They will arrive in large flocks in winter and stay as long as the food supply lasts. Quite often in new housing developments, trees and shrubs that birds use for nesting, perching and escaping predators may be in short supply. Birds need places to perch overnight and vantage points from which they may not only view the feeder but also watch for potential predators. Evergreens offer valuable year-round cover from the weather in addition to secluded nesting sites. The Carolina weren and the bluebird, Missouri's State Bird, may be enticed to feeding stations during the winter if water is available.
Birds lack teeth, and the grit which is kept in the gizzard is used to grind up seeds.
By selecting the right seed for your bird-feeding station and by landscaping with plants that furnish cover and additional food, you can join the 62 million Americans who invite these colorful and fascinating creatures into their yards. Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., New York. Special Scientific Report No. 233, U.S. Dept. of Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston. Robbins, Chandler S., Bertel Bruun and Hervert S. Zim.