Feeding birds in winterhelps our winged friends survive the cold and snowy winter. If wefeed the birds in the garden , they will repay us in spring and summer by eating harmful insects. However, it is important tofeed the birds with the right foodand in the right way, otherwise we will harm them more than help them. See how, when andwhat to feed the birds in winterso that it will benefit the birds and our garden!
Feeding birds in winter. Great tit is served with sunflower seeds
Is it necessary to feed birds in winter?
Opinions on the necessity of feeding birds in winter are dividedOn the one hand, birds should be able to find food on their own, on the other hand, however, during the harsh winter many birds become sick, freeze and die of hunger .It is therefore worth helping birds by providing nutritious and full of energy food
Before we start feeding the birds, we should make sure what food is right for themBy feeding the birds with bread, worse, moldy, spoiled or s alted food or sweet cakes, we will harm the birds more than help.If we're going to feed the birds anything, it's better not to just feed them
However, whenwe stock up on food suitable for the birds , by feeding the birds in winter, we will not only be able to help them, but also feast their eyes on the birds twirling around the feeder and listen to their chirping. Bird dialect will enliven the garden sleeping in winter.
From the gardener's point of view, feeding birds has one more advantageBy setting a feeder in the garden, we get the birds used to staying and looking for food in this place. Many birds, which we feed in winter with grain and other plant food, will look for caterpillars and insect larvae in our garden from spring.
A great example here is titmouse, for which it is worth spilling greasy grain in winter, hanging up fat balls and raw lard.In spring and summer, tit will eat harmful moths and butterflies and their caterpillars , which make up more than 80% of the tit's food.
Feeding birds in winter. Fat Ball Feeder
Another example is the common sparrow, which eats seeds, plant buds and sprouting leaves in spring, butalso feeds its chicks with insects , such as aphids, weevil beetles and various caterpillars.
In this wayTitmouse, sparrows and other birds fed in winter, from spring to summer, help us in combating plant pests
Titmouse fed in winter, caterpillars of harmful insects catching caterpillars in summer
When do we start feeding the birds?
Feeding birds in winter should be started only when snowfall or severe frosts occur.A thick layer of snow prevents the birds from finding food in nature, and in case of frost, the birds must eat more high-energy food to stay alive. Usually, feeding the birds is necessary in the period from December to the end of February.
Very important!Once we have started feeding the birds, we have to do it regularly until the end of winter. Birds accustomed to feeding places will fly long distances to reach our feeder, sometimes losing a lot of energy. When they find the feeder empty, they may not be able to find other food.
Which birds do we feed in winter?
Swans and wild ducks will benefit from feeding near water reservoirs. In parks and cities, pigeons, collared animals, jackdaws and rooks are most often fed.In the garden, our feeders can be visited by tits , sparrows and mazurkas, slightly smaller than them, as well as blackbirds, fieldquicks, greenfinches, finches, bunting and bullfinches.
Feeding birds in winter. Sikory eagerly pecks raw lard
What to feed the birds in winter?
Food for birds should be properly selected , as wrong food will harm them more than help them.
Here is10 Good Food Ideas for Wintering Birds :
- various grains of cereals(wheat, barley, oats, millet),
- pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds(preferably unshelled) andcorn ,
- natural oatmeal(can be sprinkled with oil before serving),
- boiled groats and rice(barley and buckwheat groats can be served to birds without cooking, but for example pearl barley and rice only after cooking, because uncooked they swell excessively in birds' stomachs),
- boiled and chopped vegetables(carrots, potatoes, beets, cabbage),
- fresh fruit(e.g. sliced apples and pears)and driedDried fruits may need to be soaked before serving them to birds so that they do not swell into birds stomachs. Fruits must be dried without added sugar, they cannot be candied fruits, they cannot contain sulfur dioxide and other preservatives!
- nuts(peanuts, hazelnuts, Italian, only natural, unroasted and no s alt added),
- lard(necessarily raw and uns alted, cannot hang longer than 2 weeks, titmouse, woodpeckers and nuthatch will benefit from it),
- available in storesready-made grain mixtures for wintering birds, cobs and fat balls,
- it is a good practiceto place a drinker near the feeder , as birds often lack water in winter.
Feeding birds in winter. It is worth planting shrubs in the garden,
fruit of which can be used as winter food for birds.
Remember that the feed we serve is not the only food for birds.If we really want to help the birds, let's plant in the garden plants that keep fruit that is food for birds throughout the fall and winterThese can be: elderberry, rowan, wild rose, elderberry, coral viburnum, hawthorn, barberry, blackthorn plum. Even if the fruits of some shrubs are poisonous to us or edible only when cooked, they make excellent food for birds.
Note!
Table s alt is very harmful to birdsand contributes to their dehydration, therefore it cannot contain any food served to birds (in winter, birds usually lack water). Vegetables, porridges and rice must be cooked without adding s alt (for example, you must not give birds vegetables from soup). Be careful not to give birds s alted peanuts.
Birds should not be given bread , because it is not very nutritious and swells in the stomachs of the birds, filling them with worthless content.The bread also contains additives that are harmful to birds, such as the above-mentioned s alt.Under no circumstances are birds allowed to serve moldy bread !
What do the different bird species eat?
"Of the food for birds mentioned above, it is worth choosing the types that will besuitable for birds found in our gardenor elsewhere for feeding. In order to facilitate the identification of individual bird species, we have prepared the graphic Birds Wintering in Poland. It presentspopular birds found in our winterbut not all of them, of course. For example, there are several species of woodpeckers, and for the graphics we have chosen the most numerous woodpecker in Poland. "
Birds wintering in Poland
What each bird species eat :
- Small birds(sparrows, mazurkas, tit, nuthatches, greenfinches or bunting) - sunflower seeds, hemp, millet, wheat, oats, oatmeal,
- Larger birds(collared birds, pigeons, jackdaws, rooks) - larger seeds and coarse groats,
- Titmouse, woodpeckers, nuthatches- raw lard, uns alted, it can hang for a maximum of 2 weeks, then it must be replaced with fresh. Remember that the tit is not alive only with bacon, so in addition to bacon, we also serve other types of food,
- Water birds(swans, ducks) - grains, finely chopped boiled vegetables and fresh fruit, corn.
A good quality bird seed mix , flasks and fat balls can be ordered in the shop of our guide. To view the offer, press the button below.
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Which feeder to choose and where to place it?
The most popular are wooden feedersThey should have a sloping roof to protect against rainfall and a floor with slats on the sides so that the grain is not blown away by the wind.Some wooden feeders have pull-out trays or drawers, which makes it easy to replace or add grain.The design of the feeder should give birds easy access to food and the ability to observe the surroundingsand possibly approaching predators. Otherwise, the birds will avoid such a feeder, treating it as a dangerous trap.
The feeder should be checked and cleaned regularlyWe remove dirty and spoiled grain, replenishing fresh food every day. It is also advisable to wash the feeder with warm water and soap or dishwashing liquid once a week, and even disinfect it with boiling water to reduce the risk of transmission of diseases and parasites between birds. Potassium soap with garlic, which has antibacterial properties, is ideal for cleaning the feeder.
Unfortunately, traditional wooden bird feeders, especially decorative rustic bird feeders with willow twig roofs, do not always work.What we like about a bird garden is not always the best.It is much easier to clean metal and plastic feeders.On the other hand, however, in traditional wooden feeders, birds have the best access to food poured out. Only the most agile species of birds can handle modern feeders, often unnecessarily bizarre.
Feeders with grain dosing containerswork well, such as e.g. a bird feeder with a dispenser available in our store. In such a container, the grain is protected against moisture and dirt caused by birds. It drops out gradually as the birds eat it. Thanks to this, the grain does not need to be changed every day, it is enough to refill it.
Feeding birds in winter. Feeder with grain dosing container
The feeder should be placed at a height of 1.5 to 2 metersso that the birds have a good vantage point from it.A high-placed feeder is less accessible to cats and other bird-threatening animals. But we also need to have access to it to refill food or clean the feeder.
It is good if the feeder is sheltered from the windThat is why the feeders mounted directly against the building's wall work well. The feeder should not, however, be close to elements that move and flutter in the wind, which may scare the birds. The feeder itself should also be mounted firmly.
A common idea is to hang the feeder on a tree branch. Unfortunately, in such places the cat can very easily climb into the feeder and attack the birds. A better solution isplacing the feeder on a wooden stake or a metal rod driven into the groundThe diameter of such a stake should not exceed 5 cm. Then the cat will have a hard time climbing it. For this reason, the stick-on bird feeder available in our store works very well.
Bird feeding in town
Of course, not everyone has their own garden and most peoplefeed birds in the city , in squares, yards or parks. Also in this casechoosing the right place to feed the birds in winterand the way we do it are very important. The soggy pieces of bread scattered on the neighborhood lawn do not look aesthetically pleasing and no wonder thatthis way of feeding the birds raises objections from local residentsNot to mention the fact that the birds are constantly scared away by people walking by and running dogs .
In this case, we must take into account not only the comments of other people, but even the fine. We do not face afine for feeding birds , which is not forbidden, but e.g. for littering a public place with feeding residues. We must also remember that housing cooperatives or communities have the right to introduce such a ban in their area.
In winter we can feed ducks and other water birds
When feeding birds in the city, let's choose a placewhere the birds will have peace and a sense of security, especially timid species that will not come close to the feeding place if they are they felt threatened. It should be asecluded area, away from streets and sidewalkswhere people often walk. In this way, neither we will disturb the winged boarders, nor they disturb us.
It is also advisable thatthe bird feeding place is sheltered from the windAt the same time, however, the birds must have easy access to it and, most importantly, the ability to escape in case of danger. too much food for the birds, and only as much as the birds can eat. On pavements, use only dry grain that does not soften and leave stains so quickly. In this way, we will make sure that
the feeding place remains clean
"It can be difficult to remember all the rules about feeding your birds. Theinfographic How to feed the birdsprepared by the State Forests and the Polish Infographic Group will help us in this. I encourage you to save a copy of it on your desktop and check it often: -) "
