Feeding Birds in Winter
Feeding Birds in Winter
It has turned to that time of year where the air is a little cooler, the nights are darker and we have lit the stoves and fired up the central heating again.
Spare a thought, though, for our garden visitors who are out in the elements in all weathers and at all times of day. Their usual food sources are in short supply and their energy sources are being heavily depleted just by trying to stay warm.
Not all birds migrate to warmer climates, and for the ones that stay in the UK, there are plenty of things we can do to help see the vast variety of species through the colder months of Autumn and Winter.
In this article we will look at the reasons to help birds in Winter, what to feed them, why they like Fat Balls and what foods to actually avoid giving your garden visitors.
Benefits to feeding birds in Winter
During the Winter months, the natural food sources which birds rely on throughout the year have reduced quite significantly.
The ground is cold and hard, covered in snow and ice, or even flooded. Insects are hibernating or have died, berries and tree fruits have blown away or have been damaged by frosts and cold temperatures.
Shorter daylight hours mean that the time available to birds to find food sources, which are already depleted, is shorter and they waste a lot of energy trying to do that.
Many of our small garden birds are only able to lay down enough fat to get them through a single night. This means they need to spend most of a typical winter’s day searching for food – which is up to 85 per cent of the daylight hours.
When birds have access to more nutrients in Winter, they go into the Spring mating season healthier and breeding will be more successful. Chicks will have better weights, and egg-laying will happen earlier.
You can imagine then, that if a bird lands in your garden anytime between now and Spring, any food sources that you have put out will be gratefully received and you can be safe in the knowledge that by keeping your garden stocked with food for birds, you are not only helping them in Winter but also for the next year to come.
Best foods for birds in winter
High energy and high protein are the key food sources for birds in winter. Think peanuts, mealworms, raisins and dried fruits, sunflower seeds and suet. They are easy to put out and easy for birds to eat quickly.
Bits of orchard fruits, such as soft apples and pears are good for birds like Blackbirds and Thrushes, while mashed bananas and grapes will also be eaten up by birds.
Uncooked porridge oats and potatoes (well, who doesn’t love roast potatoes on a Sunday) will also give birds much needed energy.
Some other household leftovers that will benefit birds are grated cheese for the protein, cooked rice and small amounts of breadcrumbs.
As youngsters we all enjoyed feeding bread to the ducks and naturally you’d think that garden birds would snap it up too. They will, but bread doesn’t contain enough of the essential nutrients that birds need to help see them through Winter.
We suggest that you only put enough food out for a day, so spread out the scraps that you have rather than putting it all out at once. It helps prevent food rotting and the spread of any diseases birds may be carrying.
It can also stop other visitors, such as mice, rats and pigeons, taking the food that you have put out for the garden birds.
If you can put out fresh drinking water for birds this will also be helpful as other water sources can become frozen during particularly bad weather.
Ways to feed birds in Winter
We have covered how feeding birds in Winter is important and why, but where you feed them is also crucial to helping our garden friends to survive and thrive through colder months as well.
Some birds don’t like eating from tables and hanging feeders, while others prefer to forage for food in and around shrubs and bushes.
Some species will respond better to fat mixtures being smeared into the cracks and crevices of branches and trees as it replicates a more natural way to find food.
Using several feeding stations can reduce the number of birds crowding in any one place and, if you can avoid placing feeders under garden features where birds perch or roost, it will prevent food being contaminated with droppings.
By moving things around it also deters predators such as cats and vermin becoming too familiar with where food sources are.
Fat Balls
One of the most popular and effective ways to attract and feed birds in your garden is with Fat Balls.
They are made up of suet which is a compacted mix of lard and other ingredients such as seeds, nuts and mealworms. They are high energy and the fat content means birds can store energy after eating them.
Fat Balls can be placed directly on bird tables or in basket feeders hanging from trees, which can help prevent squirrels and bigger birds getting at them so the smaller species can take advantage.
Blue Tits, Great Tits, House Sparrows, Blackbirds, Robins and Starlings are particular fans of Fat Balls so it is likely you will spot an increase of these in your garden if you put Fat Balls out.
What not to feed birds in your garden
While it is tempting to give birds a helping hand with pretty much most of our food leftovers and household scraps there are certain things to be avoided as they can do more harm than good to birds.
Avocado has fatty acidic substances that can cause various health problems for the garden birds including sudden death and heart damage.
Milk can’t be digested properly by birds and can cause blockages in their stomachs while chocolate contains theobromine and caffeine which is highly toxic for birds, even if consumed in a very small amount.
Foods with high salt content, like bacon and salted nuts, should also be avoided, as should margarine and cooking oils because they can get stuck in their feathers.
Why are birds not eating Fat Balls
If you find that birds are not being attracted to eating your Fat Balls, don’t worry they don’t like the ingredients, there might be a much more simple explanation.
Like us humans, birds will have foods they like and dislike and that will be down to their own characters, so a way to get around this is to offer a variety of foods.
It also takes time for birds to feel comfortable with something new, or to realise that it is even there and available as a food source, so bear with it and in time the visitors to your garden will start appearing.
If after a few weeks the birds still don’t seem to be tucking in, it is worth checking the Fat Balls are still fresh enough, as birds will tend not to eat mouldy foods, and the bird table or feeding area is clean from old food and bird droppings.
If this isn’t the problem, then it is worth considering changing the location of the Fat Balls.
Birds need to know they are near shelter to escape any predators if necessary, so if you have chopped back or moved shrubs, bushes and plants this could explain their reluctance, and if squirrels are eating the Fat Balls instead, birds will know there is a potential predator nearby.
You can add other elements to your garden that will help attract birds such as bird boxes and bird baths.
Fat Balls are also best to be avoided as a source of bird food in summer because the food can melt or go off quicker.
Summary
As the seasons have changed we will all have noticed colder days and even colder nights creeping in. It is at this time of year that the birds that we have enjoyed seeing in our gardens throughout Spring and Summer, start to struggle with the change in seasons.
Natural food sources are more scarce and they are also using up an incredible amount of energy and reserves in their body just to try to keep warm enough to stay alive.
So, if you can put out food for them it will help to see them through winter and into the breeding season and next year’s Spring and Summer in a much better way.
Simple ingredients such as over ripe apples and pears, unsalted nuts and seeds will help and there are some surprising ingredients that you shouldn’t feed birds as they are potentially harmful.
However, particularly at this time of year, birds are more likely to benefit from Fat Balls.
The high calorie content from the ingredients provide lots of energy and also energy that can be stored and reserved to see them through the cold nights and long Winter.