Winter Bird Feeding Tips
January 9, 2019
Winter is a wonderful time to enjoy the colorful birds in your area!
Bird watching and feeding can be a ton of fun. It also helps birds through harsh winter conditions when food may be hard to find, or buried under the deep snow. Depending on the type of feeder and feed that you use, you will undoubtedly attract different varieties of birds to your home. The right type of feed in the right feeder means that you will see more species returning again and again!
Here are some tips on different kinds of feeding methods that you can use to attract your birds:
Feeding
First, you’ll always want to make sure that the seed is fresh, otherwise you could be wasting your time. Birds can be just as picky as humans when it comes to their food, and prefer it oily and dense, as opposed to dry. Feeders should always be well-stocked so that the birds make frequent return visits.
After all, our feathered friends require the same essentials to life as we do: fresh food and water!
So what food blends are most appropriate for which kinds of birds?
We at Stauffers definitely recommend trying several different varieties from Lyric® Wild Bird Food for their high quality, no-waste approach to feeding birds. One such variety that attracts species such as the House Finch and the Northern Cardinal contains energy-dense foods like black-oil sunflower feeds and nut pieces. This Delite Mix by Lyric excludes the shells that birds would push aside, and gets right to the seed they love.
Also perfect for Finches and other small-beaked birds is the Nyjer Seed variety. This premium, high-energy blend attracts American Goldfinches, Purple Finches, House Finches and even Pine Siskins.
Black Oil Sunflower Seed: This is best during the winter months because it’s high in protein, easy for birds to open, and has a lot of beneficial oil in it. These seeds nourish the birds and the oil keeps them warm and dry.
Birds like Chickadees and nuthatches hide away stashes of nuts, seeds, and even berries well in advance of Winter, but can always use bird feed to supplement their stock. Lyric’s own Chickadee Mix captures everything they love into one blend, including shelled peanuts, black oil sunflower seed, sunflower kernels, black striped sunflower seed, pecans, and pistachios.
If you’re more excited to see species of songbirds arrive at your feeders, like Cardinals and Mockingbirds, then the Supreme Mix is your best bet! This blend is packed full with sunflower seeds, white proso millet, cracked corn, shelled nuts, safflower seed, small golden millet seed, canary seed, Nyjer seed, and sunflower kernels. You will most certainly see a wider variety of birds visiting your planter considering how diverse this mix is! Let the excitement begin!
Why Feed Suet?
Giving birds feed from the listed mixes is rewarding, but you can also try supplementing this feed with something called Suet. Suet actually comes from the hard fats of beef carcasses and birds absolutely love it. When insects aren’t as prevalent in the Winter, birds need something to supplement their habitual diet and provide the protein that they need to make it through the season.
Suet Plus® makes environmentally-friendly, low cost, high quality bird suet that over 80 bird species adore. Suet will attract your Finches, Woodpeckers, Blue Jays, Chickadees, Wrens, Bluebirds, Warblers, and more gorgeous varieties!
We offer quite a few varieties of Suet Plus in our Home & Garden stores that provide specific blends for different birds. The Woodpecker Blend is perfect for spotting those pointy-beaked feathered friends. We also carry Nuts & Berry, Peanut, Sunflower, and more delicious flavors for attracting wild birds! They all come in an easy-tear package that fits in any suet feeder, eliminating greasy handling mess.
Overall, not only is it an excellent idea to put out suet for your bird watching pleasure, but it helps supplement their diets over Winter. It gives them the energy and calories that they need to maintain sufficient levels of body fat and stay warm.
Don’t forget Water!
It may seem like the obvious, but birds need to drink water too! Setting out water year-round is essential to keeping your birds coming back. Birds love to enjoy birdbaths and to stop for a drink, so make sure to replenish often and that it doesn’t freeze on those extra frosty days!
For all things bird watching, Stauffers is your Wild Bird Center. Everything your feathered friends need is all in one spot! We have bird baths, feed, suet, feeders, heaters, and houses. Our experts will be thrilled to help you with any questions that you may have, and we’ll help you choose the right products for your needs.
Stock up now for the cooler months ahead!
Visit our Birding Page for more information!
https://www.skh.com/home-garden/explore-our-home-garden/birding/