By: Alyssa Ochss | C&G Newspapers | Published May 4, 2026
METRO DETROIT — Bird-watching and feeding offers a lot of benefits to humans and the animals themselves. The foods and feeders are as diverse as the species themselves. Here’s information on where to start.
Bob Gors, Wild Birds Unlimited Macomb Township location owner, said he recommends that beginners use seed cylinders. They are compacted loose seeds that can be put into a number of different feeders for birds.
“It takes the birds longer to eat this because they have to peck at it versus loose seed,” Gors said.
He said senior citizens also like the cylinders because they don’t have to haul a huge bag of seed to the feeders in the winter.
Common year-round birds in Michigan include blue jays, cardinals, goldfinches and more. Gors said people think the goldfinches disappear during the winter, but they don’t. The bright yellow males molt, leaving behind brown feathers with a small bit of yellow feathers on their heads.
“Then they’re starting to molt again — and very, very soon — especially with this warmer weather. It seems to accelerate everything. They’re going to start looking like that (bright yellow) again,” Gors said.
The cylinders come in many different seed varieties including a hot pepper version to deter squirrels from eating it. Squirrels have the same receptors to heat that other mammals do.
“Birds don’t quite have those receptors,” Gors said. “While they’re eating away, not tasting the hot pepper, when the squirrels bite into it, they definitely taste it.”
Gors said the food will not harm the squirrels. If the squirrels are desperate enough, they will eat anything.
“They’re going to feel the heat, but they’re going to eat it,” Gors said. “They’re not going to enjoy it, but they’re going to eat it because they have to.”
Foods that include safflower deter squirrels and some types of bird species, including European starlings and common grackles. The food has a bitter taste.
There are other items that deter squirrels. Mother and son duo Rosann Kovalcik and Ryan Blagdurn are co-owners of the Wild Birds Unlimited Grosse Pointe Woods location. Blagdurn said baffles attach to bird feeders to keep squirrels away as well. A baffle is like a cone that can keep squirrels away if used far away enough from any jumping-off point.
Blagdurn said some feeders that deter squirrels react to the squirrels’ weight. When the squirrel stands on the feeder, it will pull down a spring-loaded frame that blocks access to the seed.
Blagdurn and Kovalcik recommend that beginners use foundational feeders — “whether that is a tube feeder or a hopper feeder,” Blagdurn said — that can hold sunflower seeds.
“Sunflower seeds are important because they are the most recognized seed amongst all songbirds,” Blagdurn said.
Kovalcik said to stay away from any filler seeds. Some companies use the filler to keep costs low.
“They will put grains inside of their blend that aren’t necessarily eaten by birds, but they fill up the space and they keep the cost low,” Kovalcik said.
The filler seed will end up on the ground because the songbirds will kick it out in search of feed that has more nutritious value. Kovalcik said if it accumulates, the filler can mold, causing problems for the birds.
“It also attracts a lot of unwanted critters typically,” Kovalcik said.
Gors said birds only need human-provided birdseed around 20% to 25% of the time with the remainder coming from nature.
“What our food does is in times like of things like drought, floods, snow, cold it supplements them, helps them survive very tough times,” Gors said.
Blagdurn also said to avoid giving birds old human foods because that also attracts different critters such as raccoons, mice or something else.
“Using the proper foods and elevating those foods, you’re going to get the best results,” Blagdurn said.
Gors said hummingbirds feed on sugar water and recommends that bird-watchers use one part sugar and four parts water. They have cane sugar at the store, but bird-watchers can use plain sugar too. Look for cane sugar or beet sugar.
Gors said unsalted peanuts can be used to feed squirrels or blue jays. Two types of feeders are peanut huts and peanut wreaths.
“The blue jays are the, we’ll say, the only songbird that can actually pull the entire peanut out of the shell,” Gors said.
Other songbirds will peck on the shell until it cracks open and take the peanut. Sometimes birds will pull out peanuts until they find one they like.
For those who live farther north, there are bear-proof feeders.
Almost all birds are federally protected in the United States. This means residents cannot disrupt a nest or hurt the birds in any way. Three birds that aren’t federally protected are English sparrows, European starlings and rock doves commonly known as pigeons.
“There are city ordinances and stuff like that as well,” Blagdurn said. “Depending on where you live, you just want to be familiar with those ordinances.”
Kovalcik said people also need to be aware of the responsibility that comes with bird-watching and feeding. She recommends cleaning feeders every few weeks and cleaning out bird baths frequently.
She also said to avoid pesticides around birds. There is an element in spiders — the amino acid taurine — that helps the brain development of baby birds.
“Who would think, right?” Kovalcik said. “Not me, and people spray to get rid of them all the time. How would we know, right?”
Kovalcik said northern areas such as the Sleeping Bear Dunes have bird-watching opportunities. She also mentioned Tawas City. The dunes have a species called piping plovers. These birds are a recovering endangered species. Specialists are watching their locations so they can block off nested areas from dogs.
Blagdurn also said another great local place is Lake St. Clair Metropark. Kovalcik said it has nesting bald eagles and nesting red-tailed hawks.
Kovalcik and Blagdurn have seen people of all ages come into the shop. Kovalcik said there is something called ornitherapy, which uses the natural world and birds to calm the mind. She said bird-watching has become more mainstream among younger generations.
“Everybody’s realizing that it’s as engaging for your brain as let’s say doing a puzzle or playing a game, that it does ignite the neurons in your brain,” Kovalcik said. “It’s a healthy hobby to get into and get out.”
Different regions have birding guides of the most popular places for birding, often created by the local Audubon groups.