Everything for our outdoor birds!

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Outdoor birds are animals of all of us and they can really use our help! Where we used to only support the birds in the winter, this is now necessary almost all year round. This is because there are fewer insects, we have built much more and the natural habitat of many birds is shrinking.

In the spring and summer, proteins are necessary for the outdoor birds

Birds are busy in spring and summer building nests and raising their offspring. They need more protein during this period to strengthen and to maintain energy for the young. Birds need more protein during the breeding season. This can be done in the form of: Dried mealworms , Dried amphipods , Dried locusts , Dried insect mix, Dried silkworms.

In winter, fat is needed for the outdoor birds

For the winter, outdoor birds need fat to grow a layer of bacon. This layer of bacon protects the animals against the cold. It is good to start with fat seeds at the end of September/October so that the animals can optimally prepare for the winter.

What should you not feed outdoor birds?

As tempting as it is, outdoor birds should not be fed human food scraps. Outdoor birds have a specific nutritional requirement that unfortunately does not match our food. Bread or dairy products are also not suitable for outdoor birds.

How do you make the Dutch garden garden animal-friendly?

Many Dutch gardens are tiled and have fences. Often poison is also sprayed. These are all circumstances in which garden animals do not feel at home and will stay far away. That is a shame because all the gardens in the Netherlands together form an area that is five times the size of the Oostvaardersplassen. Fortunately, more and more people are making their garden pet-friendly! What is often a challenge here is the "how". How do you make your garden pet-friendly? We are happy to help with that!

Attract birds and other animals with food

We all know the fat balls that are hung outside for the birds in winter, but did you know that birds can also be fed naturally by means of:

Flowers: Birds may not eat flowers, but they do eat the insects that come to the flowers and later the birds eat the seeds that fall from the flowers.
Shrubs and trees that give fruit, berries or nuts.
A lawn where the birds can find larvae and worms
Do not clean up fallen leaves . There is a lot of life under the leaves such as insects, worms, beetles, all of which are eaten by the birds

Making the garden safe for birds

Hiding places are very important for birds. The animals must be able to hide from predators such as cats or sparrowhawks. A shelter can be very natural, for example a dense plant, shrub or ivy are perfect!

Help little birds during nesting season

Birds make nests. Each bird has its own way and place for this, but we can help the birds very well by offering them a nesting box, for example. This way the birds can make their nest in a place that is very safe and they can come back to the same place every year. Not all birds will take up residence in a nesting box, it is the so-called "cave brooders" who do.

Every bird has its own wishes when it comes to the nesting box and the entrance opening

Our houses are now nicely finished and cracks and holes are almost impossible to find, which also presents a challenge for the birds, because they can no longer nest in and near the house.

The greatest chance of success has a nest box that hangs on the "Northeast".

Then it doesn't blow and rain so much indoors. Never hang the nest box in full sun, as the birds do not like that because it gets too hot. You must also provide a clear flight path, so no obstacles directly in front of the entrance to the nesting box. In the fall, when the nest box is no longer used by the birds, it is a good idea to clean it with boiling hot water.

Attract many different birds through a lot of variety

You can attract most garden animals by adding a lot of variety to your garden or balcony. A nice bonus is that you not only attract many garden animals, but also insects, bees and butterflies, which in turn ensures a nice diversity. It is best to view the garden in layers. Ground cover plants, semi-tall plants and dense shrubs or trees. If you really want to go crazy and drive the animals crazy, plant a berry hedge, then you have a party in your garden! But different types of shrubs in succession that are in bloom at different times of the year also do very well and you have many animals in the garden at different times of the year.

A few good examples are: Gelderse Rose, Privet, Firethorn, Blackthorn, Elderberry and Cardinal's Hat.

• Turn your garden or balcony into a bird paradise!
• Hang or place or screw (on the railing) a nice water bowl
• Place pots or, if there is more space, a vegetable garden container with flowers or herbs
• Place a small raspberry or other berry bush in a pot
• Grow a climbing plant along the yard divider or balcony
• Hang a nest box in the shade for blue tits or great tits, for example, with a 3-in-1 house sparrow nest box under the eaves
• Hang up a feed silo, we have very nice ones in our outdoor bird category

What are the most famous outdoor birds that we see in our garden?

The blackbird

The Latin name for the blackbird is Turdus merula. While a male has glossy, deep black plumage and an orange beak, the female's plumage is rather inconspicuous, being a subtle grey-brown. The adult blackbird is up to 25 cm long and weighs about 110 grams. The residence of the blackbird is in dense creepers, as well as shrubs and evergreens, as well as dense trees. For food blackbirds like insects, snails, beetles, earthworms, seeds, fruits and berries . Blackbirds can live up to 9 years old in the wild (however, this is not an average age as many of our wild birds perish in their first year of life).

The Great Tit

The Latin name of the great tit is Parus major. The typical characteristic of the great tit is the yellow belly with a black vertical stripe. This stripe is narrower in the female than in the male. Her head and throat are also black, her cheeks are white. The yellow body color of females is generally paler than that of males. Characteristic of the blue tit: the blue tit wears a white "headband". The great tit is about 15 cm long and weighs about 20 grams. Great tits like to build their nests in caves as a place to stay. They also happily accept nest boxes . Favorites on the menu are insects, spiders, worms, fruits and seeds with a high oil content . In the wild, the great tit can live up to 10 years (however, this is not an average age as many of our wild birds die in their first year of life).

The Robin

The Latin name for the robin is Erithacus rubecula. This chubby bird is instantly recognizable by its orange-red coloration on the neck and chest. The sides of the neck and chest are bluish-gray. Its beak is remarkably narrow. The size is up to 14 cm and the weight is approximately up to 19 grams. The robin likes to build its home close to the ground, in bushes and undergrowth, but also in hedges, holes in walls or hollow tree stumps. It prefers to feed on insects, larvae and fruits, snails and spiders, worms and beetles . In the wild, the robin can live up to 11 years (However, this is not an average age as many of our wild birds perish in their first year of life)

The Wren

The latin name of the wren is Troglodytes troglodytes. There are no external distinguishing features between males and females. Both are feathered in a rusty brown color. The wren likes to carry its tail upright. It also has a small, pointed beak that allows it to fish insects out of any crevice with ease. With a size of only 10 cm and a weight of 10 grams, it is one of the smallest birds in Europe. Due to its short wings, it is not one of the best fliers and therefore jumps around a lot on the ground or in the bushes. But he is a gifted and very hardworking (as well as loud) singer. As a place to stay, these birds like to build cozy and round nests with a soft interior of feathers and moss. Favorite food sources are insects, larvae, spiders, flies . In the wild, the wren can live up to 5 years old (not an average age as many of our wild birds perish in their first year of life)

The Song Thrush

The Latin name of the song thrush is Turdus philomelos. The song thrush's back is brown and its belly is mottled with cream. The body length is up to 23 cm and their weight up to 90 grams. The special thing about this song thrush is its melodious song, which can be heard even at night. As a place of residence, he prefers coniferous forests, as well as dense undergrowth. It likes to line its nest with rotten pieces of wood, damp earth and loamy soil. The song thrush can often be found in natural gardens that provide many insects as a food source. For food, he prefers insects, larvae, snails, worms . In the wild, the song thrush can live up to 14 years (however, this is not an average age as many of our wild birds perish in their first year of life).

The crow

The latin name of the carrion crow is Corvus corone. The entire plumage of the carrion crow is jet black and unmarked. This distinguishes it from its Eastern European twin, the hooded crow, which also has gray feathers in its plumage. They are up to 51 cm long and weigh up to 670 grams.
Black crows not only settle in parks, gardens and forests, but we can even find them in built-up areas in large cities. They build their nests in forests, in twigs as well as in tall trees and various masts. Their food consists of insects and worms, snails, larvae, small vertebrates . This species also likes fruit and even kitchen scraps .
In the wild, the carrion crow can live up to 19 years (however, this is not an average age as many of our wild birds perish in their first year of life).

The blackhead

The Latin name of the blackcap is Sylvia atricapilla. The plumage of this bird consists of a brown-gray upper surface. The rest of the body is gray. The top of the head is black in the male and rusty brown in the female. And that's why it looks like this bird species wears a monk's cap. The blackcap is about 13 cm long and weighs about 20 grams. The blackcap's favorite territory is semi-shaded parks with lots of shrubs and natural gardens. It usually builds its nest close to the ground in dense bushes and preferably in nettles.
In addition to berries and fruits , they seek insects, larvae and spiders for food. Since this bird likes to eat the juice of the mistletoe , it is one of the mistletoe spreaders.
In the wild, the blackcap can live up to 5 years (however, this is not an average age as many of our wild birds die in their first year of life).

The Tree Nuthatch

The Latin name of the nuthatch is Sitta europaea. Its short head sits on a short neck. It has a pointed and long beak and a short tail. The color of its belly is rusty brown, its back has blue plumage. On the outside of his eyes, he has a black stripe on both sides that resembles a mask. A characteristic of the nuthatch is that it can run along a tree trunk to fish hidden insects from the bark. It grows up to 15 cm long and weighs up to 25 grams. As a nesting place, the nuthatch likes to take over old nest holes from other birds, or nest in nest boxes, which it usually closes with clay at the entrance. Hence the name "Klever". For food, it prefers spiders, insects, tree seeds, beechnuts . In the wild, the nuthatch can live up to 9 years (however, this is not an average age as many of our wild birds perish in their first year of life).

The House Sparrow

The Latin name of the house sparrow is Passer domesticus. Color-wise, males differ from the female's pale, dull brown markings and her light brown underparts with a black throat, pale cheeks, and an ash gray color at the center parting, as well as a brown back plumage. The sparrow has a relatively large head, is up to 16 cm long and weighs up to about 30 grams. The home of the house sparrow can be found under roof tiles, in gutters, in caves, niches, nesting boxes or in crevices in walls and other buildings. The sparrow likes to fill its nest with feathers. The house sparrow loves to bathe. It is therefore advisable to place sufficiently large birdbaths in the garden or on the balcony. For food, it likes seeds and grains, fruits, berries and insects . In the wild, the House Sparrow can live up to 15 years (However, this is not an average age, as many of our wild birds perish in their first year of life).

The European Canary

The Latin name of the Canary is Serinus Serinus. The plumage of the male is streaked grey-yellow, the rump, chest and forehead are yellow and the tail is forked. The females are slightly larger, paler and browner. The size of a European Canary is about 11 cm, the weight is a delicate 13 grams. The typical identifying feature of the Canary is its miniature size (it is the smallest native finch) and its thick, short beak. This bird was nicknamed "glass cutter" for its ringing, high-pitched song. This bird prefers to build its nest in natural gardens on the outskirts of cities, more specifically in shrubs, dense conifers and climbing plants. The Canary likes to use grass, roots, moss and animal hair to make its nest comfortable. As a source of food it searches for wild herb seeds, buds, young shoots and perennials and in summer it likes to eat insects .
In the wild, the European Canary can live up to 5 years (however, this is not an average age as many of our wild birds perish in their first year of life).