How long will it take for me to hand feed the birds on our apartment porch?

Question

I have doves ,grackles,cardinals, sparrows, finches, and even large crows sometimes..and lately some doves and sparrows will sit on the porch while my hubby and I are either on the porch or about to step out on to the porch..but, then after a bit, they will usually fly away! How or when will they be "unafraid" of us..and stay a bit longer or come towards us to be fed? Do you think that this can happen at all? I love the birds alot!

Thanks!

Answer 1

Sit out there and toss bread crumbs to them every day.  Keep the routine and they will keep coming and pretty soon there will be more than you probably even want to come around.  !

Answer 2

You need to understand the meaning of "fight or flight"

Most birds know they have to fly to survive - they do not know you, nor do they trust you

Once you establish trust -  you might find that you will be able to feed them from the palm of your hand or at least by holding the food on a dish that they can land on and eat from

This process will take some time - be patient

No bird in the wild will stay in one place for very long - it goes back to the fight or flight principal - they usually have a lookout perched in a tree nearby that tells them if a predator is in the area.  Also once they have fed, they will move on to look for other food.  Variety is the spice of life - it is also a necessity for birds