The cold months of winter
can be strenuous on local wildlife such as birds. As temperatures drop, food becomes even harder to find, yet
creatures big and small must continue to survive in these harsh
conditions.
A Fox Sparrow feeding on extra seed scattered on a walkway during a snowstorm (photo: Gay Schroer)
Birds have to expend extra
energy in order to stay warm during the winter. Naturally, birds do have cozy down feathers and a special
gland that helps keep their feathers waterproof through all sorts of weather
conditions. Birds can also puff up
their feathers. The act traps air within outer
feathers, which helps keep warmth inside feathers
closer to the body for extra insulation. But staying warm in the winter costs
more energy than in the warmer months.
There are many ways you can help out your local wildlife right at home.
Feeders come in all shapes & sizes. This one holds several suet blocks (photo: Gay Schroer)
Providing feeders for
songbirds is a fun way to help birds in your own backyard. By supplying foods like suet or even
peanut butter, it gives birds a great source of fat and protein. This food source keeps birds’
metabolisms up and helps them maintain their average 104 degree body
temperature.
Finches appreciate thistle seed feeders (photo: Gay Schroer)
You can also put out birdfeeders with nyjer thistle seed for
finches. Nyjer thistle is high in
fat, and it is sure to attract birds such as House Finches, Purple Finches,
Goldfinches, and Pine Siskins. By
offering black sunflower seeds in your feeder, you will likely attract a wide
variety of birds such as Cardinals, Tufted Titmice, Mourning Doves, grosbeaks,
and more. These bird feeders will
help local songbirds by giving them a stable food supply during winter. Birds begin to look for good food
sources as early as the beginning of fall, so getting feeders up during that
time will best attract them.
A Northern Mockingbird taking advantage of a nut feeder (photo: Gay Schroer)
In the winter, fresh water
is harder to come by as water sources freeze. Birds can dehydrate more easily in the winter as drinking
water becomes harder to find. By
providing a water source such as a birdbath, you can help your local birds stay
hydrated and healthy. Even better,
a heated birdbath is a very popular spot for winter birds. When choosing a birdbath, plastic or
resin birdbaths are more resistant to shattering in the wintertime during ice
removal and melting. It is never a
good idea to pour boiling water on a frozen birdbath however, as it might
shatter your birdbath. Instead,
warm water will do just fine.
In the winter birdhouses are used for roosts (photo: Gay Schroer)
Another thing you can do
for your local birds is to provide roosts for them. A roost is a place where a bird spends the night (or day, if
you are an owl).
This can be done either by putting out birdhouses or even by
providing more trees such as conifers or evergreens. A cozy birdhouse will be appreciated by your local bird
friends. There are numerous
birdhouse building plans available online, as well as premade birdhouses you
can buy at retail stores, such as Lowes, Walmart, Home Depot, Wild Birds
Unlimited as well as numerous hardware stores, co-ops, feed stores and other
stores that sell bird seed, scattered throughout your area. You can even attract specific species of
birds by choosing certain birdhouse designs.
A Northern Flicker sheltering from the wind at the base of a large tree (photo: Gay Schroer)
Through providing feeders,
fresh water, and roosts, you can really help out the local birds in your area
during winter. Not only will you
help the birds out, but you will also have a lot of colorful backyard visitors
to watch and enjoy all season long.
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