Ask The Naturalist

Do you have questions about pepper-treated bird seed?

Learn more about Winter Bird Feeding..

Why are there no birds at the feeder?

Do you have questions about pepper-treated bird seed?

We've received many calls about the new so-called "squirrel-proof" bird seed treated with hot pepper. Most callers are concerned about whether the treated seed could harm birds or even squirrels.

Field studies are currently underway on sunflower seeds, sunflower hearts and suet treated or coated with a substance called capsaicin, the naturally-occurring heat-producing agent in hot peppers. It looks like the pepper-treated seed does effectively repel squirrels, especially when they have an abundant supply of alternative food available.

Birds can't smell or taste capsaicin but we don't really know if consumption of this substance will harm them, especially long-term. We don't know of any current studies that are trying to determine exactly how much capsaicin birds are likely to ingest while eating treated seed, and whether it is harmful or even beneficial in that concentration. One study has shown capsaicin to be harmful in high concentrations, when injected into birds.

We feel it's best to be cautious for now, so we can't recommend use of pepper-treated bird seed. If you do choose to try one of the new pepper-treated bird seed products, use caution and be especially alert for any signs of illness or changes in behavior in the birds you observe at your feeders.

If you notice any problems, please let us know.

Learn more about Winter Bird Feeding.

"When should I start to feed birds for the winter?" is a commonly-asked question here at the Audubon Society in New Hampshire. Although it is best to start is late September or early October, it is never too late because wintering birds are still trying to locate food sources for the coming months.

There are many ways to feed birds, and numerous types of feeders. To start, try a simple tray or hanging tube feeder. Later, you may wish to expand your feeder collection. The ground itself can be used as a feeding station for certain types of birds, such as Mourning Doves, but be sure to put out only a small amount of food at one time, as seed that sits on the ground can become contaminated by dampness, mold, lawn fertilizers or animal droppings.

The greater the variety of food you offer, the greater the variety of birds you will attract to your yard. Start with plain sunflower seed -- black oil, gray stripe, or sunflower hearts. It's the preferred food of most small birds that overwinter in New Hampshire. As your feeder collection grows, try adding mixed seed, thistle seed and suet.

Once you begin feeding birds during the winter, it is very important to be consistent. Empty feeders may cause hardship during extremely cold or stormy winter weather. If you are going to be away for even a few days, ask a neighbor to check and refill your feeders regularly during your absence.

Keep feeders clean to prevent bacteria from contaminating bird food. Salmonella, for example, can grow on wet seed contaminated with bird droppings in the feeder tray. Clean your seed and suet feeders at least once each month. Use a mild solution of bleach and hot, soapy water. Then, rinse the feeders thoroughly with clean water.

The New Hampshire Audubon has two information sheets on Winter Bird Feeding that will tell you more about feeders and general feeding techniques, and list the birds most often seen at New Hampshire feeders. To receive your copies, send $1.00 and a stamped, self-addressed envelope to the New Hampshire Audubon -- Feeding Winter Birds, 84 Silk Farm Road, Concord, NH 03301. The Audubon Nature Store also carries several books on bird feeding and related topics.

Why are there no birds at the feeder?

If your bird feeders were quiet in the fall, you are not alone. This is a common observation in the fall.

We do not always know why there are fewer birds at feeders in a given year but there are a number of factors that could account for it. The normal migration of birds in the fall often results in gaps when local birds have moved south and migrants from further north have not yet arrived.

If this is the first time you have put up a bird feeder at your house, it may take several months for the birds to find it. Keep in mind that most small birds which come to feeders prefer sunflower seed and nearby bushes or trees for cover.

Keep in mind that some birds we think of as year-round residents, such as chickadees, blue jays, goldfinches and house finches, may migrate in some years. Occasionally, they move south or to another area, in response to food supplies or weather cues we can't detect. The birds you see in summer may not be the same individuals you see in winter.

Other birds such as pine siskins, evening grosbeaks, and redpolls are erratic visitors to New Hampshire. They breed further north and west and will stay there in the winter if food supplies are good. We may see hundreds one year and none the next.

If berry and/or nut crops were particularly good, birds often use these food sources and ignore feeders, especially during mild weather.

If you have fewer birds, please don't worry - it has nothing to do with your feeders, and we know of no recent catastrophic event, such as disease, that is harming the bird population. Local habitat changes, such as development, and the increasing number of people feeding the birds may also affect the number of birds at the feeders. It is also possible that rainy weather in early summer made it difficult for adult birds to successfully raise young. There may be fewer young birds around resulting in a smaller quantity overall of our winter residents.

In stormy weather, the birds come to feeders more often, so be patient. We encourage you to report the activity at your feeders, or lack thereof, in our annual Winter Bird Survey in February. For instructions and a recording form, send a self-addressed, stamped, long envelope to Winter Bird Survey, NHA, 84 Silk Farm Road, Concord, NH 03301. Or, you can pick up the materials at Audubon House in Concord.

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