Birds are amazing – and if you read my previous winter bird blog, you’ll know that birds can definitely take care of themselves, but that doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t feed them and give them a little help! After all, just because I can cook for myself and know how to grow a veggie garden and preserve the food for later, doesn’t mean that I don’t appreciate it when someone else provides food for me! Free food is great and making sure you set up a feeder or plant native plants will be helping birds in winter.

Bird Diets

Birds are the same. Some birds, like orioles, will migrate to warmer climates to follow their food source. Others, like Chickadees, will switch their diets from insects to seeds. Some birds, like Robins, will eat on fruits like Holly and Juniper berries – but again, if there’s free food, they’ll take advantage of it!

The How To’s of Bird Feeding

Putting out seed for birds is a great thing to do in the winter months, however, I recommend slowing down your feeding and eventually stopping for late spring/early summer. This gives adult birds a chance to teach their young where to go and how to forage for food. Once the temperatures fall again and food becomes harder to come by (typically around October), slowly start to put the seed back out.

As the temperatures drop, seeds that are higher in calories will become more important. If you’re purchasing seed, check the back for something that looks like :

Ingredients: Grain Products, Sunflower, Calcium Carbonate, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement

Guaranteed Analysis: Crude Protein (min)… 7.5% Crude Fat (min)… 5.5% Crude Fiber (max)… 7.0% Moisture (max)… 12.5%

Native Plants for Birds in Winter

On top of putting out seed, a great idea is to turn your yard into a winter bird paradise! Planting American Holly, Winterberry Holly, Eastern Red Cedars, Viburnums, Flowering Dogwood, Crabapples, Red-osier Dogwoods, Pine, Beautyberry, and Chokeberries are great ways to ensure that there is cold-weather food around (this list is specific to Southeastern PA. Click here for Natives in your area!).

Support & Love Birds!

Want birds in your life, but don’t have the ability to put up feeders or just want some more diversity? Bring them inside by ordering a print or bird-themed stickers today! A portion of all proceeds goes back towards wildlife conservation efforts, so you’ll be helping birds in winter.