Birds are amazing creatures to watch. Indeed birdwatchers spend an eternity just watching them.
Birds spend most of their time hopping from tree to tree in search of food. Sometimes they clash with farmers when they target crops and livestock for consumption.
But they are friendly creatures that deserve respect and care.
“I used to bypass birds with little care, but after I studied their lifestyle in college, I developed a strong desire to protect them,” says Jonah Lang’at, a conservation student at one of the colleges in Nairobi.
Ornithologists will tell you that birds are in touch with nature as they can accurately foretell the future and easily predict good or bad changes in the environment.
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Unfortunately, many people think bird watching is for the upper classes.
But anyone can enjoy the beauty of birds in their backyard. Their incredible range of songs and beautiful colours can be calming. Besides, environmentalists say, birds manage nature’s population of insects, for example grasshoppers, which can be a threat to crops and even flowers. They also eat worms and aphids. Nectar-sipping species of birds pollinate flowering plants as they move from one plant to another.
You can start attracting birds to your backyard by putting some grain in a convenient place in your compound, says Paul Koross.
You may be lucky to catch the attention of a number of birds species on your doorstep.
David Kimani, who owns a popular countryside resort on the outskirts of Narok Town says attracting birds to his premises has boosted business.
“My resort is just a stone’s throw away from the busy Nairobi-Kisumu highway and I usually receive very tired urban dwellers who stop over for a drink. To make the place look like the wild countryside, I built it within a forest of indigenous trees. The place would not be complete without birds. I set up a feeding area for them and they come in swarms. Visitors love watching them and they take wonderful pictures of the birds as they hop from twig to twig,” says David.
Grains like maize, finger millet, wheat and rice are birds’ favourite foods.
They are best served when crushed and soaked in water. Bread crumbs are also popular.
Ensure that there is enough clean, drinking water for refreshment and a bath.
Birds dip themselves in water and run water through their feathers to cool their bodies.
Equipment for the bird feeding area need not be expensive.
Cylindrical containers sliced into half and placed in shallow holes dug in the ground for convenient positioning of feeds and water are perfect.
If you make it a routine, the bird population will increase day by day until you have a mini bird sanctuary.
Avoid giving the birds stale food for they have taste buds too and if they dislike your choice of food, they may desert your feeding area for good.
Exotic foods may be strange for the local birds. Use fresh foodstuffs.
Placing your feeder in the open can expose your birds to the danger of predators and poaching, which can scare them away.
If possible, put it in a shady area and fence it off to protect it from intruders.
Once your neighbours see the beautiful birds in your backyard, they will also do the same.
Imagine the chorus of singing birds in the neighbourhood! Priceless.
