Types Of Bird Foods And Their Respective Feeders
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One of the most convenient ways of enjoying wildlife at close range according to the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) is through backyard feeding of wild birds. According to the US Census Bureau, more than 65 million Americans of all ages have tried their hand at this interesting hobby. So, what has made bird watching to be the second fastest growing hobby in the US after gardening? Most people who love bird watching are on record as saying that they feel extremely happy after a session of watching beautiful wild birds. Well, questions have been put forward by concerned parties as to the impact of these handouts on birds.
While there is very little research towards that end, the FWS seems to think that the increased number of feeding stations has resulted in the extension of the northward winter range of some birds such as tufted titmice, mockingbirds and cardinals. This has been due to an increase in the availability of wild bird food at these feeding stations. There is no indication whatsoever as to any negative impact of the feeding stations on the general wild bird population.
Individual birds especially the caged variety suffer from adverse effects of these backyard feeding stations such as higher disease incidences and injuries from birds hitting window panes. However, these are problems that can be easily minimized through the taking of necessary precautions such as hygiene and avoiding windows near the flight path that leads to the bird feeding station.
The type of wild birds that you attract to your feeding station depends primarily on the type of seeds that you have which in turn dictates the type of bird feeder that you can put up. According to the Wild Bird Feeding Industry (WBFI) report, sunflower of the black oil variety is the hands-down favorite of most wild birds and is ideally served in house and/or tube feeders. Dehulled kernels of the striped sunflower type are used in the manufacture of sunflower hearts or meats which is a highly nutritious and popular type of bird food. Sparrows and doves love white prosso millet while quails, geese and ducks love corn. These two types food are best served in platform feeders.
Other types of feeders include:
Suet feeder which is resistant to starlings
Bluebird feeder
Wire mesh cage feeder for dishing out peanuts
Nectar feeders
Tray or stationary fruit feeders
Marketing Innovations That Define The Birdseed Industry
The market for birdseed caters for both the wild birds and their caged counterparts. In recent years, this market has taken on a new dimension as stakeholders try to aggressively market their produce using new marketing formulae and innovations. Currently, bird food manufacturers make use of advertising keywords such as premium, exotic and healthy. At present, some of the most common grain species used in the bird feeding industry include:
Niger seed
Canary seed
Sunflower- black and striped sunflower seeds as well as sunflower hearts
Safflower
Quinoa
Groundnuts/peanuts
Sorghum
Millets- Proso, Japanese, Spray, Pearl, Finger millets
Looking at the above list, one might be tempted to think that birds have a somewhat restricted diet. However, there are numerous semi-domesticated or wild grains as well as nuts and fruits especially in the subtropics and tropics that have largely escaped the eye of large manufacturers of caged and wild bird food. According to the Wild Bird Feeding Industry (WBFI), some of these fruits, nuts and grains offer lucrative new opportunities for the diversification of bird feeding products as well as brand identification. Perhaps one of the most innovative marketing strategies is the addition of chia by the US bird feeds manufacturer- Harrison in their products. Chia or Salvia columbariae is a legendary energy food associated with American Indians who are natives of mainland US.
Other minor brand marketing innovations observed in the US include the addition of sea algae and seaweeds into the bird feeds. The identification of new food mixes for birds is usually done through the observation of the birds dietary habits and behaviors as well as the input of indigenous knowledge on the same. This has made it possible to identify (semi) wild seeds, nuts and fruits that could be used in the manufacture of new food mixes for both wild and caged birds. Indigenous communities stand to gain a lot from the production of raw materials and supply of the same to manufacturers and packers of bird foods.
Well established bird feed manufacturers have departments charged with product development where new ingredients undergo strict testing to determine their suitability, food safety and nutrient profiles. It is only after the supply of new ingredients has been guaranteed by raw materials suppliers that potential manufacturers of bird nourishing feeds will undertake to change their formulae. This is all done by the manufacturers in their quest to maintain competitive prices for their products as well as to diversify their operations.
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Author Resource:-
Bird Food
Wild Bird Food
Sunflower Hearts
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By :
Amber Thompsen
Submitted
2012-01-24 10:28:14 |
Article From Article Mayhem
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