February is bird-feeding month!

I knew that February was African-American History Month, but only just learned that it is also "Bird Feeding Month," promoted by the National Bird-Feeding Society! (birdfeeding.org) The designation was made by Illinois Congressman John Porter in 1994, and has grown in popularity ever since.

February was selected because it is the hardest month for most wild birds, particularly in northern climates like ours. The weather is typically harsh, and food is scarce. The point of having a month devoted to raising awareness of the importance - and enjoyment - of bird feeding.

So, why feed birds?

Keep in mind that a typical backyard bird doesn't weigh as much as two nickels. They spend most of their waking hours searching for food - without the help of "hands" and "fingers". They may consume 20% of their body weight overnight just keeping warm enough to survive. Providing them with an easy to access source of nutritious food makes a big difference to these little guys!

Providing wild birds with food, water and shelter supplements their natural diet and helps them survive. A Wisconsin study showed that chickadees with access to feeders made it through a severe winter better than those without.

And feeding backyard birds is fun. It is exciting to look out and see a dozen or more birds - of different sizes and colors - hopping from bush to feeder and back again.

Here is a collection of advice and tid-bits I pulled off the Internet:

- Keep feeders full, so the birds have a dependable supply of food during cold weather.

- Keep feeders free of snow and ice.

- Offer suet, which is pure fat, a great source of energy for those backyard birds whose summer diet was mostly insects, like woodpeckers, as well as chickadees and nuthatches.

- Stamp down the snow underneath the feeders to help the ground feeding birds, such as juncos, cardinals, blue jays and doves.

- People shouldn't be discouraged if they put up a new feeder and the birds don't flock to it immediately. Because birds find food by sight, it can take a while for them to locate a fresh source. Try putting a piece of aluminum foil on the ground near the feeder, where sunlight can be reflected and catch their eye.

And bird feeding is good for one's health!

Watching wild birds relieves stress and helps one start the day on a positive note. Bringing birds into the backyard, particularly during gloomy northern winters, adds a welcome flash of color, dash of motion and splash of sound. Wild bird feeding is the principal connection many people have with wildlife, considering the continued trend toward moving out of rural and into urban areas.

So, if you aren't already a bird-feeder, now is the time to start! Advice from the experts is to start with a tube feeder, as pictured here. It will attract a diversity of birds. The Cornell University website has a wealth of information about birds and bird-feeding.