Bird Feeding in the Winter

Attracting birds to your backyard in winter is a combination of two important factors: safety and food. A song bird’s baseline existence might be expressed by this less than poetic equation. Though spring time brings more complicated life milestones like nest building, mate finding, territory defending, egg laying, and child rearing the winter is a less frantic time. With leaves off the trees and temperatures dropping the day to day existence oscillates between avoiding the clutch of a hawk, fox, or weasel and finding food, oscillations that may be occurring every half second.

The Gold standard in bird seed – Sunflower seeds

Don’t be fooled by the cheaper “mixed seed” you may see at the grocery store. Sunflower seed is the gold standard for bird feeding and while you will pay more for this high protein seed, you will see a more diverse set of species. Be warned! Sunflower seed is also like a narcotic for squirrels and they will go to great lengths to get it. Hang a feeder on a thin wire between trees or walls, or consider getting a flat try or domed top to keep the squirrels at bay.

Suet

Suet is a wonderful winter addition to your backyard bird feeding station. . If cooking down a cow’s kidney fat doesn’t sound like a fun, family holiday craft idea purchase a metal cage and preformed suet cake from our local hardware, feed, or bird store. These cakes are often filled with dried seeds, nuts, or fruit and are easily hung from a tree branch or empty flower pot hanger. Among the birds that will visit a suet cage are woodpeckers, nuthatches, kinglets, robins, starlings, and if you’re lucky a brown creeper or bluebird. Often times woodpeckers won’t take seeds so suet is a nice alternative to existing feeders. Remember suet is animal fat and should only be offered in cold weather when there is no chance of softening or spoiling which is not only disgusting but can provide health risks to birds. 

The seed formerly known as thistle

In winter especially, when the softies have left for Florida and Central America many of the hardy birds are attracted to suet and thistle. Thistle seeds is relished by winter finches like the American goldfinch, House and Purple finch, Pine siskin, and if you’re lucky Common redpoll or Evening grosbeak. The fine, slippery, dark grains often called thistle seeds are actually an Ethiopian seed called Nyjer. Nyjer is oily and rich in protein but its demure size makes a standard feeder or ground feeding impossible. The solution is easy. The thistle “sock” is a mesh tube that can be filled with the seed, allowing finches to pull out individual seeds as they would from grass or a flower. Thistle sock feeders can be purchased in any hardware, tack, or bird store.  While hanging a thistle sock may not prove to be an instant buffet, over time and in harsh winter conditions goldfinches will begin to appear in small flocks, clinging to all sides of the feeder to feast on the thin seeds. Bare broken branches or fallen bows of pine and fir, even a passé Christmas tree can be propped up in an empty planter next to a feeder giving the birds a place to hide, rest, and shell seeds. It is recommended that feeders be hung a minimum of 10 feet away from all windows.

Safety - Leave That Mess – Making Habitat for Winter Birds

Providing birds with a variety of food choices is only half the battle. Birds need protection. While birds will visit a feeder planted on a stick in the middle of a large lawn, providing some form of perches and cover will improve the variety of birds you attract. Consider placing feeders close to low bushes, tree branches or the edge of woods. If your yard is missing these things gather downed limbs after a wind storm and make some “fake” trees in your yard or patio. You can also create a brush pile using sticks, leaves, and cuttings. Brush piles are discussed in detail in this wonderful article from Birdwatching.com.