Juncos are one of those small, winter birds that people throughout the United States love. These birds winter in the United States and during the spring and summer spend their time in the northern portion of the country and Canada. Did you know that you can attract juncos to your backyard by using a garden birdbath? These social little birds are happy to splash around and have fun with you watching from afar.
The Junco
If you hope to attract the junco, offer the right type of bird food, provide a bird bath or alternate water source, and make sure the bird has access to nesting materials in the area. Here are some general tips to get you started:
* The junco is a ground feeder. Platform bird feeders placed on the ground will go a long way in enticing the junco to visit your backyard.
* Make sure to provide them with the right type of bird food. The junco tends to prefer sunflower hearts, cracked corn and millet. Millet seed is the best choice if your primary goal is to attract juncos. Make sure to keep the seed fresh and the supply plentiful.
* The junco will predominantly consume seed but during breeding season you will find them consuming insects. This makes suet a good option as long as you keep it close enough to the ground that the birds will get to it. Of course, having suet close to the ground poses the risk of ants and other creatures getting at the suet as well.
Provide this to the birds and you will be one-step closer to having them in your backyard on a regular basis.
Utilizing the Birdbath
A garden birdbath is one of those extra features that will draw these birds into your garden. Ensure that the birds have access to clean, fresh water for the best results. This works not only on the Junco but is a great way to drive many different bird species into your area. Make sure to choose a bird bath that is shallow, as birds need to be able to reach the bottom of the bath. You also want to ensure that the bottom of the garden bird bath is not slippery. You can do this by adding a few stones to the bottom, which also raises the water level. If you do invest in one, consider those that feature running water as this will lure in the junco and other bird species more quickly and easily.
A garden birdbath is one of the easiest ways to bring these birds into your backyard. What is important, though, is that you keep supplying these items to ensure that the birds keep coming back.
YourBirdOasis.com offers a wide variety of bird food, bird baths, and suet. Check out our bird food supplies here: http://www.yourbirdoasis.com/featured-bird-supplies-bird-food.html
Image of Dark-eyed Junco by Darin Ziegler
