Blog

Best Squirrel Proof Bird Feeder (Keep Those Rascals Out!)

By Riley, last updated May 21, 2018 Leave a Comment

A backyard bird feeder can bring you a great deal of joy and entertainment. It can also cause frustration when you see squirrels helping themselves to your feathered friends’ food. Squirrels can also damage feeders and scare off the birds.

The best squirrel proof bird feeder attracts the types of birds that you want in your yard, looks attractive in your landscape and prevents other critters from helping themselves to a hearty meal.

Learn more about what to look for in a squirrel proof bird feeder so that you’re not wasting bird food on four-legged wildlife. We’ve also reviewed the best squirrel proof bird feeders so that you can select the right one for you. [Read more…]

Best Hummingbird Feeder (Which is Clean? Easy? Works Best?)

By Riley, last updated July 5, 2018 Leave a Comment

Who doesn’t love birds congregating in their yard? Hummingbirds are quite majestic to behold. These quick, agile birds are a member of the Trochilidae family and are the smallest bird species known to man.

On average, they measure only three to five inches, and weigh about two-and-a-half grams. Hummingbirds are marked by their colorful appearance, with varieties appearing in bright blues, greens, and the like. Most notable, though, is the Hummingbird’s great speed. They fan fly at more than thirty-four miles an hour and flap their wings more than fifty times a second. As such, they have a high metabolism, the greatest of any homeothermic animal.

They’re beautiful birds, and to give them a boost (plus attract them to your yard), you’ll need a quality hummingbird feeder to supply them with nutrients when they decide to hang around your property.

So what is the best hummingbird feeder? [Read more…]

What Do Baby Ducks Eat? (Cute Babies Eat Interesting Things)

By Riley, last updated November 19, 2017 Leave a Comment

Ducks. The name is a general term used to refer to a group of species in the Anatidae family of waterfowl. As you might already know, this family also includes swan and geese, but ducks are unique in some of their characteristics, hence the distinction.

One should not confuse ducks for similar fowl, like loons or coots, although they are all primarily aquatic birds that will normally congregate in salt and freshwater areas.

Ducks are smaller than geese and swan, and while their necks are long, they are nowhere near the immense length of a swan neck. As they are similar to these other water bird varieties, one might also assume that they share some dietary characteristics.

Is this the case, however? Let’s look at where the duck, specifically youngling ducks, turn to for nutrition. In short: what do baby ducks eat? [Read more…]

What Do Butterflies Eat? (Foods of Stunning Creatures)

By Riley, last updated November 19, 2017 Leave a Comment

Butterflies, members of the superfamily of species known as “Papilonoidea,” are small, flying insects. An old group of insects, there are butterfly fossils that date back to the Paleocene period, some 56 million years ago.

The typical moth goes through a four-stage life cycle, part of which is the much-romanticized metamorphosis from caterpillar to butterfly. They are like moths and are known for their large variation of colors and patterns. Some butterflies even make use of camouflage and mimicry of their surroundings to conceal themselves from predators.

They sometimes fall victim to a range of small animals that consider them a food source, but what do butterflies eat? Let’s explore the interesting diet of these majestic creatures. [Read more…]

What Do Swans Eat? (7 Foods To Feed These Beautiful Birds)

By Riley, last updated March 30, 2018 Leave a Comment

There are about six species of Swans, members of the Anatidae family of birds, within the Genus Cygnus. They are closely related to geese but are still considered to be in a grouping all their own. The major classifications are as follows:

The Mute Swan
The Black Swan
The Black-Necked Swan
The Whooper Swan
The Trumpeter Swan
The Tundra Swan

Most people know of the Swan’s cultural significance, through tales like the ugly duckling or their use in various emblems and coats of arms. Swans are also known, though, for some of their more interesting habits.

They will, for example, feed almost exclusively on the water. They are aggressive and will protect their territory fiercely. They are also known as being monogamous creatures that will mate for life (though in some cases, they will split from their partners).

Less discussed in all the talk of swans, however, is their diet. What do swans eat, and where do they procure the bulk of their nutrition? [Read more…]