WINTER BIRD FEEDING If you feed birds, you’re in good company. Birding is one of America’s favorite pastimes. A 1997 report from the Kaytee Avian Foundation estimates that 43 percent of U.S. households or about 65 million people provide food for wild birds.
Wintertime—and the Living’s spiders. These creatures are highly Not Easy nutritious, abundant, and, for the most part, easily captured. During In much of North America, winter fall and winter, however, nonmigra- is a difficult time for birds. Days tory songbirds must shift their are often windy and cold; nights diets to fruits and seeds to are long and even colder. The lush, survive. This is the time berry-laden vegetation of summer of year when winter bird- and fall has withered or been con- feeding enthusiasts should roll sumed, and most insects have died out the welcome mat and set the or become dormant. Finding food table. The question is, what to serve can be especially challenging for for dinner? The shelves of many birds during days with extreme cold supermarkets and specialty bird- temperatures. feeding stores are stocked with Setting up a backyard bird feeder bags, buckets, and cakes of many makes their lives easier and ours food types. You may find the task more enjoyable. To observe birds of selecting the best foods a bit Evening Grosbeaks by Larry McQueen at your backyard feeder, you don’t overwhelming. One key to attracting need to brave the elements—you a diversity of bird species is to pro- can simply watch the show from vide a variety of food types, but that the comfort of your own home. doesn’t mean you need to purchase larger and have a thicker seed coat.) Participants in the Cornell Lab of one of everything on the shelf. Ornithology’s Project FeederWatch Several studies, including our own can also help scientists track changes Seed Preference Test, show that Which Seed Types Should I this high-energy food is the flock- in the abundance and distribution of Provide? winter bird populations, by count- pleasing favorite of the majority of ing birds at their feeders during this The seeds that attract the great- birds that visit feeders. In fact, it is winterlong survey. est number of species are black-oil often wasteful to fill a feeder with a sunflower. These seeds have a high standard mix—a blend of sunflower, Types of Bird Food meat-to-shell ratio, they are nutri- milo, millet, oats, wheat, flax, and tious and high in fat, and their small buckwheat seeds—since your visitors During the spring and summer size and thin shells make them easy may eat the prized sunflower seeds months, the diet of most songbirds for small birds to handle and crack. and leave the rest. is composed mainly of insects and (Striped sunflower seeds are
159 Sapsucker Woods Road • Ithaca, New York 14850 • 607 254-BIRD Experiment to see ban areas, so be considerate of your what your birds like neighbors before feeding leftovers. best! High-Energy Foods Make it Yourself You can also attract insect-eating As an alternative to birds such as chickadees, woodpeck- Black-capped Chickadee (above) commercial mix- ers, and nuthatches to your yard by and Carolina Chickadee (right) tures, which may have offering peanut butter or suet (beef by Larry Mc Queen a high percentage of less fat). Birds that live in cold climates appealing “filler seeds” especially appreciate these high- such as red milo, you can energy foods. The table on the back of this Bird- create an attractive, low-cost mix- Note is based on studies conducted Some people worry that birds will ture yourself. Pour one 25-pound choke on sticky peanut butter. by the Cornell Lab of Ornithol- bag of black-oil sunflower seed, one ogy and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife There’s no evidence that they do, 10-pound bag of white proso millet, but you can completely eliminate Service. Keep in mind that birds’ and one 10-pound bag of cracked feeding habits vary based on weather any risk by mixing peanut butter corn into a clean trash barrel. Mix it with corn meal or oatmeal. patterns, geographic region, season, up with a broomstick, and be sure to and even individual taste, so you replace the lid tightly. In fact, always The plain beef suet available at most may find exceptions to these guide- store whatever seed you decide to supermarket meat departments is lines. provide in a tight, waterproof con- an excellent high-energy food. Suet In the table, “corn” refers to dried, tainer. Metal containers work best to can quickly become rancid in warm whole-kernel corn, a favorite food prevent rodents from gnawing their weather, but some commercial suet for jays, pigeons, doves, quail, and way into your food supply. cakes and doughs can be used year- pheasants. It is perhaps the least round. Offer the suet in a plastic expensive of all birdseeds. Cracked Leftovers: For the Birds? mesh bag (the kind onions come in) corn, however, is easier to eat for You don’t have to limit your offer- or, to guard against raccoons, in a blackbirds, finches, and sparrows. ings to commercial birdseed. Some wire basket. Premade suet cakes are “Millet” comes in red and white people save the seeds from squash also available in most stores that sell varieties, but most birds prefer white and melons. This is a great way to bird-feeding supplies. These cakes proso millet over red. “Nijer,” or put the seeds from your Halloween often contain a mix of birdseeds. thistle seed, is a delicacy for small pumpkins to good use. Some birds The cakes are great to have on hand finches such as goldfinches, siskins, relish these seeds even more than in case your local supermarket is out and redpolls. Because nijer seeds black-oil sunflower. Spread them of suet. are small and expensive, it’s best to out on trays to air dry before plac- offer them in a special nijer feeder, ing them in your feeders or on the Fruity Favorites which has tiny ports that prevent the ground. If the seeds are sufficiently Birds such as robins, thrushes, blue- seeds from spilling out. Safflower dry and free of mold, you can save birds, and waxwings don’t usually is another seed that many birds them to use when winter comes. show up at feeders because seeds are like—most notably, cardinals. As an Smaller birds may have a tough time not a major component of their diet. added bonus, it has limited appeal to breaking open vegetable seeds, but But you can still tempt them to din- starlings and House Sparrows (non- if you run the seeds through a food ner with an offering of fruit. Soften native species), and squirrels. Peanuts processor first, they will be able to dried raisins and currents by soaking are another readily available food eat them with ease. them in water, then offer them at that many backyard birds will eat. Some people throw out scraps of your feeding station. Mockingbirds, While sunflower seeds are favored stale bread, cake, or doughnuts for catbirds, tanagers, and orioles will by most feeder birds, some birds their feathered visitors. There’s also find sliced fresh fruit attractive. do prefer other seeds. For example, nothing wrong with this, but be sure You can offer fruit on a platform blackbirds like corn, and doves pre- the food is not moldy or it may harm feeder or simply on a plate on the fer corn, milo, and millet. Our Seed the birds. Another caveat: table ground. Preference Test found that most scraps may attract less-welcome ground-feeding bird species prefer visitors such as European Starlings, Water, Water Everywhere white millet or red milo to black-oil House Sparrows, rats, or raccoons. Unfrozen water can be as hard for sunflower seed, but many tree-feed- Attracting nuisance species can be a birds to find in winter as food. Birds ing species prefer sunflower seed. real problem in urban and subur- need water not only to drink, but
159 Sapsucker Woods Road • Ithaca, New York 14850 • 607 254-BIRD also to bathe in—clean feathers are too close, however, they can also ability of food. Also, peak migration provide the best insulation. A de- provide good jumping-off places time is late summer and fall, a time pendable supply of fresh water will for squirrels that may be eyeing the when natural foods are readily avail- even attract to your yard birds that seeds, and cats that may be eyeing able anyway. So, it is unlikely that wouldn’t ordinarily come to your the birds. A distance of about 10 feet feeding birds has any effect on their feeders. A shallow, easy-to-clean seems to be a happy compromise. migratory patterns. birdbath is best—an upside-down You can provide resting and escape Many people also worry about what garbage can lid or large frying pan cover for ground-dwelling birds, will happen to their backyard visitors will work fine. To emulate a natural such as Song Sparrows, by placing when they go on vacation. Ideally, puddle, simply dig a shallow hole in large, loosely stacked brush piles a neighbor or friend should stop by the ground and line it with plas- near your feeders. to restock your feeder. Otherwise, tic before filling it with water. An try to taper off gradually before you immersion-style water heater will Feeder Maintenance go. Don’t fret, however; it’s fine keep your birdbath unfrozen in the Clean your feeders about once every to stop feeding briefly. In winter, winter. Clean your birdbath often two weeks, more often during times natural food sources often disappear and keep it filled with fresh water. of heavy use. Scrub them with soap overnight when they are covered by For more information, see Bird- and water, then dip them into a snow or consumed by other animals. Notes: Providing Water for Birds. solution of one part bleach and nine Birds have adapted accordingly— parts water. Rinse them well and studies show that even birds with full Types of Feeders allow them to dry thoroughly before access to feeders consume three- The ideal bird feeder is sturdy refilling them with birdseed. Anoth- quarters of their diet elsewhere, and enough to withstand winter weather, er important maintenance activity is that when feeder birds are deprived tight enough to keep seeds dry, to periodically rake up birdseed hulls of supplemental foods, they quickly large enough that you don’t have beneath your feeders. Decomposing revert to an all-natural diet. If your to refill it constantly, and easy to hulls may harbor bacteria that could neighbors have feeders too, you can assemble and keep clean. For these spread bird diseases to your feath- rest even more assured that your reasons, plastic or metal feeders ered guests and may kill your lawn birds will not starve. work better than wooden ones. In or flowers. general, seed-feeders fall into three If You Build it, Will They Come? categories: tray feeders, hopper Bird-Feeding Concerns It may take a while for the word feeders, and tube feeders. Tray feed- Poorly maintained feeders may to get out about the new feeder in ers are typically placed close to the town. If you are not seeing birds ground and attract ground-feeding contribute to the spread of infectious diseases among birds. The feed- within a few days of setting up your birds such as juncos, sparrows, and feeder, try sprinkling some seeds towhees. Tray feeders also work well ers themselves can sometimes pose when mounted on deck railings, hazards too. Here are some helpful stumps, or posts. Hopper feed- hints for successful bird feeding: ers are very common and are often • Avoid overcrowding at feeders by hung from trees, decks, and poles. placing numerous feeders several These feeders are especially good feet apart. for larger species such as cardinals, • Keep your feeding area and feed- jays, and grosbeaks. Tube feeders are ers clean. typically suspended from trees and posts. They are excellent for finches, • Keep food and food-storage con- titmice, and chickadees. tainers dry and free of mold and fungus. Feeder Placement • Check your feeders for safety. Place your feeder in an area free of Sharp edges can scratch birds and disturbances where it is easy to see make them susceptible to infec- and convenient to refill. Your feeder tion. should be close to natural shelters People wonder whether bird feeding (cover) such as trees or shrubs. Ev- causes birds to change their migra- ergreens are ideal, providing maxi- tory behavior. The clue that most mum cover from winter winds and birds use to migrate is the change in Golden-crowned Sparrow adult (top) and predators. If trees and shrubs day length rather than the avail- immature(bottom) by Larry Mc Queen
159 Sapsucker Woods Road • Ithaca, New York 14850 • 607 254-BIRD Chickadees Titmice Cardinals Sparrows Wood- Orioles Pigeons Indigo Painted Nuthatches Finches Grosbeaks Blackbirds Jays peckers Tanagers Doves Buntings Buntings
Sunflower ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ❍ ❍ ❍ ❍ ✔
Safflower ❍ ❍ ❍
Corn ❍ ✔ ✔
Millet ❍ ❍ ❍
Milo ❍ ❍
Nijer ✔ ❍
Suet ✔ ❍ ✔ ❍
✔ Preferred ❍ Readily Eaten on the ground around the feeder may simply be too exposed. Moving few in number. Remember too that to make your feeding site more it to a calmer, more sheltered spot bird populations fluctuate naturally obvious. If the seed in the feeder is may increase visitation. In newly de- from year to year, so if you notice a blowing out or getting wet, there is a veloped housing areas, birds may not scarcity of feeder birds this year, you good chance that your birds are get- feel sufficiently protected because may be surprised by an abundance of ting the same treatment. Your feeder trees and shrubs may be small or birds the next year.
For More Information (female) If you wish to pursue your interest in feeding birds beyond the informa- tion contained here, consult one of the books listed below or visit the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Proj- ect FeederWatch web site at
159 Sapsucker Woods Road • Ithaca, New York 14850 • 607 254-BIRD