National Bird Feeding Month – Proclamation by the Honorable John Edward Porter of Illinois in the U.S. House of Representatives
“Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize February, one of the most difficult months in the United States for wild birds, as National Bird Feeding Month. During this month, individuals are encouraged to provide food, water, and shelter to help wild birds survive. This assistance benefits the environment by supplementing wild bird’s natural diet of weed seeds and insects. Currently, one third of the U.S. adult population feeds wild birds in their backyards.
In addition, Mr. Speaker, backyard bird feeding is an entertaining, educational, and inexpensive pastime enjoyed by children and adults. Bird feeding provides a needed break from today’s frantic lifestyles. Adults enjoy the relaxation and peacefulness afforded by watching birds — nature serves to relieve the stress and can get one’s day going on a tranquil note.
Young children are naturally drawn to the activities involved in feeding wild birds, which can serve as excellent educational tools. Children can identify different species of birds with a field guide and can learn about the birds’ feeding and living habits. These observations can then provide excellent research opportunities for school projects and reports.
Feeding wild birds in the backyard is an easy hobby to start and need not overtax the family budget. It can be as simple as mounting a single feeder outside a window and filling it with bird seed mix. For many people, the hobby progresses from there. They discover the relationship between the type and location of feeders, and the seeds offered in them, and the number and varieties of birds attracted. Parents can challenge an inquisitive child’s mind as they explore together these factors in trying to encourage visits by their favorite birds.”
The Wild Bird Habitat Stores encourages people to make winter a little easier
for wild birds by providing food, water and shelter.
Consider that:
– A typical backyard bird doesn’t weigh as much as two nickels.
– Birds spend most their waking hours searching for food during shortened winter days
– They may consume 1/4 of their body weight overnight just keeping warm enough to survive.
– They’re outside all the time, day and night, in sleet, snow, wind and extreme cold
The resolution noted that one-third of the adult population feeds wild birds in their backyards. Providing food, water and shelter helps birds survive, benefits the environment and supplements wild birds’ natural diet of weed seeds and harmful insects.
Backyard bird feeding is an entertaining, educational and inexpensive pastime that can be enjoyed by children and adults. It provides a needed break from today’s frantic lifestyles that pull families apart.
Feeding wild birds in the backyard is an easy hobby to start, and can be as simple as mounting a single feeder outside a window and filling it with a good-quality bird seed mix or just straight black oil sunflower seed. This feeder can be a hopper, platform or tubular variety, or one that sticks to the window.