Winter brings heavy snowfall and ice that obstructs natural food sources, forcing birds to seek refuge at backyard feeders for sustenance. To stay alive in such harsh temperatures, many bird species turn to foods rich in fats and calories for sustenance.
Black-oil sunflower seed is a favorite among chickadees, cardinals and other birds of the forest. Suet blocks may also attract them as do chunks of raw or cooked suet with longer-lasting sustenance rendered down for prolonged sustenance.
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Insects
Many wild birds rely on insects and fruits as food sources year-round, yet finding these foods during late fall and early winter when leaves have withered or been covered by snow can prove more challenging than usual.
Black Phoebes and Western Bluebirds may experience difficulty finding food during winter, since many insect species have died or gone dormant. By providing live mealworms as food source, we can fill their needs and protect these species.
Suet is an important source of protein for woodpeckers, jays and chickadees to feed on; woodpeckers, jays and chickadees will frequent feeders to get this high-energy food source. You could also offer peanuts which attract titmice, woodpeckers and cardinals alike. Avoid bread, chips and crackers since these offer minimal nutritional benefit; black oil sunflower seeds instead will attract many different species of birds.
Seeds
Chickadees, nuthatches and tufted titmice are among the most frequent visitors to backyard feeders during wintertime. Offering various seed types can draw in these and other birds species.
Winter birds love black oil sunflower seeds. Not only are they more energy-rich than striped sunflower seeds, they have an easy shell that birds find easier to open – they can often be found at wild bird feeding stores as well as large-box hardware stores.
Suet blocks, made up of rendered beef fat mixed with seeds and grains, can also provide birds with energy that they need until spring arrives. Suet is available at most birdfeeding stores as well as grocery stores – often found near the meat isle – for purchase. These blocks provide birds with a reliable energy source that will get them through until warmer times arrive.
Fruit
As seasons change, birds look for additional sources of sustenance. Birds that typically rely on insects as food may switch over to berries which provide essential proteins and unsaturated fats for proper nourishment.
Offer fruits and berries that remain on trees throughout winter such as cranberries and winterberry holly to your feeders, such as chopped pears and apples in your yard. Black sunflower seeds are popular with many species including Tufted Titmice and Greenfinches; they can also serve as great replacements for peanut hearts in suet feeders – providing vital energy sources during cold weather months! Suet blocks can be purchased anywhere bird seed is sold; alternatively it is simple to create longer-lasting blocks by heating raw suet on your stovetop!
Nuts
Birds require high-fat foods that will fuel them through a long, cold winter. Suet (an animal fat blend with seed and fruit bits) in a special suet feeder can attract woodpeckers, chickadees, nuthatches and titmice as well as rarer species like Carolina wrens. Processed suet cakes can often be found at grocery stores or bird feeding supply shops.
Peanuts are another high-fat food option to add to a winter bird feeder, however only use de-shelled, dry roasted and unsalted varieties since some salted varieties contain potentially deadly substances that could harm birds. Furthermore, provide clean drinking water sources since natural water sources could have frozen over.
Grains
Birds are highly adaptable, and many species switch their diet from insect-rich to seed-heavy during the winter. Offering feeders with the appropriate foods can help them make this adjustment and survive through this harsh season.
Sunflower seeds with no hulls and peanuts are high-protein, high-fat foods that will attract woodpeckers, chickadees, jays, nuthatches, titmice, cardinals, bluebirds and many other birds. You could also offer suet: compressed raw fat often studded with seeds, berries or nuts–available from meat departments at grocery stores as cakes or special feeders.
Avoid offering your birds food such as bread, crackers or chips which contain empty carbs that do not provide energy they require to remain warm. Furthermore, live insects could spread disease and parasites if consumed regularly.
