How to feed wild birds in winter and how to do it right

With the advent of cold weather in the city, you can see many different types of birds – sparrows, tits, bullfinches and many other representatives of the feathered world. Despite the fact that birds live in nature, sometimes they need our help. However, it must be done wisely.

Remember that birds only need to be fed, not a complete diet, they must get it on their own!

What to feed sparrows

Passerine birds can be fed throughout the winter. Feeders can be made from various materials, the main thing is that precipitation does not fall on the food, it is easy and safe for the birds to get it, it is easy and convenient for a person to replenish food supplies. Also, sometimes you should wash the feeders from litter and other contaminants.

For top dressing, you can use special industrial-made feeds (food for medium and small parrots is also suitable), as well as a self-made mixture of millet, sunflower seeds (not fried and not salted) and oats. The mixture can be enriched with nuts, they are high in calories and give the birds a lot of energy, but remember that the nuts must be unshelled, not fried or salted.

What to feed tits and woodpeckers

Some birds (tits and woodpeckers) will enjoy unsalted fat, which can be hung separately or fixed next to the food. Sunflower seeds should not be sprinkled much; with their constant use, birds may experience problems with the liver. You should not keep the feeder constantly filled, accustom the birds to a certain regimen so that the birds themselves try to get food. For example, fill the feeder in the morning and in the evening.

Do not use spoiled food, moldy food for feeding – this can kill birds. 

Millet is also not suitable for birds, unlike millet, it is devoid of a shell and can often contain toxins that are dangerous for birds. Bread is also dangerous for birds, especially black, especially fresh, it often contains starch and can also cause fermentation in the stomach of birds.

What to feed pigeons

To feed pigeons, you can also use a special mixture or make it yourself from wheat, barley, pearl barley. Oatmeal is also suitable, but not instant.

What to feed forest birds

In feeders for forest birds, in addition to food, you can leave pumpkin and watermelon seeds, a piece of apple, mountain ash, viburnum, hawthorn, currant, etc. You can also use small pieces of raw beef, boiled and chopped egg. Cones, acorns, maple seeds from ash are perfect.

How to properly hang bird feeders

I would like to separately note the location of the feeders. Many people like to watch the feeding of birds and place the feeders right on their window. However, remember that birds, in addition to eating, also often defecate. Their droppings can be liquid and often corrode even some paints. In addition, they often scatter leftover food in different directions. Neighbors who live on floors below and do not share these bird joys can be especially saddened by all this. Sometimes, when hanging feeders on the window, birds can fly into the open window.

It should be remembered that birds and their droppings can be a source of various diseases that can be transmitted to humans (ornithosis, tuberculosis, etc.), so contact with all this should be minimal, always wash your hands after touching the feeders or use gloves.

Feeders are best placed near the house, in gardens, parks, closer to the bushes. In general, watch where flocks of birds accumulate in the yard, hang them there. Since there are usually a lot of birds at the feeder, you need to arrange them so that it is difficult for predators to get to the visitors of the makeshift dining room.

But it is better not to specially feed corvids, their number in the city is huge, they are omnivores, they can attack small birds and are able to get their own food on their own (including in landfills). Remember that birds only need a little help from a person, in order to survive severe frosts, you should not overfeed the birds out of pity, this can only do harm. Everything needs a measure. 

If you install a camera trap next to the feeder, you will be pleasantly surprised by the resulting pictures. 

If you don’t believe me, see how it happens in our article “How Birds Treat Selfies”