The Backyard Birder’s Spring Checklist

It’s time for our Backyard Birder’s Spring Checklist! That means nesting season is underway and it’s time for you to get ready for the best backyard birding of the year.

Don’t miss out on the fun! Here are our best tips on how you can maximize your joy, minimize your effort and above all, best support your backyard birds well-being through nesting season and beyond.

Remember: You can help generations of wild birds by offering three simple elements, no matter how humble. Every backyard can be a ‘micro-habitat’ without a lot of fuss and expense. See our resource section ‘Backyard Habitats: Food + Water + Shelter = Habitat’.

Backyard Birder’s Spring Checklist: FOOD

The Backyard Birder's Spring Checklist includes advice on feeding Hummingbirds, including what kind of feeder to buy, how to make nectar and why Hummingbird feeding frenzy is on and activity seems to be peaking.

It’s Hummingbird Season and fresh nectar is essential! Feeders should be emptied and rinsed (no soap!) two to three times a week—or sooner if it looks cloudy—and refilled with fresh nectar. See our resource page about Hummingbirds for more, including an easy nectar recipe!
Clean feeders regularly! See ‘How to Clean a Bird Feeder‘.
Check for mold and clumpy seed, particularly after lots of rain. Hot soapy water is great for seed feeders. Soak. Scrub. Rinse well. Dry. Refill. See ‘Clean Feeders and Quality Food Matter’.
Keep shell debris at a minimum under your feeders. Accumulated shells may carry mold and mold can be deadly to ground feeding birds.

Backyard Birder’s Spring Checklist: WATER

The Backyard Birder's Spring Checklist - Enjoy the rewards of maintaining a bird bath: Juveniles discovering your bird bath for the first time.

It’s (always) all about water, water WATER! All wild birds need water for drinking and bathing year round. Bonus reward! Your bird bath is an opportunity to host birds not tempted by your seed feeders.

Keep the bath clean and the water fresh. Your bird bath is a welcome sight for migrants still arriving or passing through. It’s also a daily essential for your local nesting Moms and Dads.
Some of our best advice ever: make maintaining the bath easy for yourself. Put your bird bath where it’s convenient for you to fill and visible from your window. Not only will it make it easier for you to notice when the water is low or needs freshening, you’ll also have a front row seat to see your backyard birds at their best!
Enjoy some of the best possible backyard bird watching! It won’t be long before fledglings begin to venture out. Watching juniors discover your bird bath for the first time is one of the joyous rewards for maintaining a bird bath.

Backyard Birder’s Spring Checklist: SHELTER

The Backyard Birder's Spring Checklist: Is your bird house ready for nesting season? Don't miss out on the fun. The Backyard Naturalist store has bird houses (and everything you need to place them). A wide variety always in stock, including this Wren House.

Clean out your bird houses/nest boxes after each brood and they will nest again!! Cavity nesting birds have 2-3 broods a season. They prefer clean houses for each brood. See our resource, Placing and Maintaining Bird Houses.
Don’t prune during nesting season as most birds nest in dense shrubbery, bushes and trees. Please be aware and delay until Fall when possible. Wildlife rehabbers are seeing too many injured nestlings from pruning incidents.
Please, PLEASE don’t use pesticides, especially widespread spraying for mosquitoes. (See Mosquitoes, Bird Baths and Your Backyard).
Be aware: Birds, including Hummingbirds, feed their babies almost entirely on insects while in the nest.
Don’t let this happen to you: Pesticides kill all the beneficial insects and caterpillars, too! A healthy insect population is critical to a healthy backyard habitat. See our Earth Day blog post on more about pesticides and wild birds.