Wild birds require high-energy foods during winter to stay warm, such as seeds, nuts and fat. Seeds are best at meeting this need.
Provide these foods on a feeder or scatter them across a snow-covered lawn, and plant shrubs and trees with persistent fruit such as hollies, viburnums and hawthornes that produce winter fruit or berries like these for even greater bird food availability.
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Sunflower Seeds
Sunflower seeds are an integral component of wild bird diets, providing high amounts of protein and healthy fats that encourage birds to spread their oil glands over their feathers in winter and stay warm.
Black-oil sunflower seeds are beloved feeder favorites among most species that visit, with thin shells being easier for seed-eating birds to crack open than thicker versions. Plus they contain vitamin E for immune support!
Opting for hulled sunflower seeds will eliminate the messiness caused by dropped shells, which can obstruct grass growth and promote weeds in garden beds. You can combine hulled seeds with other foods like oatmeal, peanuts and dried fruit for optimal results.
Hulled Peanuts
Winter birds need energy-rich foods like lard or suet (compressed raw fat often studded with seeds, peanut butter and berries) to stay warm in order to thrive. You can attract chickadees, titmice, jays and woodpeckers by placing this treat in a feeder.
Homemade birdfeeders can also be made easily at home by drilling a hole into a coconut shell and filling it with melted suet or lard mixed with dried fruit, nuts, oatmeal and grated cheese. Hang this creation from a tree or porch and watch your feathered guests feast! For optimal bird health both summer and wintertime it is also necessary to provide clean drinking water sources – remembering not only birds themselves but their well being too!
Sunflower Hearts & Crushed Seeds
Sunflower hearts make an excellent winter food option for wild birds. As they are hull-free seeds, finches and titmice find them easier to consume them while their high oil content helps hydrate feathers and beaks during harsher temperatures.
As ground feeders make feeding chicks easy for parents, cardinal seeds are also great to put out during fledgling season. You’ll often find them included in seed mixtures like Cardinal Mix.
Cooked Rice
The RSPB suggests offering cooked rice to birds as it provides an energy source during winter. You could mix it with food like stale bread, cake or biscuits or grated cheese; just be wary not to put out too much as too much can clog their beaks and lead them away from eating their own food!
Long held is the misconception that birds will choke on uncooked rice, however this is far from accurate. Unsalted and plain grains should be fed in small amounts to your birds as part of a balanced diet as they contain important vitamins such as B-6, magnesium and potassium that contribute to high energy levels and keep birds thriving.
Porridge Oats
Oats provide birds with essential protein and carbs, providing energy they require for flight over long distances. This is essential since long distance flyers require sufficient fuel for their metabolisms.
Do not feed birds cereals soaked in milk as these can be too sugary and could make them sick. Birds are lactose intolerant, leading to diarrhea if consumed.
Combine savory variations of porridge oats with crushed seeds, dried fruit and nuts to attract wild birds of various species. Just remember to feed these foods dry rather than cooked; otherwise they become glutinous and sticky and could potentially suffocate birds.
Bread Crumbs & Grated Cheese
Birds enjoy eating leftover cooked rice, pasta and porridge as well as stale bread crumbs or grated cheese (mild only). Fat-based foods contain lots of calories and proteins; perfect for winter feeding! They come in bar, ball or suet cake form for easy hanging from feeders.
However, bread crumbs contain high concentrations of carbohydrates which can be toxic to wildlife in large doses. Overeating of bread products could lead to digestive issues and potentially death for birds who rely on them, so only offering small portions of stale bread during winter should be given out as treats.
