Downy vs Hairy Woodpecker: The Bill-Length Test
Two black-and-white woodpeckers that look nearly identical. The bill-to-head test sorts most of them in seconds, and size, tail feathers and calls settle the rest.
5 min read
The Backyard Field Guide
Know every bird at your feeder.
Plain-English guides to attracting backyard birds, feeding them well, telling them apart, and watching them up close.
Older guides
Types of Bird Feeders: A Plain-English Comparison
Tube, hopper, platform, suet, finch and nectar feeders each suit different birds. Here is what each one holds, who uses it, and how much upkeep it needs.
6 min read
Why Are Birds Not Coming to My Feeder Anymore?
A quiet feeder is usually a seasonal lull, a hawk, stale seed or a change in the yard. Here is how to tell which, and what to do about each one.
6 min read
When to Take Down Hummingbird Feeders in Fall
Leave nectar out until two weeks after your last hummingbird. Regional timing, the migration myth, and how to clean feeders before you store them.
6 min read
Bird Feeder Camera Without Subscription: What Still Works
Live view, alerts and card recording usually work with no plan. Here is what a subscription adds, and what to check before you buy or cancel.
6 min read
How to Attract Woodpeckers to Your Yard: Suet and Dead Wood
Suet near a tree trunk, unsalted peanuts, and a dead limb left standing: the setup that brings downy, hairy and red-bellied woodpeckers to a yard.
6 min read
How to Place a Squirrel Baffle So Squirrels Can’t Jump It
Height, distance and what hangs where: how to place a pole or dome baffle so squirrels cannot climb it, jump over it, or drop onto the feeder.
6 min read
Backyard Birds of Ohio: Cardinals, Chickadees, Goldfinches
Which birds visit Ohio yards, and when? A season-by-season guide to Ohio's feeder birds, from year-round cardinals and chickadees to winter juncos and summer hummingbirds.
5 min read
Bird Bath Placement: Shade, Height and Cover
Where to put a bird bath so birds feel safe using it: partial shade, cover a short flight away, open ground at the rim, and the right height.
5 min read
What to Feed Birds in Winter: High-Energy Foods That Help
Suet, black oil sunflower, peanuts and millet give winter birds the energy to get through cold nights. Here is what to offer, when, and how to keep it safe.
6 min read
How to Attract More Birds to My Yard: A Practical Plan
Food brings birds in, but water, cover and nest sites make them stay. A practical plan for more birds, and more kinds of birds, in any yard.
6 min read
Bird Feeder Camera Keeps Going Offline? Fix It Step by Step
An offline feeder camera is losing power or losing WiFi. Work through battery, 2.4 GHz band, signal, router and interference to get it back online.
6 min read