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Feeding birds out of your hands (1 Viewer)

birdman II

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How many of you have ever fed a wild bird from your hand?
I have a friend (we call him Birdman I, because he's at the pinnacle of birding) who regularly feeds chickadees from his hand.
He starts by placing a custom made reproduction of himself in his backyard. This lifesize statue was made by a close friend who happens to be a master carpenter. He dresses the statue in his own clothes and puts seeds and nuts on an out stretched hand.
Once the birds get used to eating out of the statue's hand, he removes the statue and stands in the same place. It's a pretty funny sight to see a grown man standing for hours with birdseed in his hand! It really does work. Try it sometime.
 
I have had chicadees come to my hand as well and it is an awesome feeling. But I am usually just standing there with my palms filled with seed and if they are around and hungry they will come.

Last summer and the summer before, I was able to lure the hummers to my fingers while I was holding the hummer feeder. Looked me up and down and then proceeded to sip. Talk about a hoot. I also have a friend in Canada that has downey, nuthatches and the chicadees come regularly to her hands.
 
I haven't fed wild birds by hand, but last spring I did have one house finch that would let me stroke its feathers while it was at the feeder, and even perched on my finger a couple of times.
 
I've experienced the thrill of having chickadees and red-breasted nuthatches take seed from my hand at Mendon Ponds Park just south of Rochester NY. This is a wonderful, county-run park. It's quite large and has lots of trails and other recreational areas.

The Song Bird Trail winds through various bird habitat, and somehow, the chickadees and nuthatches have learned to take seed from visitors' hands. It's positively one of the coolest experiences i've had!! It takes a lot of patience to stand still with outstretched hand long enough to gain the notice, interest, and trust of these wild birds, but IT IS WORTH IT!!

I'm going to try attaching a photo of a chickadee in my hand, but i've never, ever emailed a photo anywhere, so i have no idea if this will work. Hope so!

Good birding,
Sylvia
 

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Hand Feeding Birds

First off, Dylan I love your Robin pictures... they're wonderful!
I've been hand feeding a flock of whiskey jacks (Gray Jays) here for a couple of years now. It's gotten to the point now that I'm usually bombarded by them when I leave the house... it's hilarious! Only one won't come to my hand and that's Baby, so named because he's last year's baby. He will come and sit beside my foot and if I don't feed him fast enough, he'll peck my toes. Too funny!:bounce:
 

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Nice picture Sylvia! I've never tried other birds.

Tammie, Seen your lovely Jay pics before, that looks like a big bird to have perched on your hand!

Today the Robin has been taking mealworms from my hand and taking them off to feed his new girlfriend who is a bit shy with me:)
 
As a youngster, taken on holiday annually to Blackpool, I used to hold bread out over the sea wall and have the gulls snatch it from my fingers!.
I noted that gulls also like trying to snatch fingers too. Mine got sliced quite a bit!.
 
There are quite a few reserves where the birds have gotten used to human presence and will sometimes feed from the hand. Titchwell car park, I have had Robin, Chaffinch and Blackbird to hand. Welney WWT, Sparrows usually come to hand in the car park. Slimbridge, I had a Blackbird fly into my car and perched onto the steering wheel with a pleading look that seemed to say "feed me" which of course I did. I can think of many more places where birds have become, what I term as, conditioned.

When I used to go out fishing there were certain places where the birds would come to take the maggots off you and I can remember one spot in the centre of Evesham where I used to have a Robin on one side of me and a Wren on the other. The Robin would drop onto my fishing rod then edge its way closer and closer until it would take from my outstretched hand. As soon as the Robin went the Wren would fly onto my bait tray and take its pick.

Wonderful moments to treasure.
 
I've had Robins, Chaffinches and Sparrows feed out of my hand. Theres' a few places here in the UK where the birds are particularly bold - and it's a wonderful experience.

Then of course there's wildfowl - and the uncertainty of knowing whether this particular goose will take food in the daintiest of manners, or simply rip your arm off at the shoulder!
 
Oh, and I nearly forgot. I've fed (tamish) rheas and emus by hand - now there's an experience!
 
And another PS...

Welcome birdman II to BF - hope you're having fun here. And just for the sake of clarity, I'm not birdman I, simply The Birdman.

I can see this getting confusing!

Now back to the thread...
 
I manage to get Pigeons to fly up to my hand and get their grub. Very nice to do that sometimes they go on my head :)
 
My missus trained a Robin to eat from her hand last winter. I would stress this was not a “garden” bird nor on a reserve, but on a riverside far from any habitation. Over a period of weeks she “talked” to it, little by little it fed in front of her, then beside her, and finally from her hand.
It took a lot of patience, but she found it very rewarding. And while she was doing that I was able to try and identify those black blobs swimming in the distance!
 
Nice pic Sylvia.
Dylan - I like your Robin pictures too. Thanks for the link.
I have had greyheaded gulls feed out of my hand, but they snatch the food on the wing and don't mind if a bit of finger goes too! I have also hand-fed hadedas on occasion. They tend to make the same feeding journeys each evening and if it takes them past where you generally sit, they will eventually take food from you from the ground. However, I am a little worried about getting them too accustomed to humans so I don't do it often. And their large beaks are a little daunting . . . .
 
I would trust a pigeon on my head any time. I used to have a pet pigeon named Turdbird, that would sometimes sit on my head, and I really miss it. Somewhere around here I have a photo, and if I ever find it I will post it here.
 
HAHAHA! Birdman, I don't think that is a misprint,that is a truly appropriate name for a Pigeon in my book;)

This thread is a very enjoyable read and the pics by all are wonderful.

I am hand feeding Hummingbirds and Chickadees and Whitebreasted Nuthatches. If I don't get peanuts( without the shell) out soon enough on the window feeder,the Nuthatch taps and taps with his beak on the kitchen window till I do!He makes a little honking noise too,just in case I am not paying close enough attention:gh:
 
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