Winter Bird Feeding

Winter Bird Feeding

In the wintertime, much of the natural foods birds eat during the warmer months such as insects, berries, and seeds are gone or hidden by snow until spring.

Their diet and feeding habits change during the winter. Their high metabolic rate and the need to maintain body temperatures of over 100? requires high calorie and high fat foods.

This is where you come in. Just think if you were outside on a cold, wintry day; snow blowing, temperature dropping, stomach growling...then through the falling snow you spot a buffet table!

Below are some good winter bird feeding options that will give birds the energy they need to get through yet another cold night.

Suet

Especially in cold weather birds need constant refueling, and suet (raw beef fat) is an ideal food. It's packed with calories that convert quickly to much-needed warmth and energy.

We like Stokes High Energy Suet because of its easy-open, no-mess packaging and melt resistant formula. It is also fortified with calcium for egg-shell and bone development.

And if you have a problem with squirrels, then here is a good squirrel-proof suet feeder to keep squirrels from stealing!

Types of birds attracted to suet:

Black-capped and other Chickadees, White-breasted & Red-breasted Nuthatches, Tufted Titmice, Downy & Hairy Woodpeckers, Red-bellied Woodpeckers, and Wrens
 

More winter bird feeding options:

Black Oil Sunflower Seed

Black oil sunflower seed is a great seed to offer in the winter. It is a #1 favorite among many songbird species.

The high protein in combination with the high fat content from the oil produces an energy-packed morsel. Black oil sunflower has twice the calories per pound than striped sunflower and its smaller, thinner shells make it easier for smaller birds to open and creates less mess when discarded by the birds.

We like this premium black oil sunflower because they are freshly produced from the Red River Valley and have not been sitting on a warehouse shelf for who knows how long. Also a portion of the proceeds will be donated to wildlife habitat and conservation.

You can use black oil sunflower seed in hopper, platform, and tube feeders. Here is a squirrel-proof bird feeder designed specifically for black oil sunflower seed.

Or if your rather build your own feeder, here are some free bird feeder plans of different types for a great family project.

Types of birds attracted to black oil sunflower:

Chickadees, Titmice, Nuthatches, House Finches, Purple Finches, Cardinals, Towhees, Goldfinches, Rosy-Finches, Redpolls, Pine Siskins, Woodpeckers, Grosbeaks, Sparrows, and Jays

Peanuts

Peanuts are high in protein, oil, and fat, which makes them a perfect addition to the foods you offer the birds in your backyard, especially during the winter when shorter days require birds to eat as much high-energy food as possible in less time.

You can offer whole peanuts in the shell, but be sure to use unsalted, not the ones you get from the grocery stores that are usually already salted.

You can also use unsalted shelled peanuts and put them in a peanut feeder for clinging birds or in any feeder that will dispense the larger peanut pieces.

Types of birds attracted to Peanuts:

Chickadees, creepers, juncos, grosbeaks, jays, nuthatches, cardinals, titmice, woodpeckers, flickers, and wrens.
 

Our favorite source for winter bird feeding:

Keeping your Feeders Clean

It's important to clean your feeders often to prevent mold build-up and food spoilage. It also helps to reduce the transfer of diseases between birds. Enjoy feeding and watching your backyard birds, but remember to also take care our feathered family friends.

Here are some precautions you can take to provide a safe and healthy bird-feeding environment:

Precautions against Disease

Precautions against Window Collisions

Precautions against Cats

Providing water for birds is also very helpful during the winter months when other sources are lacking or frozen.

Just remember to change the water often and if you are having trouble with it freezing, try a heated bird bath. This one stays warm down to -20?F and has a tilt bracket to make cleaning easy.

Hope your have fun with winter bird feeding and now have some good wild bird food choices.

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Winter Bird Feeding