Birding & Wildlife

A bird bath is the simplest way to bring more birds into your yard. A reliable source of clean water is harder for birds to find than food — especially in dry summers and freezing winters — and a good bath will attract species that never visit your feeder. We set up seven bird baths across different backyards over three months, tracking how often birds used them, how much maintenance they needed, and how they held up against weather and the local squirrel population. ...

I put up my first bird feeder seven years ago — a cheap plastic tube from a big box store. Squirrels destroyed it within a month. The second feeder was steel-reinforced. The squirrels jumped from the roof instead. I’ve since learned that good bird feeders are built around two realities: birds are picky about where they eat, and squirrels will test every weakness in your setup. We tested 7 feeders and houses across four categories — tube, hopper, suet, and nest boxes — to find the ones that actually keep birds fed and squirrels frustrated. ...