This entry was posted on Tuesday, October 7th, 2008 at 10:01 pm and is filed under Bird Feeders, Bird Information, Feeding. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
October 7, 2008
One of the lesser known ways to attract birds is by putting out eggshells. Female birds, drained of calcium by egg-laying, eagerly consume them. Blue Jays appear to be the most common and certainly the most conspicuous species to take eggshells. Blue Jays monopolize eggshell resources year-round but most birds come to the eggshells.
After laying eggs in the spring, female songbirds often lack calcium. You can help them replenish this important nutrient by providing your leftover eggshells. Simply rinse the eggshells in plain water, dry them, and then bake on a cookie sheet at 250F for about 30 minutes. After cooling, crush the eggshells into small pieces. These little tidbits of calcium are then ready to be placed in platform bird feeders, along a deck railing, or scattered on the ground. Many songbird species, including insect eaters that normally don’t visit bird feeders, may be drawn to your yard by eggshell offerings. In fact, your backyard may become so popular that you will have to beg eggshells from your favorite diner.
What a great way to recycle your eggshells!
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