Offer calcium and insects

What is changing this month

Nesting is under way for many residents, and the first summer visitors are arriving. Egg-laying females need calcium, and nestlings need insects.

Birds to expect in April

Eastern Bluebird Year-round House Wren Seasonal Chipping Sparrow Year-round Northern Flicker Year-round Brown-headed Nuthatch Year-round American Goldfinch Year-round Tufted Titmouse Year-round

Most often reported at feeders this month. What turns up depends on your region and the weather, so treat it as a starting point.

Feeder jobs for April

• Offer sterilised, crushed eggshell in a separate dish.
• Put out mealworms for bluebirds and wrens.
• Keep feeding traffic away from nest boxes.

Water in April

Nestlings need insects rather than water, but adults drink more as days warm. Keep the bath clean and shallow, with stones for perching.

What to watch for

• Offer calcium for egg-laying females: sterilised, crushed eggshell in a dish, never mixed into seed.
• Mealworms are the reliable way to bring bluebirds and wrens to a tray.
• Keep nest boxes and feeders apart so feeding traffic does not disturb nesting.
• Avoid handling nests or eggs; observe from a distance.

Three things not to do

• Don't mix crushed eggshell into seed — offer it separately in a dish.
• Don't handle nests, eggs or nestlings. Observe from a distance.
• Don't spray insecticides near feeders during nesting.

Check this locally

Timing shifts with latitude, elevation and the year. Use these as pointers, then check what is actually happening near you.

• North: nesting starts later; feeding can continue at full strength.
• Mid-latitudes: peak egg-laying, so calcium and insects matter most.
• South: first broods may already have fledged.

Questions this month raises