrival Dates
   
   
7. Plant & Flower Chart to attract Wild Birds, Hummingbirds and Butterflies
   
   

North American Butterflies & Moths - Articles, Charts and Information

1. Attract Butterflies
   
   
2. Gardens for Butterflies - Butterfly Gardening
   

Hummingbird Moths - Articles, Charts and Information

1. Hummingbird Moths
   
   
2. White-lined Sphinx Hummingbird Moths
   
   
3. Snowberry Clearwing Hummingbird Moths
   
   
4. Tersa Sphinx Hummingbird Moths
   
   

Gardening Guides - Attracting Wildlife

1. Building Productive Landscapes, Plant & Flower Chart to attract Wild Birds, Hummingbirds and Butterflies - landscaping to attract the most birds and butterflies
   
   
2. Indoor Gardening and Seed Starting - using fluorescent light plant stands indoors
   
   
3. Water Gardening Backyard Pond
   
   
4. Wildflowers Photos - from our central Texas location, zone 8
   
   

Texas Pages

1. Snakes seen on our properties.
   
   
2. Texas Bird-watching Links
   
   

Just for Fun

1. Visitor's Stories - share a story with us!