# Feeding Outdoor Birds

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feeding-outdoor-birds/442568>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [March 24, 2008, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feeding-outdoor-birds/442568 "2008-03-24T18:39:47Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![HorseGma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c0e974/32.png) [@HorseGma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HorseGma)\
**Post date:** [March 24, 2008, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feeding-outdoor-birds/442568/1 "2008-03-24T18:39:47Z")

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For years I have fed outdoor birds with, among others, thistle seed in hanging sacks. I have recently moved to NC and purchased a new thistle sack. The birds haven’t gone near it.  
What am I doing wrong or what is different here? Why won’t/can’t the birds find/use the new sack?  
Thanks for any help.

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**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\
**Post date:** [March 24, 2008, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feeding-outdoor-birds/442568/2 "2008-03-24T20:26:28Z")

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You now live in a place where it’s already spring, and the birds that eat thistle seeds have already moved into bug-eating “Spring” mode. If they happen upon your thistle feeder, they might partake, but mostly they’re out looking for territories, and aren’t in big flocks looking for communal feeding stations any more. Your thistle sack now resides in the middle of one particular bird’s territory, so _he_ may be feeding from it, but he won’t let anyone else in.

…until the end of breeding season, when all the territorial boundaries dissolve, and the juncos and goldfinches once again begin feeding in large communal flocks.