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Home , Bird, Bird feeder, Bird feeding, Bird food, Winter

BirdNotes 1 Winter Feeding

at feeders in winter

If you feed birds, you’re in good company. Birding is one of North America’s favorite pastimes. A 2006 report from the U.S. and Service estimates that about 55.5 mil- lion Americans provide for wild birds. Chickadees Titmice Cardinals Sparrows Wood- Orioles Pigeons Grosbeaks Blackbirds Jays peckers Doves Sunflower ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆

Safflower ◆ ◆ ◆

Corn ◆ ◆ ◆

Millet ◆ ◆ ◆

Milo ◆ ◆

Nyjer ◆

Suet ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆

◆ Preferred ◆ Readily Eaten

Wintertime—and the Living’s counting birds at their feeders during selecting the best daunting. To Not Easy this winterlong survey. Great Back- attract a diversity of birds, provide a yard Bird Count participants provide variety of food types. But that doesn’t n much of North America, winter valuable data with a much shorter mean you need to purchase one of ev- Iis a difficult time for birds. Days time commitment—as little as fifteen erything on the shelf. are often windy and ; are minutes in mid-! long and even colder. Lush vegeta- Which Types tion has withered or been consumed, Types of Should I Provide? and most have died or become uring and , most dormant. Finding food can be espe- lack-oil sunflower attract eat insects and spi- cially challenging for birds after a D Bthe greatest number of . ders, which are highly nutritious, heavy snowfall. These seeds have a high meat-to- abundant, and for the most part, eas- shell ratio, they are nutritious and Setting up a backyard feeder makes ily captured. During fall and winter, high in fat, and their small size and their easier and ours more enjoy- nonmigratory songbirds shift their di- thin shells make them easy for small able. To observe birds at a feeder, you ets to fruits and seeds to survive. This birds to handle and crack. (Striped don’t need to brave the elements— is the time of when bird-feeding sunflower seeds are larger and have you can watch from the comfort of enthusiasts roll out the welcome mat a thicker seed coat.) Several studies, your own home. Participants in the and set the table. The question is, including our own Seed Preference Cornell Lab of ’s Project what to serve? Most supermarkets Test, show that this high-energy food FeederWatch help scientists track and bird-feeding stores are stocked is the favorite of most birds that visit changes in the abundance and distri- with bags, buckets, and cakes of many feeders. In fact, it is often wasteful bution of winter bird populations, by food types. You may find the task of to use a standard mix of sunflower,

Sunflower Corn Millet

2 finches such as goldfinches, siskins, Some people save the seeds from and . Nyjer seeds are small squash and melons. This is a great and expensive. Offer them in spe- way to put the seeds from cial nyjer feeders, with small mesh pumpkins to good use. Some birds rel- or tiny ports that prevent the seeds ish these seeds even more than black- from spilling out. Some birds, most oil sunflower. Spread them out on notably cardinals, appreciate saf- trays to air dry before placing them in , which has limited appeal for your feeders or on the ground. If the and House Sparrows (non- seeds are sufficiently dry and free of native species), and . Many mold, you can save them to use when backyard birds (and squirrels) enjoy winter comes. Smaller birds may peanuts. have a tough time breaking open veg- etable seeds, but if you run the seeds Although sunflower seeds are the through a food processor first, little overall favorite of tree-feeding spe- birds will be able to eat them with cies, most ground-feeding bird spe- ease. cies prefer white millet or red milo to milo, millet, oats, , flax, and black-oil sunflower seed. Experiment Some people throw out scraps of stale buckwheat seeds, since birds may eat to see what your birds like best! bread, cake, or doughnuts for their feathered visitors. Be sure the food is the prized sunflower seeds and leave Make it Yourself the rest. Uneaten seeds may foster not moldy or it may harm . growth of mold and . s an alternative to commercial Another caveat: table scraps may at- mixtures, which may have a high tract less-welcome visitors such as The table shown in this BirdNote is A percentage of “filler seeds,” you can European Starlings, House Sparrows, based on studies conducted by the create a low-cost mixture yourself. rats, or . Attracting nuisance Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the Pour one 25-pound bag of black-oil species can be a real problem in ur- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Birds’ sunflower seed, one 10-pound bag of ban and suburban areas, so be consid- feeding habits vary based on white proso millet, and one 10-pound erate of your neighbors before feed- patterns, geographic region, , bag of cracked corn into a clean trash ing leftovers. and individual taste, so you may find barrel. Mix it with a broomstick, and exceptions to these guidelines. High-Energy Foods replace the lid tightly. Always store In the table, “corn” refers to dried, birdseed in tight, waterproof contain- ou can attract - birds whole-kernel corn, favored by jays, ers. Metal containers prevent rodents Ysuch as chickadees, woodpeck- pigeons, doves, , and . from gnawing their way into your ers, and nuthatches to your yard by Cracked corn, however, is easier to food supply. offering peanut butter or (beef eat for blackbirds, finches, and spar- Leftovers: For the Birds? fat). Birds in cold especially rows. “Millet” comes in red and appreciate these high-energy foods. white varieties; most birds prefer ou don’t have to limit your of- Some people worry that birds will white proso millet over red. “Nyjer,” Yferings to commercial birdseed. choke on sticky peanut butter. There’s or thistle seed, is a delicacy for small

Milo Nyjer House

3 no evidence that they do, but you can Types of Feeders eliminate any risk by mixing peanut butter with corn meal or oatmeal. he ideal is sturdy Tenough to withstand winter The plain beef suet available at most weather, tight enough to keep seeds supermarket meat departments is dry, large enough that you don’t have an excellent high-energy food. Suet to refill it constantly, and easy to as- can quickly become rancid in warm semble and keep clean. In general, weather, but some commercial suet seed-feeders fall into three catego- cakes and doughs, available in most ries: tray feeders, hopper feeders, and stores that sell bird-feeding supplies, tube feeders. Tray feeders are typi- can be used year-round. Suet cakes cally placed close to the ground and often contain a mix of birdseeds or attract ground-feeding birds such as other ingredients. They’re useful to , sparrows, and towhees. Tray hopper feeder have on when your local super- feeders also work well when mount- they do collide. Window feeders are market is out of suet. Suet is most eas- ed on deck railings, stumps, or posts. often the easiest for us to observe and ily and safely offered in plastic-coated Hopper feeders are often hung from maintain. wire cages. trees or attached to decks or poles. If possible, place your feeder close These feeders are especially good for Fruity Favorites to natural shelters such as trees or larger species such as cardinals, jays, shrubs. Evergreens are ideal, pro- irds such as robins, thrushes, and grosbeaks. Tube feeders are typi- viding maximum cover from win- , and don’t cally suspended from trees and posts. B ter winds and predators. Trees and usually show up at feeders because They are excellent for finches, - shrubs can also provide good jump- seeds are not a major component of mice, and chickadees. ing-off places for squirrels that may their diet. But you can sometimes be eyeing the seeds, and hiding places tempt them to dine at your feeder by Feeder Placement for that may be eyeing the birds. offering fruit. Soften dried raisins and irds visiting feeders are often A distance of about 10 feet seems to currents by soaking them in water Bkilled in collisions with windows. be a happy compromise. You can first. , catbirds, tana- Feeders attached to windows or win- provide resting and escape cover for gers, and orioles may also enjoy sliced dow frames, or placed within 3 feet of ground-dwelling birds, such as Song apples, oranges, and other fresh fruit, a window, are safest because birds are Sparrows, by placing a large, loosely or frozen berries. You can offer fruit more likely to notice the glass, and if stacked brush pile near your feeders. from a plate or shallow bowl set on a they don’t, aren’t flying at top speed if platform feeder or on the ground. Feeder Maintenance Water, Water Everywhere lean your feeders about once every two weeks, and more of- nfrozen water can be as hard for C ten during warm weather and times birds to find in winter as food. U of heavy use. Using a sturdy brush A dependable supply of fresh water to scrub them with soap and wa- will attract many birds to your yard, ter is usually enough; you may wish including species that don’t normally to rinse in a weak bleach solution if visit feeders. A shallow, easy-to-clean there is evidence of disease in your birdbath is best—an upside-down yard. Rinse feeders well and allow garbage can lid or large frying pan them to dry thoroughly before refill- works well. An immersion-style wa- ing them with birdseed. Make sure ter heater can keep your birdbath you also periodically rake up bird- unfrozen in the winter. Clean your seed hulls beneath your feeders. De- birdbath often and keep it filled with composing hulls may harbor bacteria fresh water. For more information, or mold that could spread diseases to see BirdNotes: Providing Water for tube feeder your birds. Birds.

4 Bird-Feeding Concerns shrubs may be small or few in num- ber. Remember that bird populations oorly maintained feeders may fluctuate naturally from year to year. Pcontribute to the spread of infec- If you notice a scarcity of feeder birds tious diseases among birds. The feed- this year, you may be surprised by an ers themselves can sometimes pose abundance of birds in another year or hazards too. Here are some helpful two. hints for successful : To join FeederWatch, call (800) 843– • Avoid overcrowding at feeders by tray feeder placing numerous feeders several BIRD ( only) or (607) feet apart. 254–2473 or sign up online at www. If You Build it, Will They • Keep your feeding area and feed- FeederWatch.org ers clean. Come? • Keep food and food-storage contain- Visit www.birdcount.org to learn more ers dry and free of mold and insects. t may take a while for birds to dis- about the Great Backyard Bird Count. • Check your feeders for safety. Icover a new feeder. If you are not Sharp edges can scratch birds and seeing birds within a few days of set- Other Resources lead to infections. ting up your feeder, try sprinkling The FeederWatcher’s Guide to Bird People wonder whether bird feeding some seeds on the ground around the Feeding. Margaret Barker and Jack causes birds to change their migra- feeder to make the new feeding site Griggs. New York: HarperCollins, tory behavior. Changing day length more obvious. If seed in the feeder is 2000. is the cue most birds use to begin mi- blowing out or getting wet, there is a Society Guide to Attracting grating, not the availability of food. good chance that your birds are get- Birds. Stephen W. Kress. Ithaca, New York: Cornell University Peak migration time is late summer ting the same treatment. Your feeder Press, 2006. and fall, when many natural foods may simply be too exposed. Moving it Wild About Birds. Carrol L. are most abundant. And so it is un- to a calmer, more sheltered spot may Henderson St. Paul, Minnesota: likely that feeding birds has any effect increase visits. In newly developed Minnesota Department of Natural on migratory patterns. On the other housing areas, birds may not feel suf- Resources, 1995. hand, there is some evidence that a ficiently protected because trees and few nonmigratory species such as cardinals have expanded their ranges due in part to feeding. Many people worry about what will happen to their backyard visitors if they go on vacation or suddenly can- not fill their feeders. Ideally, a neigh- bor or friend should stop by to restock your feeder. Otherwise, try to taper off gradually before you go. Don’t fret if this isn’t possible. In winter, natural food sources often disappear over- when they are covered by or consumed by other . Birds have adapted accordingly—studies show that even birds with full access to feeders consume three-quarters of their diet elsewhere, and that when feeder birds are deprived of supple- mental foods, they quickly revert to an all-natural diet. If your neighbors have feeders too, you can rest assured that your birds will not starve. Hairy on suet feeder

5 The illustrations in this issue of BirdNotes were created by Caitlin Turner, a Bartels Science Illustration Intern. Please visit www.birds.cornell.edu/artinterns to learn more about the Cornell Lab’s art internship program, and visit www.caitlineturner.com to see more of Caitlin’s work.

Western Scrub-

To learn more The Cornell Lab of Ornithology uses the best science and technology to discover more about feeding birds about birds and . in winter, visit Contributions from members help support research, education, and citizen-science proj- ects. As a member you’ll receive a subscription to our award-winning magazine, Living Bird, www.feederwatch.org and more. Visit www.birds.cornell.edu/membership or call (866) 989-2473 to join. © 2012 Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, 159 Woods Road, Ithaca, NY, 14850 www.allaboutbirds.org • 607-254-2473 • www.birds.cornell.edu

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