Personally, in my experience with bird feeders, they will bring diversity. But since there is no control over what type of birds will visit the feeder there is a probability that your feeder might breed invasive species. However, it must also be noted that roughly 30% of American birds have perished since 1970 so allowing population growth of any kind is crucial.
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I do my bird feeders for personal enjoyment. I also try to use mostly native plants in landscaping, and it does help–hummingbirds love the crossvine and trumpet vine and turk’s cap. Sparrows of all sorts like the assorted local sunflowers, etc.
I’ll even admit to kind of getting a frission when the local coopers hawks start stalking the doves.
The rats can be annoying but we have neighborhood foxes that keep them in check
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I would tailor the seed away from something the house sparrows don’t like, and enjoy the view.
We have been less than kind to the majority of the habitats of our feathered friends, and there’s so many man-made obstacles that impede and disrupt their migration patterns in the western hemisphere, I think the least we could do is offer a few of them a snack along their long journey.
Please keep the feeder as clean as best as possible, you never know who a properly stocked feeder will attract, I’ve seen obs. of species that folks hadn’t witnessed for 30 years in an area, drawn in by a well-deserved snack and a spot to rest.
if you’re interested in attracting hummingbirds, I’d advise as suggested above, to add some native plants to your area, that the local species’ enjoy, anything with pink or redish, tubular shaped flowers are ideal.
idk how much of a possibility that is in your climate, but you can always hide your plants in the garage or somewhere if it gets too cold.
Hummingbird feeders are cool, but I think it’s a big responsibility to maintain a very clean nectar feeder (you should discard the nectar and clean them every 2-3 days) to prevent any sort of contamination of the food for them, I can’t risk getting my friends sick, so I stick to flowers.
The huge black eyed susan vine in my neighbors yard and the adjacent field, in addition to my (cultivated) flowers do a fantastic job of supplying some sustenance for the local Sparkling Violetears that stop by daily.
I’m sure with your background, that you know your way around a camera, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t remind others that having birds around your feeders can be an incredible opportunity to improve your skills as a wildlife photographer. You can rest the filter of your lens on a window for stabilization, and often if the windows are tinted, it acts as “blind”… and also it gives you to experiment with the functions of your system and how to best tailor your gear for your situation, without the stress of programming or re-configuring your gear while you’re on the move or in the field.
when I have a lot of time off, and have days when I wont out observing, I keep my camera kit at an arms reach from the window, often with incredible results (incredible, for me, I know no one gives a flip about half of the species I see here :D)
I’m sure there’s a dozen studies that say the contrary to the above, but I feel a giving little snack out is the least we can do in return for millions of years of sustaining biodiversity via seed and guano dispersal.
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I have a native flowering vine, and hummingbirds love it. Its on my shared fence with neighbors, and she put up a hummingbird feeder once she saw them a few years back (and she is always out cleaning it etc). This year we have at least four hummingbirds and it started with just one! They are always in our yard or the neighbors. I think they love having an easy life :) plenty of coverage from predators, plenty of natural and “artificial” food…we seem to be growing a small colony in a fibonacci sequence so far every year… 1 1 2 4!
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Years ago, I was in a small mens chorus which during the summers, practiced in smaller subgroups, in a rotation of members’ backyards. We called these, “bug and beer” nights (something I would love to try with other naturalists sometime, but we would likely use “Beer and Bug”).
One fellow, George, had a modest house with a huge, beautiful backyard, filled with a variety of beautiful shrubs and many dwarf fruit trees. And… in the summer, hummingbirds.
On one of these nights, George took me on a tour of his yard before practice and I was amazed at how indifferent the hummers were to our presence. He showed me some of their nests (at eye level in a little pear tree) while they buzzed and darted about curiously. George and his wife had worked on developing this hummer colony for decades, and what a magical spot it was!
Back at George’s patio, as our small group (around six) ran through our songs, the hummers drew near until at one point they were actually hovering around our heads as we rang our chords.
Friends, gorgeous summer twilight, some beer, songs, and… dancing hummingbirds.
Does it get any better than that?
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