Backyard Winter Birds

Not all birds migrate south for the winter. There are several types of backyard winter birds that need help in making it through the cold part of the year. You can help these non-migrating birds by doing a few simple things.

In winter, the accumulating ice and snow can bury food sources. This comes at a time when backyard winter birds need more calories to stay warm. At the same time, water sources are frozen and inaccessible. Cold birds are slower, making them more vulnerable to predators. The leaves are no longer there to provide cover and shelter.

Backyard winter birds depend on food sources you put out for them to make it through the winter months. High calorie foods like nuts, suet, and peanut butter are great for attracting these birds to your back yard.

Water is also necessary for their survival. Frozen water requires the birds to expend extra calories to melt, just as eating snow for water does. So, a heated source of water will bring in lots of birds through the winter.

Shelter is also a requirement for these backyard winter birds. Evergreen trees are great for this purpose, as are hollow trees. But if these shelters aren’t available, brush piles or year-round bird houses would be great.

When you consider feeding your backyard winter birds, be sure to put out sufficient food. They’ll likely eat more in the colder weather so they can stay warm. If you have a specific store nearby that caters to birders and bird feeders, consult the them about the kinds of foods to put out in the winter.

Foods that are high in calories are the best. Peanut butter and suet are great for this purpose. Mixed seeds consisting of black oil sunflower seeds, white millet seeds, niger seeds, and hulled peanuts are available at most stores that carry any kind of bird seed.

Make sure you keep your feeders full. Birds will eat a lot to help them stay warm through long winter nights. Stay consistent with your feeding. Birds will become dependent on your food, so if you plan to take an extended trip, enlist someone to keep your feeders full for your backyard winter birds.

Remember, some of the birds that stay in the winter are ground-feeders. They will eat the seed that falls from the feeders and the seed you purposely put down for them. Keep the snow stamped down around the feeders so these birds can easily access their food.

If you have some pest issues, Heath’s Wildlife Service provides 24 hour emergency and long-term nuisance wildlife solutions for your home or business with a focus on customer service, mutual trust, and ongoing support and information. Chris Heath will give you a no-obligation, free estimate for removing pests from your home. If he doesn’t remove the pests you have, he can direct you to someone who can. Call 855-422-0434 or 603-664-0513.