Bird tables cater for all bird species
A bird table is usually a square piece of wood with a small roof mounted above it. Food is placed on the table for birds to collect as they will.
Some species of birds, such as blackbirds, would rather browse on a flat surface than pick seeds from a feeder. Tables are also easier to use for larger birds, such as wood pigeons.
Most bird tables are made of wood for a combination of solidity and a charming rustic look, although plastic or metal tables are popular as well. Ideally, a bird table should be about 2 or 3 feet square, with a lip for birds to perch on and drainage holes, so it does not fill up with water when it rains.
Bird tables are ideal for offering things that can’t be dispensed from a regular bird feeder, such as mealworms and other larvae, fruits and berries, and kitchen scraps like stale bread or cooked rice. These types of food, however, go bad much faster than birdseed, so if you offer them, you’ll have to clean your bird table more regularly. Tougher foods, such as dried fruit, should be soaked before you put them on the table.
As with other avian conveniences, a bird table should be placed in a quiet, shady corner of your garden. Ideally near a wall, fence, bushes, or other cover where they can retreat in case a cat or other predator attacks. A bird table can either be hung from a crook or other support, or mounted on a pole. They can also be mounted on window ledges or low to the ground.
Bird tables’ open construction makes them vulnerable to squirrels. It’s also possible for large birds to take over a table and force smaller birds away. You can purchase cages or baffles that attach to your bird table to keep large animals such as squirrels out. Pole-mounted bird tables are also easy for cats or squirrels to climb, but greasing the pole or covering it with smooth plastic pipe will make it harder to climb. Alternatively, use feeders for the smaller birds, hung out of harm’s way, and a table for everyone else.
Keep your bird table clean to avoid spreading disease among the birds that visit. When you put out fresh food, clean off any uneaten remains. Every two weeks or so clean the table with a mild disinfectant and remove any droppings that accumulate below the table. Doing so will keep your table attractive, and the birds who come to visit you happy and healthy.
