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Welcome to BirdTracks® Online!
An e-mail newsletter from
Wild Birds Unlimited for January 2003.

In This Issue:
1. High-fat foods keep birds warm in winter.
2. Are you a “responsible” birdfeeder?
3. See the birds! Count the birds! Contribute to science!

Suet! Sunflower! Seed blends, oh my – High-fat foods keep birds warm in winter!
In January it’s standard for many people to resolve to lose some weight. They go on a diet and exercise more until they reach their desired goal. Not so with the birds!

As temperatures change throughout the winter season many birds will seek food with a higher fat content. They need the extra calories to help keep their bodies warm throughout cold winter days and nights. Some of the most popular choices are likely to be suet and black oil sunflower.

Many birds will stock up just before sunset filling a special pouch in their esophagus, called a crop, with seed that they digest overnight. Wild Birds Unlimited has been helping people feed and enjoy the birds in their backyards for more than 20 years, and our storeowners know all about birdseed! We have created a variety of special custom seed blends and special suets that are particularly attractive to local birds. Some of our blends include suet, raisins and nuts and other blends are pure seed. Try filling a feeder today, and you’ll be amazed at the variety of birds that will stop by for a bite! Pictured here is a Downy Woodpecker clinging to a suet cage.

If you haven’t tried suet, now’s a great time! Many birds – including woodpeckers, chickadees and nuthatches – savor suet. Some suet contains nuts, raisins or other fruit, corn, insects and calcium. There’s even that old childhood favorite – Peanut Butter’n Jelly!

Stop by a store near you today and chat with a certified birdfeeding specialist about the seed and suet your birds will find superb! And, if you’re dieting and exercising, share that too!

Are you a “responsible” birdfeeder?
If you enjoy feeding and watching your backyard birds, then you probably want to do as much as you can to practice your hobby safely and ensure the birds’ overall health and well-being. Just as people can catch colds or other illnesses from people who are sick, birds that feed at crowded or dirty feeders have the potential to develop diseases that are harmful to them. (Red-breasted Nuthatch shown here.)

While the incidence of birds falling ill from feeders is small compared to other natural hazards birds face, there are things you can do to help your birds stay healthy:

• Provide multiple feeding stations in different areas of your yard to disperse bird activity.
• Provide seed from a birdfeeder rather than scattering it on the ground. 
• Keep areas clean under and around your feeders.
• Keep fresh seed in the feeder and be sure it doesn’t get moldy.
• Clean your birdfeeders regularly with a solution of one part bleach and 10 parts water.

For other tips or questions, seek out the certified birdfeeding specialists at a Wild Birds Unlimited near you.

See the birds! Count the birds! Contribute to science!
It’s just about time for the sixth annual Great Backyard Bird Count Feb. 14-17! Start off Valentine’s Day with a friend or family member by celebrating your love for each other and the birds! This event is a great way to get your whole family involved in birdfeeding and birdwatching! It’s easy to participate - You can spend as much or as little time as you want, and you can count birds in your backyard, a local park or other location. Here’s how it works:

• For each day you count, you can spend as little as15 minutes or as long as all day and record the species you see.
• For each bird species, track only the highest number of birds you see at one time during the day. For instance, if you have one chickadee joined by a second, count them as two. If you observe one chickadee in the morning and another in the evening, count it as one.
• Report your findings online at http://www.birdsource.org/gbbc.

Wild Birds Unlimited is a major sponsor of this event, which is organized by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and National Audubon Society. Scientists use the information gathered to study bird population trends and migration patterns. Researchers combine the data collected nationwide and use it to help with bird conservation efforts. Obtain more information online at http://www.wbu.com/partners/birdcount.htm or at a participating Wild Birds Unlimited store.