How does FeederSong work?

Birds are naturally curious, and when they hear other birds chattering they want to see what the excitement is about. This curiosity helps the birds survive...by tuning in on and joining a group of birds at a feeder, they are able to easily find food. Most feeder birds are very social and will almost always join a group of birds feeding, even when the group includes a number of different species. The FeederSong CD mimics a group of birds chattering at a feeder...birds in the area hear the chatter, come to see what is happening, and find your feeder. They in turn start chattering, other birds hear them, and pretty soon your feeder is the most popular in the neighborhood!

How long will it take to attract birds?

Your results will of course vary with where you live, the location of your feeders, the type of food you are providing, and many other factors, but in general you should see activity at your feeder within three to five days. Playing the CD each morning and evening will give you the best chance of attracting birds. Even if you start to see birds the first day, continue to play the CD for a few days since some birds move around in their territory.

When should I play the CD?

Most birds like to feed in the morning, just around sunrise, and again in the evening at sunset. Best results will be when you play the CD during those peak feeding times, but you can also play it during the day. Some birds such as chickadees and titmice will feed all day long.

How loudly should I play the CD?

Birds have excellent hearing, and will be able to hear the FeederSong CD from quite far away. Play the CD loudly enough that you can hear the songs from about 50 to 100 paces away, but not so loudly that the songs become distorted.

What if I just want to attract one kind of bird?

The FeederSong CD includes individual song tracks for each of the twelve most common feeder birds in addition to the FeederSong chorus of birds. You can use any or all of these tracks to attract a particular bird to your feeder. If, for example, you want to only attract goldfinches, find the goldfinch track on the CD and set your CD player to 'loop' or 'repeat', then play the track for five to ten minutes in the morning and evening.

How did you choose the birds on the CD?

We compiled publically available statistical databases that record the frequency, number, group size, and other habits of feeder birds across fifteen regions of the United States. Then we analyzed the data to create our list of the most common birds at feeders in the country.

Where did you get the songs heard on the CD?

FeederSong licenses bird songs from The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, the largest provider of nature sounds in the country.

Copyright © 2006 FeederSong