Tips for feeding birds in the winter

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Make the most of feeding birds in winter:

  • Clean off feeders, platforms, and perches after each storm so seed is easily accessible.
  • Leave fruit and berries on trees, hedges, and bushes to provide a natural source of food throughout the winter.
  • Add a heated birdbath to your backyard or place a safe heating element in a regular birdbath to provide birds with liquid water.
  • Stamp or shovel snow around feeders to provide easier access to spilled seed for ground-feeding birds.
  • Leave nesting boxes and birdhouses up all year round to provide winter roosting sites.

The best foods to offer birds in colder weather have a high fat or oil content that will provide abundant energy for winter survival. Nutritious winter foods for birds include: