You can buy everything you need to start feeding wild birds at a specialty bird store, but you don't need everything on the first day. A feeder, one seed and somewhere to hang them are enough to start; suet, squirrel protection and winter water can follow once birds are visiting. Urban Nature Store sells every stage of that setup at ten Ontario stores and online across Canada.
What Do You Need to Start Feeding Birds on Day One?
Day one needs three things: one feeder, one seed, and a place to hang or mount the feeder where you can see it from the room you use most. A feeder can hang from a tree branch on a branch hook, and a yard without a suitable tree can use a single or double shepherd's pole instead, according to Urban Nature Store's beginner's guide to bird feeding.
The guide to the best bird feeder for beginners compares the two simplest first feeders, a platform feeder and a small hopper, each paired with black oil sunflower seed.
What Should You Add After a Few Weeks?
After a few weeks, add whatever the birds at your feeder, and the animals around it, show you is missing. Buying in that order means each purchase answers a problem you've actually seen:
- Woodpeckers or nuthatches visiting: add suet, a high-fat cake of rendered beef fat and seed, in a wire suet cage. The Armstrong Birder's Choice Suet Cake ($3.95) is a 320 g cake made in Canada that fits a standard wire cage.
- Goldfinches visiting: add a finch feeder with very small ports and Nyjer (from $16.95), a tiny seed that mainly attracts finches.
- Squirrels emptying the feeder: add a baffle under a pole-mounted feeder. The 18-Inch Wrap-around Squirrel Baffle ($49.95) fits poles from ½ to 1 3/8 inches and wraps on without taking the feeders down.
What Do You Need Before Winter Starts?
Before the first hard freeze, plan for three things: water that won't freeze, more suet, and bigger seed bags. Urban Nature Store's guide to birds and water says open water in freezing weather can attract as many birds as a well-stocked feeder.
A de-icer keeps an existing bird bath open without replacing it: the Farm Innovators Heated Rock Bird Bath De-Icer ($96.95) uses 75 watts and carries a three-year warranty. Armstrong's suet cake page says suet is best fed during colder months, so it's worth stocking up. For seed, Black Oil Sunflower comes in 9 and 50 lb bags for store pickup as well as the 6 lb bag that ships.
Can You Buy Everything in One Trip or One Order?
Yes. Each of Urban Nature Store's ten stores, listed on the store locations page, carries feeders, seed, suet and squirrel baffles, so a day one setup and most later additions can come from the same store. Staff can also check which birds and squirrels you're dealing with before you buy the next piece.
Ordering online works for nearly everything; the main exceptions are the largest seed bags and a few bulky items, which are pickup only. Most Canadian orders over $125 ship free, so grouping a seasonal top-up, such as suet, a de-icer and a smaller seed bag, into one order is usually cheaper than several small ones.
How Can You Save Money Once You're Feeding Birds Regularly?
Seed is the ongoing cost of feeding birds, and Urban Nature Store's free Rewards Program is built around it. Members buy 10 bags of seed and get the 11th bag free, and earn 4% back in rebate dollars on all non-seed purchases such as feeders, suet and nest boxes. Joining is free, and store staff can sign you up in a moment at the counter, according to the store's own post on the program.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is fall or winter a bad time to start feeding birds?
No. Urban Nature Store's beginner's guide says any time is a good time to start. Starting in fall or winter just means adding suet and open water sooner, since those matter most in cold weather.
Do you need a pole to hang your first feeder?
Not if you have a suitable tree. A branch hook lets a feeder hang from a tree branch, and a shepherd's pole or a feeding station with several arms is the alternative for yards without one.
Which seed mixes do staff suggest for a first feeder?
Urban Nature Store's beginner's guide suggests one of three: Red Carpet Mix, a mix of three sunflower seeds, peanut halves and safflower; Fiesta Mix, with three sunflower seeds, cracked corn and white millet; or Sunflower Hearts, the store's best-selling seed, which leaves no shells under the feeder.
Can you join the Rewards Program on your first visit?
Yes. The Rewards Program is free, and store associates can sign you up during your first purchase, so your first seed bags can count toward the free 11th bag.
