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bird feeding habits



Birders,

I have a behavior question to ask about the birds eating habits.

I work in a Wild Birds Unlimited and had a customer in the store that asked 
some very thought provoking questions.  My customer lives in a rural setting 
of Virginia and has fed the birds for several years.  He has noticed that the 
birds will come to the feeder in the
morning and feed actively till around 10:30.  He says after that time he has 
NO birds in his yard.  Then they appear again around 1:30 in the afternoon 
and feed for about 2 more hours.  His question to me was “ Why do they leave 
at the same times every day.”  I did
not have a “scientific” answer for him.  All I could offer was a “guess.”  I 
told him that the birds that eat seed at feeders do not rely solely on seed 
and that a greater part of their diet came from natural sources ( insects, 
berries, ect ).  I told him perhaps birds found hunting for natural foods was 
easier for them during certain hours of the day.  This was simply a guess on 
my part that seemed logical.  Has anyone ever read anything on this subject?  
I would like to give my customer a more reliable answer other than a guess on 
my part.

Karen Beatty
Virginia Beach, VA