February Bird Bulletin
Courtesy of Kate Neall, owner of Wild Birds Unlimited in Gambrills
• February is National Bird Feeding Month! Feeding wild birds is a wholesome hobby that has been steadily growing in popularity. Not only does it help the struggling wild bird population that has been declining since the 1970s, but it has also shown to have a positive impact on the mental and physical health of those who participate in the hobby! If you don’t currently feed the birds in your yard, you should consider starting – it is a wonderful way to help the environment while bringing joy to your life!
• Join the Great Backyard Bird Count! The Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) is a free, fun, and easy event that engages bird watchers of all ages in counting birds to create a real-time snapshot of bird populations. Participants are asked to count birds for as little as 15 minutes on one or more days of the four-day event and report their sightings online. The 29th annual GBBC will be held Friday, February 13 to Monday, February 16, 2026. Please visit the official website at www.birdcount.org for more information on how to join the fun!
• Get ready for Grackles! Grackles return north this time of year, so watch for increased activity at your feeders. For some, grackles are a nuisance, while others quite enjoy these beautiful, yellow-eyed, blackbirds visiting their feeders. For those of you wanting to dissuade them from “pigging out” at your feeders, try serving Safflower seed. Safflower is a great deterrent for all blackbirds and (as a bonus) mammals don’t care for the bitter taste, so it can deter squirrels too! Cardinals, on the other hand, love it, so they will thank you!
