Finches bring bright flashes of color and cheerful songs to any backyard environment. Successfully attracting these birds requires a strategic approach focused on their specific dietary needs and behavioral preferences. This involves creating a reliable food source, providing a safe feeding structure, and ensuring a healthy, consistent habitat. By managing these factors, you can encourage finches, such as the brilliant American Goldfinch or the rosy House Finch, to become regular visitors.
Selecting Appropriate Seed and Food Sources
The primary step in attracting finches is offering the right food, tailored specifically to their small bills and high energy demands. Finches prefer tiny, oil-rich seeds, which provide the concentrated energy they need throughout the year. The two most effective options are Nyjer seed, often mistakenly called thistle, and fine sunflower chips, also known as sunflower hearts.
Nyjer seed is highly successful because its small size is perfect for finches, and its high oil content provides significant nutritional value. Sunflower chips are hulled pieces of black oil sunflower seed. These chips are rich in fat and protein, offering superior nutritional content compared to Nyjer, and are often consumed more readily by species like the House Finch. Using chips eliminates the messy accumulation of hulls beneath the feeder, keeping the feeding area cleaner and reducing the chance of mold. Purchase seed in small quantities and store it in a cool, dry place to prevent spoilage.
Feeder Types and Strategic Placement
The delivery system and its location must be optimized for finch comfort and safety. Finches prefer to cling while feeding, making tube feeders with small feeding ports or fine mesh sock feeders the ideal choices. The small ports on tube feeders prevent larger, more dominant birds from accessing the seed. Mesh feeders allow multiple finches to feed simultaneously by clinging to the surface, catering to their social nature.
Strategic placement centers on maximizing visibility while minimizing predator risk. Feeders should be positioned near cover, such as dense shrubs or evergreen trees, allowing the birds a quick escape route from predators. This cover should not be so close that it provides a hiding spot for cats. Mounting the feeder on a pole with a baffle, placed at least five feet off the ground and ten feet from the nearest tree, offers the best protection from climbing mammals. Placing feeders within three feet of a window or more than thirty feet away can significantly reduce fatal window collisions.
Providing Water and Supplemental Shelter
Beyond food, a reliable water source and shelter are important for encouraging finches to establish a territory. A simple bird bath satisfies their need for drinking and bathing, but the water must be clean and changed daily to prevent the growth of bacteria and algae. Moving water, such as a small dripper or mister, is particularly attractive because the sight and sound of running water are highly visible and audible.
In colder climates, a heated bird bath can provide open water during freezing temperatures. Providing natural cover is a significant draw, as dense foliage offers protection from weather and predators, and acts as a safe roosting site. Clumps of ornamental grass, evergreen shrubs, and brush piles can serve this purpose. Offering small bits of nesting material, such as cotton nesting fiber or short pieces of yarn near the feeder, can also encourage resident finches to stay and nest in the spring.
Maintaining Hygiene and Consistency
Finches are particularly susceptible to diseases like Salmonellosis, which spreads quickly at feeders contaminated by droppings or spoiled seed. Feeders should be cleaned at least every two weeks under normal conditions, and weekly or more often if you notice any signs of sick birds.
The cleaning procedure involves scrubbing the feeder to remove all debris and then disinfecting it with a solution of one part liquid bleach to nine parts water. The feeder must be thoroughly rinsed with clean water and allowed to dry completely before being refilled to prevent the birds from ingesting any residual chemicals. Maintaining a consistent feeding schedule is necessary to establish reliability. Allowing a feeder to remain empty for extended periods can discourage finches from returning. Keep the food fresh and consistently available, especially during harsh weather when natural food sources are scarce.