Wild Birds Unlimited
For over twenty years, Wild Birds Unlimited has been proud to ¿Bring people and nature together¿
Hello, my name is Dan Sweigard, the new owner/operator of the Wild Birds Unlimited here in Lexington, KY. For over twenty years, Wild Birds Unlimited has been proud to "Bring people and nature together," here in Lexington, and we look forward to continuing the tradition. We are part of a Franchise with over 300 locations nationwide with a retail philosophy of "Educating people about birds and nature." In order to accomplish this, we are trained extensively on birds, bird activity and habits, and products available to the backyard birder. I, along with my staff, have all earned our certification as "Backyard Birdfeeding Specialists", and have been feeding in our own yards for years. We would love to bring all these resources together to help you with the hobby, so ask away.
We invite you to our website at http://www.wbu.com/lexingtonky
152 N Locust Hill Drive
Off Richmond Road
Lexington KY 40509
Phone 859-268-0114
Most Recently Answered Questions
Questions 1 - 15 of 22 (Page 1 of 2)Submitted by Taylor from Latonia, Kentuncky
Q: Are there any wrens in northern kentucky that we could make a bird house for?
Answered 08/15/09 09:59:23 by Dan Sweigard
A: There are two species of wren that nest in kentucky. The House wren is only here during the summer. The Carolina wren is here year round. Both will readily use nest boxes. They do however have different specifications. House wrens prefer a hole size between 1" and 1 1/8". Carolina wrens prefer 1 1/2" hole. Check your local library, book store, or even online for plans.Submitted by mary mcdonald from lexington ky
Q: I have had a hummingbird feeder out since April and have not seen any. Last year there were numerous ones. I use the commercial hummingbird liquid and even have a hybiscus with red blooms nearby. Has something kept them from coming this year or am I doing something wrong? Thanks for your comments.
Answered 08/15/09 09:46:48 by Dan Sweigard
A: This year has been a little strange. We had a really wet spring, and the summer has been generally mild temperature wise, whereas last year we had a pretty severe drought. The birds will almost always go to natural food sources first ie flowers. Once it gets hotter and there are less flowers blooming we should see an increase of activity at the feeders. Usually august and september are our heaviest periods locally as the birds begin to prepare for migration.Submitted by Gayle from Mckee, Kentucky
Q: Today while outside I seen an amazing little bird...He was Ruby Red all except his wings and they were jet black....any idea as to what the species was???? Thank You
Answered 08/15/09 09:40:47 by Dan Sweigard
A: From your description the bird was most likely a male Scarlet tananger. In late summer this bird will actually molt its feathers to a yellow-green winter plumage so it doesnt stand out like a sore thumb during the bleak winter months.Submitted by John from Staffordsville Ky. 41256
Q: I installed a feeder in March and now continually have twenty or more black birds with a redish brown head feeding Can you identify these birds for me. They are about the size of a cardinal and are in flocks.
Answered 04/27/09 11:32:50 by Dan Sweigard
A: That is actually an interesting bird. It is called a brown headed cowbird, because it used to follow buffalo herds around, and eat the insects attracted to the animals. Because of their migratory lifestyle female cowbirds lay their eggs in other birds nests, leaving the host bird to raise its young.Submitted by Claudette from Kilmarnock VA
Q: When is it safe to begin eating squirrels? I have heard they have worms in the summer or is that an old wives tale. My fiancee would like to know. Thanks for your help. Claudette
Answered 06/27/08 10:11:07 by Dan Sweigard
A: According to the Department of Fish and Wildlife "This is an old wives tale. Squirrels make excellent table fare, whether during the fall/winter months or the summer. If there were any dangers in eating squirrels this time of year we would not have a spring squirrel season in June."Submitted by Jill Mayer from Louisville, KY
Q: My parents have been seeing an average sized bird that dives at their neighbors cat and the bird is just plain viscious. It's actually hilarious!!! They want to know what kind of bird this is. I think it is grey or brown with a long tail, and distinctive white stripes on the wings and it's tail. We know nothing about birds and can't find anything to help us identify it. There are other birds and we'd like to know how to get on the net and identify them. Can you help us??? Thanking you in advance, Jill Mayer
Answered 06/19/08 12:28:43 by Dan Sweigard
A: That does sound hilarious. I think what you are seeing is a Northern Mockingbird. It is about 10" with gray on the head and back and a lighter gray chest and belly, and the white wing patches. Many times you see them high up on a pole singing. They are known to imitate other birds, hence its name. For help identifying, a good site is http://whatbird.wbu.com/mwg/_/0/attrs.aspx We also carry a full line of field guides including a Birds of Kentucky guide.Submitted by Carol from Lexington, KY
Q: We live on a heavily treed property on the south side and have always enjoyed the variety of birds we see. This year, though, we noticed some very large birds that nested in the taller, larger trees that looked like hawks or eagles (Peregrine falcons??) There were three pairs. They were humongous! They went out every morning and returned every evening. We first noticed them in April and haven't seen them lately because all the trees have foliaged. Do you know what they could be and is it unusual for them to nest here? I have a couple pictures that aren't too clear, but I couldn't send them with this mail. Thanks, Carol
Answered 06/18/08 11:52:16 by Dan Sweigard
A: It's always exciting to see a new bird. It's hard to say what they might be without more of a description, but from the sounds of it I would think they could possibly be red-tailed hawks. They are 19-25 inches with a 4 foot wingspan. They are widespread throughout the country and fairly common through their range. Peregrine falcons are much smaller. You can always bring your pictures to the store for help identifying, or try http://whatbird.wbu.com/mwg/_/0/attrs.aspx where you can enter characteristics of the bird to help figure out what it is.Submitted by jessica collins from pikeville, KY
Q: This is my first year to put up bird feeders, and i was wondering if there is a book will help me identify the birds that are coming to my feeders? I have been planting bushes and trees to help in the coming years, is there anything else i need to do the make more birds show up?
Answered 05/27/08 11:20:55 by Dan Sweigard
A: Books come in several different layouts. The simplest and most user friendly is called a field guide. We carry a great one called the "Birds Of Kentucky Field Guide". The birds are organized by color so you can find a bird by sight. Usually the male is the brightest color, females are more difficult to match. It sells for $12.95. It has real color pictures of each bird versus drawings some books use. I find this more realistic and clearer to use. It gives information on nesting, feeding habits, migration as well as other useful information. If you have a computer you can go to "WBU.Com" and look for the area called "RightBird". It helps you identify all birds and also adds sound for most birds so you can learn the individual songs. You sound like you have a good start for a backyard habitat, the one thing you might consider is a water source. A bird bath, a sprinkler or mister can all be used to attract birds. Keep the food and water fresh and you should see a lot of activity this year.Submitted by Donna Hammonds from Kevil, KY
Q: I have noticed a new bird stopping at our feeder. His body is black with a white breast and red on its head and neck. Any idea what it could be? It is about the size of a cardinal.
Answered 05/17/08 11:24:24 by Dan Sweigard
A: You are one of the lucky ones. The bird is called Rose Breasted Grosbeak. The male has the brilliant colors while the female is the same size but is a heavily streaked brown and white with orange yellow wing linings. The bird migrates great distances from Canada and the Great Lakes to Central and South America. They are traveling north and will arrive close to the Kentucky Derby date each year. They stop over for a rest in the area for about 10 days to two weeks. They will soon continue their migration but you can look for them in the fall as they return south. They eat various foods such as; sunflower, safflower, nuts and fruit as well as insects. Enjoy them while you can and they may return each year.Submitted by M. Shanks from Placentia CA
Q: While visiting in KY, we noticed white netlike nests hanging in many of the trees along hwy 264 and other areas. What are these? Do they belong to birds or insects. They seemed quite large and didn't take on a particular form but looked almost web like. Thank you.
Answered 05/06/08 12:42:42 by Dan Sweigard
A: I suspect what you saw was the nest of an insect called tent caterpillar. There are three types in the Kentucky area, the Eastern Tent Caterpillar, the Forest Tent Caterpillar, and the Fall Webworm. The insect spends the winter as an egg, as the eggs hatch they construct a tent of silken material. The larger the larvae grow the bigger the tent becomes. The larvae return to the nest each night after feeding all day. They have many natural predators and usually do not damage trees. The adult moths emerge from cocoons in late June or July.Submitted by Brenda from Enfield Ct
Q: I had feeders up all winter on my deck and the bird came in flocks, it was a great way to pass by the winter months, now that the weather is warmer, I have moved the feeders to the garden area, about 30 feet away from the deck. I have no birds. Will they come back,once they find the feeder even if the neighbors have feeders as well? I have all fresh seed, safflower, black oil sunflower, and thissle along with putting some on the ground and a beef suet cage as well. (which the woodpeckers LOVE. thansk for your help.
Answered 04/23/08 13:56:00 by Dan Sweigard
A: It sounds like you are doing all the right things, fresh food, a nice variety, with some on the ground. Birds habits change with the season and their focus right now is the nesting and attracting a mate. With nest building going on and fresh new seeds,flowers and insects coming out they have many sources for food. A typical bird only gets about 25% of its food from a well stocked feeder. Look for them early in the morning and at dusk as they are busy the rest of the day and tend to spend limited time at a feeder during the hottest part of the day. Keep feeding those birds!Submitted by Alesheia Meece from Louisville, Ky
Q: I often see Blue Jays at my feeder but can't tell which is the female. Is there a difference in size & color as in most birds?
Answered 04/14/08 13:08:49 by Dan Sweigard
A: You are perfectly correct. The male and the female are indentical in size and color. It is almost impossible to tell the difference when they are at a feeder. Only around a nest might you get a clue as to the female. An intersting fact is like a blue bird the blue jay has no blue pigment in their feathers. The feathers refract sunlight so that you only see the blue color of the light making the bird look blue.Submitted by Sheena from Ashland, Ky
Q: I need help identifying a black bird coming to my feeder. It's smaller than a crow, a little larger than a dove, though not as thick bodied. It's got a green/purple/pink sheen to it's feathers. The beak and feet are black. It's got a coarse call, not quite as coarse as a crow, though. Any idea what bird this is?
Answered 04/07/08 15:59:27 by Dan Sweigard
A: The bird you describe sounds like the Common Grackle. They migate to southern states and are returning in flocks. They usually nest in small colonies of up to 75 birds. They can be aggressive around other songbirds so they often dominate feeders. If you wish to keep them from feeding at your feeders you can try a number of solutions including cages with opening too small for them to enter but allows song birds. Using a smaller feeder that require the bird to cling to feed restricts them because they are too heavy to do this. You can also feed pure Safflower to minimize the flock as this is not a favorite seed of the Grackle.Submitted by Linda McCrystal from Harrodsburg Ky.
Q: Dan, We were told that the purple Martin scouts were out now, and would bring their family back between the 15th -27th. Is this true? We were also told to put vanilla extract in the Martin house to attract them., So thats what we did! We will see.
Answered 04/07/08 15:51:18 by Dan Sweigard
A: The Purple Martin scouts have arrived in the area and are setting up in houses. This often happens as early as March 15 so many homes are up and running. The vannila helps to attract them. Observe your house for the next two weeks to be sure other birds such as starlings do not set up nests. If they do simply clear out the nests so they are clean for the Martins. Not every home gets birds the first year since birds will often return to homes each year. You can also purchase a tape that plays martin songs called "Dawnsong". This will also increase the chanses of getting martins. They are wonderful birds and well worth the wait for the families.Submitted by Jennifer from Lexington, KY
Q: When is the best time to put out hummingbird feeders and how can we draw them into our yard?
Answered 03/25/08 17:10:06 by Dan Sweigard
A: Hummingbirds arrive early in April. You can start to put out feeders by April 15 but the total population of birds arrive in May. A good rule of thumb is Mothers Day. The feeder simulates a flower with nectar so the best way to attract them is to plant red trumpet shaped flowers. This can also be done with hanging baskets. To attract them start by placing the feeder in full view as Hummers locate food by sight. As you start to get birds to the feeder, you can move it closer to the house for viewing. They will soon be comfortable enough with you that you can sit next to the feeder while they eat. Remenber the secret to feeding Hummers is FRESH, FRESH, FRESH. The nectar should be thrown out every three days and cleaned and replaced with fresh netar. It is sugar/ water and will spoil quickly in the sun. To attract them to your feeder you can do a number of tricks, hang red ribbons on the feeder pole, or a bright scarf. If you notice one male protecting a feeder you can add multiple feeders out of the sight line of the first so he can not protect them all. Enjoy nature's helicopters
