Archive for the ‘Bird Houses’ Category

Earth Day sale at USA Bird Supply: Save 15% off recycled bird products until April 24th

Tuesday, April 19th, 2011

By Christine A. SmyczynskiScreen shot 2011-04-19 at 4.43.56 PM

Since we celebrate Earth Day in April, I thought I’d highlight some of the “green” products found at USA Bird Supply. And, until April 24th, they are running an online only special. Order from the website using the code GoGreen, and you will receive 15% off your order.

Go green with some of their recycled feeder, many made with recycled plastic. Not only are these feeders environmentally friendly, they are durable and actually safer for the birds, because they won’t attract mold and mildew like some wooden feeders.

USA Bird Supply has over two dozen different recycled feeders to choose from, such as the Woodlink GGPRO02 Going Green Recycled Large Premium Feeder with Suet Cages ($54.99), which holds up to 5 ½ pounds of seed and has two suet cages. If you prefer a tube feeder, check out Woodlink’s Going Green Thistle Tube Feeder ($37.99), made of recycled plastic. It holds 2 pounds of nyjer seed and has four feeding ports with perches.

Want to attract orioles? Check out Bird’s Choice Recycled Oriole Feeder ($37.99), which holds jelly and orange halves. This bright orange feeder is made from 5/8” poly lumber, a recycled plastic product. USA Bird Supply also has a couple of “green” birdhouses on the website, both made by Woodlink. The Woodlink Going Green Wren House ($29.99) resembles a wooden birdhouse; however, it is actually made from durable and mold resistant recycled plastic.

Woodlink also makes a Going Green Big Bluebird House ($39.99), which has the approval of the North American Bluebird Association. It has the perfect size hold for bluebirds, which keeps larger birds and predators out. The front panel opens for easy cleaning.

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Decorative Bird Houses

Tuesday, April 12th, 2011

By Christine A. Smyczynski

While many of the of bird houses carried by USA Bird Supply are very functional, durable, and weather resistant, they also carry some houses that can be considered garden art. These houses are designed to add charm to your home and garden. While many of them can be used by birds as actual shelter, some are so nice you may want to display them indoors or in an enclosed porch, so you can maintain their beauty.

Most of the rustic wooden bird houses carried at USA Bird Supply are created by artists at Primitives by Kathy. Many of these houses feature weathered looking whitewashed wood with country colors as accents. Some of the designs include a mini rustic church bird house ($13.88), which has a green roof. A mini rustic bird house ($14) also comes with a green roof, as does the mini decorative steeple bird house ($12.63). If you want to go all out, get a Birdie Highrise Bird House ($104.99) which has three separate “apartments.” The Virginia Store Bird House ($74.99) resembles an old-time country store.

USA Bird Supply also carries a selection of adorable portly ceramic bird houses made by Evergreen in a variety of designs. All of them retail for $12.99. Choose from mallard, chickadee, bluebird, finch, cardinal, or hummingbird. Be sure to visit www.usabirdsupply.com to check out these and other decorated bird houses.

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Offer your feathered friends some nesting materials

Thursday, March 24th, 2011

By Christine A. Smyczynski

While birds can usually find materials, like sticks, feathers, fur, straw, mud, and other natural materials to create their nests, you can make their job easier by providing appropriate nesting materials for them. Hang these from a tree, shrub, or bush and the birds will gladly make a nest in your yard.

USA Bird Supply carries a variety of materials to choose from. Songbird Essentials makes several products, including an 8 ounce bag of all-natural nesting materials ($7.99) that includes feathers, string, cotton, hemp, and aspen fiber. Place the material in a birdhouse or empty suet cage for them to pick at.

If you want to attract hummingbirds, get Songbird Essentials Hummer Helper Cage and Nesting Materials ($11.99). This 61/2’ x 11” metal cage is filled with soft, natural materials that hummingbirds, goldfinch, and titmice love to line their nests with. In nature, hummers prefer spider webs and lichen to make their tiny nests and this blend of natural materials is the next best thing. Refills are available for $5.99.

Songbird Essentials also makes a Nesting Material Wreath ($16.59). Hang this decorative wreath, crafted of feathers, straw, fur, and other fibers, on a door, post, tree, or clothesline and watch birds flock to your yard.

Heritage Farms makes a Bird Nester Wire ($11.99). Made of wire and wood, this container is filled with a variety of soft nesting materials. It’s ready to hang from a tree or shrub. A refill pack is available for $3.79.

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Bluebirds: A sign that spring is on the way

Thursday, March 17th, 2011

By Christine A. Smyczynski

Bluebirds, often considered a sign of springtime, will soon be returning to the north and they will be looking for nesting sites. Since there is a shortage of natural cavities, like dead trees and fence posts, for them to nest in, they are often dependent on people who put out nesting boxes to attract bluebirds to their property. Bluebirds mainly feed on insects in spring and summer, so they are popular with farmers and gardeners.

Bluebirds generally return north by mid-March and by mid-April they have begun to build their nests and soon will be laying eggs. The young hatch in May, about a month later.

Nesting boxes are best placed in open areas; bluebirds generally nest in rural areas or in sparsely populated suburban areas. Boxes should be mounted 4 to 5 feet above the ground on 6 foot pipes. If you have more than one box, they should be placed 100 yards apart, as bluebirds are very territorial.

However, Tree Swallows, who are more aggressive then the bluebird, also like to nest in bluebird boxes. If you have had swallows take over the bluebird boxes in the past, you may want to place two bluebird boxes 5 to 8 feet apart, one for the swallows and one for the bluebirds. Swallows will not nest near another swallow nest, so the one box will be free for the bluebirds.

USA Bird Supply has a number of bluebird nesting boxes and houses. Droll Yankees Bluebird House ($59.99) is a high quality wooden nesting box that is just the right size for bluebirds. If you want to add a bit of decoration to your yard, Droll Yankees makes a decorated nest box ($84.99) with two designs: a mama bird feeding her young or wildflowers and butterflies.

The Heath Bluebird House ($9.99) is made of redwood and it has a 1 ½” hole, just the right size for bluebirds. The front panel unscrews easily for mounting and cleaning. Heath also makes another bluebird house out of heavy duty lumber ($19.99), which is suitable for year-round shelter. The side tilts open for viewing and cleaning.

The Perky Pet Cedar Bluebird House ($19.99) is made out of natural cedar, a natural insect repellent. Its attractive A-frame design will make a nice addition to your yard. Woodlink also makes an A-frame bluebird house ($39.99) which has a blue roof and a laser etching of a bluebird on the front. Woodlink’s Natural Cedar Bluebird House with a copper top ($49.99) also has a laser etching of a bluebird on the front.

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New Years resolutions for the backyard birder

Monday, January 3rd, 2011

By Christine A. Smyczynski

It’s a new year and you’ve probably made all sorts of resolutions. Here are a few suggestions of some resolutions for the backyard birder that will make for a healthy and happy New Year for your feathered friends.

Set up a bird feeder or feeders in your yard. Feeders come in all shapes and sizes, so first you must decide what type of bird you want to attract and get the appropriate feeder and accompanying feed, whether it is a suet cake, seeds, or nectar. Check out USA Bird Supply which has close to 500 different bird feeders to choose from.

Remember to keep your feeder filled. Once you have a feeder, you have to remember to keep it filled. Again, USA Bird Supply has over 80 different varieties of feed on their website, including seeds, seed cakes, suet cakes, thistle socks, nectar, and more.

Provide a home for you feathered friends. Bird houses are often species specific, so first you have to choose what types of birds you want to attract. Naturally, you should have a feeder that will attract those birds too. Over 100 different types of houses are available from USA Bird Supply, priced from under $20 to over $200.

Keep your feeder clean. Feeders must be kept clean to have healthy birds. Some of the tools available include a Droll Yankees Bird Feeder Brush ($9.99) and a tiny brush to clean a hummingbird feeder ($3.49).

Get binoculars to watch the birds your feeders and birdhouses will attract. The best way to see birds up close without disturbing them is to invest in a good pair of binoculars, which should be lightweight and have good focus. Check out the three models of aspen binoculars found on the USA Bird Supply website, which range in price from $71.99-$103.99.

Feed the squirrels. Squirrels love to raid bird feeders, which results in them scaring the birds away, gobbling up all the feed, and generally making a mess. You can keep the squirrels out of the bird’s feeder by setting up their own special squirrel feeder in a separate part of your yard. Squirrels love to eat seeds, fruit, nuts and corn cobs. See the website for what’s available.

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Preparing for Purple Martins

Wednesday, December 22nd, 2010

By Christine A. Smyczynski

Spring is still a few months away, but it’s not too early to think about which
houses and feeders to have on hand before the spring migration. If your passion is Purple
Martins, this is the time to stock up on Purple Martin houses and gourds, which are 15%
off select items until December 31st at USA Bird Supply.

Purple Martins generally make their nests in wooden, plastic, or aluminum houses,
as well as plastic gourds which backyard birders place in their yards. Purple Martins are
the only bird species totally dependent on humans to supply them with nesting material. It
has been said that if people stopped putting out Purple Martin houses and gourds, the
species would probably disappear as a breeding bird in North America.

USA Bird Supply has over a dozen different houses and gourds available on their
site www.usabirdsupply.com. Houses range from a 12 Room Plastic Purple Martin House
made by Heath Outdoor Products, which retails for $46.95, to a huge Quad Pod System
that allows you to stack 16 Purple Martin houses per pole for $152.99.

If you prefer to put out gourds to attract Purple Martins, Heath Outdoor Products
makes several including at 13.5” Aluminum Cross Purple Martin Pole Kit with 4 gourds,
retailing for $59.80. If you want something larger, Heath also makes a 15” Aluminum
Cross Purple Martin Pole Kit with 8 gourds, retailing for $107.10.

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Giving a hoot about owls

Wednesday, October 27th, 2010

By Christine A. Smyczynski

Many people are fascinated with owls because they seem so much different than other birds. This nocturnal bird is often associated with Halloween, so this is the perfect week to post some information about this unique bird.

There are actually over 220 known species of owls in the world, which belong to the Order Strigiformes. Owls range in size from the 4” tall Least Pygmy Owl to the 28” tall Eurasian Eagle Owl. The only place you won’t find owls is in Antarctica. In Western New York the most common owls seen are Great Horned owls, barred owls, eastern Screech owls, northern saw-whet owls, barn owls, short-eared owls, and long-eared owls.

Here are some interesting owl facts. An owl has very good hearing; it can hear a mouse 60 feet away. The owl also has the ability to open and close it ears. Those tufts of feathers on the top of their head that look like ears are not their ears; the ears are actually located behind the facial disc. While owls are known for their hoot, they also screech, scream, whistle, purr, and hiss.

Owls have three sets of eyelids, which come in handy to protect their huge eyes. They can’t move their eyeballs, yet they can turn its face upside down and can turn its head to look behind its back.

Owls, which are birds of prey, can fly almost silently, which is good for them but bad for their prey. They feed on a variety of prey: small mammals, other birds, reptiles, and insects. They don’t have teeth, so they either swallow their prey whole or tear it into pieces.

USA Bird Supply now carries a Coveside Saw-Whet/Screech Owl House in their store and on their website. This owl house is the perfect size for the small saw-whet and screech owls. Order the house online and receive 10% off. Visit www.usabirdsupply.com/owl-product-sale to learn more.

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Backyard Birding Has Gone Green

Tuesday, June 22nd, 2010

By Christine A. Smyczynski

If you enjoy attracting birds to your yard, you probably love nature and want to protect and preserve it. One way you can accomplish this is to use a backyard feeder made from recycled materials, like plastic milk jugs and recycled glass. However, these items have progressed from the homemade variety made by young children out of actually milk jugs or glass bottles. These products are manufactured new from the recycled materials.

These products are actually superior to wooden feeders, as they do not rot and they are easier to clean. They just need to be wiped down with a bleach and water solution. These recycled feeders are also more durable than wood and regular plastic feeders and will not fade or warp when exposed to the elements.

USA Bird Supply carries several types of these environmentally safe feeders and birdhouses on their website http://www.seedcake.com. The Woodlink Going Green Big Bluebird House ($37.99) is constructed with up to 90% recycled plastic and has a surface on which mold a bacteria are unable to grow.

Woodlink also makes a Wren House from 90% recycled materials ($29.99). Both of these birdhouses have tilting sides, so you can clean it easily. To see the complete collection of birdhouses and feeders made from recycled materials, visit http://www.usabirdsupply.com or stop by the retail store at 11163 Main Street in Clarence, NY.

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Wholesale Spotlight: Heath Purple Martin Gourds

Friday, May 7th, 2010

Heath Purple Martin GourdPurple martin season is in session and martins are counting on people to provide safe, dependable homes for their families. Heath Outdoor Products meets these requirements with their convenient 2-piece purple martin gourds. Each gourd features a natural hue, reducing heat build-up to keep martins safe and comfortable. The starling-resistant gourds also come in sets of 4, 6 or 8, grouped for use with Heath’s purple martin gourd pole kits.

Click here to read more about Heath purple martin gourds on USABirdSupply.com, then follow the link below to apply for exclusive access to view our wholesale catalog and pricing.

Click here or call (877) 710-4946 to apply for wholesale pricing.

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