How to feed birds. Feeding birds in winter. When to feed birds
11.02.2015
Article: Helping birds in winter is a good deed for everyone
A good deed or how to help birds in winter
In this article, we will briefly try to answer the questions: what birds winter in central Russia; the importance, diet, features, timing and norms of feeding birds in winter; types of bird feeders; how to place the feeder correctly. What is this for? It is necessary in order not only not to harm the birds in the first place, but also to make their existence easier in difficult winter times.
Birds are one of nature's natural self-regulators.
Some birds destroy insects, thereby saving trees and shrubs from harmful insects. Others feed on the fruits of trees and shrubs, spreading them around the area, increasing the forest area. Still others are mainly birds of prey, they are called feathered orderlies, they live in forests, feed on mice and small birds, mostly sick or weakened.
More than 300 species of birds are found in the Moscow region, some constantly nest here, others can be seen in the warm season, others, on the contrary, only in winter, others migrate in transit and can be seen when they stop to replenish their strength between flights.
All this variety of birds have their own habitat - some settle everywhere, others prefer a certain habitat: ponds, bolts, forests, meadows, farmland and cities. This is largely due to the “diet” of birds.
In central Russia, in addition to the large and diverse family of passerines, you can find representatives of various waterfowl and predators.
The seasonal behavior of birds is greatly influenced by the diet of birds.
Those birds whose diet is based on a pronounced seasonal nature (insects, frogs) almost all migrate to where they can find food - to “warm regions”. These include birds whose habitat disappears with the onset of cold weather. Prominent representatives of this group are starlings, wagtails, larks, black-headed gulls, warblers, swans, etc.
Birds whose diet is predominantly plant-based are most likely to be sedentary (e.g. fieldfare, spotted woodpecker, black-headed goldfinch), although some may migrate to places where they can find their favorite food (e.g. long-tailed tit) .
Birds of prey can also be divided into migratory and sedentary. The reason for their migration is mainly the presence or absence of food supply. Their migration is mainly associated with the search for food.
The importance of bird nutrition in winter
Many people have thought about how difficult it is for birds to survive in winter?
It has long been known that many birds die in winter not because of the cold, but because of the lack of their usual nutritious food. Therefore, to maintain the bird population, many of them need feeding.
Winter is a difficult time of year for all birds, but not because of the cold and frosts, but because with the onset of cold weather their food supply disappears or is significantly reduced. In order not to freeze, they need a lot of energy to warm themselves, and for this they need to constantly replenish it - eat, more often and more than in the summer. “A well-fed person is not afraid of frosts” - this can be said about birds. The winter day is short and birds have little time to search for food. Therefore, birds tend to go where it is easier to find food and where they can hide from the winter cold - to cities, towns, villages closer to people.
Feeding birds in winter - caring for nature
Bird feeders are not just about taking care of our little brothers, but also about taking care of ourselves.
Imagine if all the birds that destroy insect pests disappeared at once - the consequences would be simply catastrophic, which would threaten humanity itself.
First of all, this applies to small representatives of the feathered family remaining for the winter, whose diet includes plant foods, as well as various insect pests. In winter, many of these birds move closer to humans, to cities, towns and villages, because here it is easier for them to feed and survive.
Properly organized feeding will help more birds survive in the winter, and their gratitude in the summer is the destruction of insect pests in forests, parks, squares and personal plots.
Wintering birds or which birds remain for the winter
First, let's look at some birds whose main diet is insects; they are most vulnerable in winter. Usually these are representatives of the passerine order and need human help more than others. These birds can be classified as city birds and as inhabitants of parks, alleys, gardens and other urban green areas of cities and towns.
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In summer it lives in forests of various types, outside populated areas, in large parks, and less often near human habitation. In winter, it lives closer to people. |
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Lives in different types of deciduous forests. In Moscow and the Moscow region it can be found in birch and alder forests of forested areas. Some birds lead a sedentary lifestyle, stay for the winter and live near their nesting sites. In winter it eats small seeds. They can often be seen in flocks of great tits. |
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The most common species of woodpecker in the Moscow region. Inhabits various forested areas. In winter it feeds on pine and spruce seeds and is a frequent visitor to bird feeders in parks. |
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A common species for the central European zone, it is found on forest edges, in river valleys, and in parks. It does not fly away for the winter and is a frequent visitor to bird feeders in parks. |
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| Blue Tit  |
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In Moscow and the Moscow region it is a common species, found only in large forested areas where coniferous trees predominate. The food is prepared in the summer. Among the reserves, spruce and pine seeds often predominate, but there are also reserves of animal feed. A very rare visitor to city feeders. |
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A common inhabitant of Moscow and Moscow deciduous forests and parks; in the city it often lives in courtyards. It nests in tree hollows, in holes in concrete lamp posts, and in fence pipes. During the winter, some birds remain in their nesting areas, while others migrate. Blue tits also flock to bird feeders, especially often in years of poor seed harvest. Here they feed on peanuts, sunflower seeds, unsalted lard and food scraps. |
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| Tree and house sparrows 
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Our winter guest from the Arctic, migrates to central Russia with the onset of the first cold weather. They live in small flocks of 7-10 birds. The bullfinch feeds more often on seeds, buds and berries. |
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The most common birds in Russia. The tree sparrow is a common inhabitant of rural areas and Moscow parks, while the house sparrow is a resident of cities and large towns. Lives everywhere in Moscow. |
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Fieldfare Thrush 
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| Black-headed goldfinch 
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A common species for the Moscow region. Lives along the edges of forests or in copses, adjacent to fields and meadows. In the summer, fieldfare feeds on insects, worms, mollusks, and spiders, and in the fall it switches to a variety of berries, especially loving rowan. In winter, many birds wander through gardens, parks and courtyards in search of food. |
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A common bird for the Moscow region. It is found along the edges of forests, in copses; often settles on the outskirts of villages, in gardens and parks. In winter, it stays in wastelands where weeds protrude from under the snow, but sometimes it is not averse to feasting on the contents of bird feeders. |
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Let's talk about other wintering birds
Typical urban inhabitants are pigeons and hooded crows.
Gray crows
These are one of the most intelligent birds, their main habitat is large and small cities. They are omnivores. They choose places where they are least bothered. They mostly live in packs, in which there is a hierarchy. Very often they behave aggressively, especially during the period of raising chicks.
It does not need feeding, because it will always find where and what to profit from. They can also be called the city's feathered orderly.
City pigeons
Man has had a very great influence on the distribution and population of these birds; these are the most numerous urban birds that descended from the wild rock pigeon. However, before these birds learned to live next to humans, they went through a centuries-long history of domestication.
City pigeons want to eat all the time, but there are no feeders made for them. In addition, these are collective birds, and if one pigeon appears first, then after a couple of minutes a whole flock of them can flock together. City pigeons remember very well the places where they are fed. The average lifespan of urban pigeons is 2-3 years, while wild pigeons live 12-15 years. This is due, first of all, to nutrition and “population” density. Pigeons, like other birds, are contraindicated in “table crumbs” and any other food containing various fats. It is best to feed pigeons a variety of cereals, grains and legumes, not fried or salted seeds, as well as raw chopped vegetables and fruits.
City pigeons are probably the only bird that is highly dependent on humans. Therefore, whether to feed or not, everyone decides for themselves.
Wintering waterfowl include:
Mallards They have taken a dominant position on ice-free city ponds.
The basis of their diet is vegetation (seeds, leaves and stems of grasses, sedge, duckweed, hornwort, pondweed, bittergrass, cereals, rice grass, strepwort, barnacle grass), insects (grasshoppers), mollusks, fish eggs, earthworms, frogs, tadpoles, snails and slugs (especially for young birds).
For feeding, it prefers shallow water (no deeper than 35-40 cm), so that it can reach the bottom with its beak.
Gogoli They are second in number, but nevertheless also a common inhabitant of city ponds and streams.
It feeds mainly on aquatic invertebrates. In summer, the basis of the diet is insects and their larvae - caddis flies, bloodworms, water beetles, dragonflies, bedbugs, midges, etc. In winter, they eat more mollusks and crustaceans. It also feeds on earthworms, amphibians and small fish, and in autumn in small quantities on seeds, roots and vegetative parts of aquatic plants.
Urban ducks often die due to poor nutrition.
It is not recommended to feed ducks, oddly enough, bread; it does not contain elements beneficial to the bird and creates a feeling of fullness, as a result the duck stops looking for other food. It should be noted that soggy bread pollutes water and leads to the death of some inhabitants of the aquatic environment. It is advisable to exclude peanuts, milk, and any foods that contain saturated fat.
If you really want to help waterfowl, then the best feeding options are:
Grated cheese;
Soft fruits and vegetables (for example, strawberries or soft apples), exotic ones are also allowed, for example, bananas;
Oatmeal, in the form of cereal or breakfast cereal.
It is useful to give these products to ducks, especially in the spring, when the chicks are hatching. Neutral products that at least will not harm the birds, but will not be beneficial either - potatoes, cabbage, worms, small fish.
Some features of feeding birds in winter
Our desire to help birds can be described as “A Good Deed.” Many of us arrange feeding areas and feeders for birds. But in order to ensure that our good intentions do not turn into disaster for the birds, it is necessary to follow some feeding rules:
1. Constantly, as food is consumed, but no more than once a day, replenish the feeders. Moreover, it is advisable to do this in the morning, approximately at the same time.
2. It should be taken into account that fried or salted seeds, lard, and meat are contraindicated for birds - for them it is poison.
3. You cannot feed the birds with crumbs of black or rye bread, this can lead to their death.
4. Under no circumstances give birds rancid grain, moldy or musty foods, because they produce toxins that are fatal to birds.
5. Millet should not be given to birds, since it does not have a shell, which leads to the oxidation of fats on its surface, the appearance of toxic substances and pathogens.
6. You cannot simply overfeed the birds, so it is recommended to update the contents of the feeder no more than once a day.
Best suited for feeding birds:
1. Millet, oats, wheat - the most universal food that attracts birds that feed on various seeds and grains.
2. Sunflower seeds are a universal food for wintering birds. The large amount of vegetable fats contained in them is an important source of energy replenishment in winter cold conditions.
3. Lard, meat - can also be used for winter feeding of birds. Some bird species love them very much. But it is worth remembering that this food should be unsalted and not subject to heat treatment. This feeding must be placed in such a way that it does not reach crows, magpies, jackdaws, cats and dogs. Usually it is hung on strings near feeders or on special perches in bird feeders.
4. Dried rowan and hawthorn - need to be prepared and dried in advance, in the fall. They attract the most beautiful winter birds - bullfinches and waxwings.
5. Maple and ash seeds - their seeds are also called lionfish. They mostly fly away from the trees in the fall and become inaccessible to birds. Lionfish are collected in the fall and hung on feeders.
6. Cones, acorns, nuts are the main diet of some birds. By preparing them in the fall, you can attract woodpeckers and jays to your bird feeder.
Many specialized stores sell ready-made bird food; this greatly simplifies feeding your birds in the winter.
Timing and norms of feeding birds
In central Russia, the duration of the feeding season is 180 days (October-March).
The total duration of the feeding season depends on climatic conditions, the harvest of natural feed, and other reasons.
It makes no sense to start feeding birds if the weather is calm and warm in October, and there is still enough natural food in nature. Feeding in October should begin in case of unfavorable weather conditions - early cold weather, rainy weather, early snowfall, as well as failure of the natural feed crop.
The most difficult period - absolute lack of food occurs only with freezing of the soil or the fall of deep snow cover.
Therefore, the feed rate should be distributed over periods:
The first period is the feeding period, which lasts approximately 30-45 days (from October 15 to November 30). This is the time for birds to get accustomed to feeders. The food is laid out in an amount of no more than 15-20% of the norm (while the birds are reluctant to eat it).
The second period is the main one, the most important and lasts about 90 days (approximately from December 1 to March 1). At this time, birds especially need feeding, so they need to be given the full amount of feed. However, it is not recommended to overfeed birds, especially with sunflower seeds - the birds stop consuming natural varied food (believing that they are well fed here), and this reduces their natural resistance to infections, and they become overly dependent on feeding and, as a result, when it stops, although Birds often die within 2 days.
The third period is the final one, lasting about 10-25 days (approximately from March 1 to March 25). During this period, you should lay out 60-80% of the full norm. But this period very often depends on the vagaries of nature, but in any case, feeding should continue until the first thawed patches appear on the ground.
In places where it is necessary to attract birds, it is possible to place not individual feeders, but entire feeding areas.
Stationary feeding areas are areas measuring approximately 5x5 or 7x7 m; feeders should be located evenly over this area. Bird feeding areas are usually located in areas where they are easy to maintain and will least disturb the birds. Usually these are parks, alleys, etc.
Approximate norms of feed for feeding birds
Grain mixtures (millet, oats or oatmeal, hemp or sunflower, oats, cracked wheat):
For the whole season - 11.2 kg
Weed Seed Mix:
For one feeder per day - 200 g
For the whole season - 11.2 kg
Meat:
For one feeder per day - 50 g
For the whole season - 2.8 kg
Feeding should be organized in such a way as to attract no more than five birds to one feeder, because the accumulation of a large number of birds in one place increases the risk of infection with various diseases.
Types of bird feeders
This is where there is room for your imagination to run wild!
To make feeders, you can use different materials - wood, plastic, cardboard and their various combinations.
The simplest options are feeders made from plastic bottles, milk or juice cartons.
It should be cautioned that those feeders that provide continuous (constant) addition of feed in excess of the norm are very undesirable. As mentioned above, birds need to be fed and not overfed. Overfed birds move less, which causes their metabolism to slow down, their resistance to disease decreases, and they die.
When making bird feeders, you need to follow a few simple recommendations:
1. The size of the feeder should be designed for the birds you decide to feed. Everyone knows that where crows and pigeons appear, there is no place for other birds.
2. The feeder must have a roof (canopy) to protect the feed from precipitation (rain, snow). Wet food quickly deteriorates, and fallen snow makes access to food much more difficult.
3. It is advisable to pour bird food into some small containers, which allows you to use the food more economically, because it is less scattered and lost, and also does not overfeed the birds.
4. If the feeder is a closed type, then the holes for birds should be such that birds can freely get inside, but you should not get carried away with large sizes, because food can spill out through them, especially in strong winds.
5. Consider in advance how to attach the feeder. On a pendant, on a wall, pole or tree.
Making a feeder, along with feeding the birds, is an educational process and often labor-intensive.In addition, not every parent can trust “their child” with a hacksaw, drill, jigsaw and hammer, and making a feeder yourself in the presence of a child is not entirely correct. Moreover, making a bird feeder can be made part of the labor education of boys, allowing them to acquire the skills of designing, assembling and working with simple tools.
It often happens that there is a desire to do a Good Deed, but for some reason beyond your control there is no such opportunity, then ready-made kits will help you out.
Ready-made sets of bird feeders made of wood are sold unassembled, equipped with everything necessary, so your child, under the supervision of a parent, only needs to spend no more than half an hour on assembly.
The Tenth Kingdom company, a Russian manufacturer of educational games, offers ready-made bird feeder kits
| Article 01639 | Article 01640 1. Material of feeders – sanded birch board. 2. Painting was done with harmless water-based paints. 3. Products are certified. 4. Safe for children because there are no sharp or small parts. All of these bird feeders are included in the Good Deed program. Bird Feeder PlacementThe placement of feeders should be approached no less seriously than manufacturing.The feeder should be placed in quiet, windless places, always on the south side of a tree, edge (if in a forest clearing) or building. 1. The first thing that comes to mind for many is to hang a feeder outside the window or on the balcony. First of all, because of the convenience of the person himself, but several nuances arise:
- This is harmful for the birds themselves, because... they don’t always feel the barrier in the form of glass and can simply break. - You shouldn’t even think about placing the feeder on the first floor window. In this case, the birds can become easy prey for cats. 2. On a free-standing support, pole or tree trunk. For this purpose, closed type feeders are best suited to make access as difficult as possible for those who like to feast on birds. 3. On a suspension. This is the safest way to place a bird feeder. Another important feature of this placement is the possibility of birds approaching from any direction. It should be noted that ornithologists are responsible for placing feeders and feeding birds in large forested areas. They monitor the number of wintering birds, their species, weather conditions and, in accordance with this, select the composition and amount of food. Questions and answersThis table contains frequently asked questions and their answers:
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“Don’t tease the dogs, don’t scare the cats, don’t spare any grain or crumbs for the birds” - the words from the children’s song have been stored in the memory of each of us since deep childhood. Everyone remembers that it is necessary to feed birds in winter. Probably every family with a child has done it at least once. But, unfortunately, this often happens: a child pours grain a couple of times, and then gets bored with this activity. Over time, parents forget about it, and as a result, many ownerless boxes hang on the trees. But the process of feeding birds can be interesting and, most importantly, useful for a child. This teaches children attentiveness, care for the world around them, and compassion.
But, in addition to the fact that birds need to be fed regularly, you need to know what to feed. Some people believe that in winter, when there is a lack of food, birds can eat anything - this is a mistaken opinion. Therefore, what is poured into the feeder will determine who exactly will fly to you today.
What to feed birds in winter?
Seeds
With the onset of cold weather, many are asking this question. Ornithologists - scientists who study birds - know everything about proper feeding of birds in winter. Based on their recommendations, we can create a mixture that will contain more than seventy percent unroasted sunflower seeds. For small birds, this food will become the main source of energy, since the seeds are very high in calories. Even granivorous birds and woodpeckers feed on sunflower seeds with great pleasure. This food is also loved by tits, nuthatches and other birds. The seeds of this crop contain a large amount of vegetable fats that are beneficial for birds, which allow them to survive in severe frosts.
Plant seeds
There are a number of birds that prefer oats, millet, millet, rice, wheat. Such granivorous birds will be happy to visit your feeder if you leave millet or oats for them. This meal is to the taste of goldfinches, greenfinches, sparrows, and so on. City pigeons also prefer to peck grains.
The birds will feast on them with great pleasure seeds of melon, watermelon, hemp, nettle, thistle, burdock, quinoa. Also some birds may peck corn.
Please note that watermelon seeds must first be crushed. Tits and nuthatches will be happy to try this food. Many birds eagerly eat quinoa seeds. The plants are cut, collected in brooms, and thus stored until winter. When cold weather sets in, the brooms are simply stuck into the snow not far from the feeder. You can thresh the grains and mix them with other feed. Blue tits and many other granivorous birds are very fond of nettle seeds. For goldfinches, burdock seeds can be the main food. But bullfinches prefer different food. Horse sorrel seeds are a real delicacy for them.
Animal products
During the hungry winter period it can be used as bird food unsalted lard, meat, beef and chicken fat. This product will be appreciated by tits, nuthatches and some other birds. Salty foods should not be used for these purposes.
Berries
Delicious berries of hawthorn, rowan and other plants attract the most beautiful birds to the feeders - bullfinches, bee-eaters, waxwings. The autumn harvest is harvested and dried in preparation for winter.
Tree seeds
Often found in city parks maples and ash trees. Their seeds called lionfish. In the autumn, most of them fall to the ground, which means they become inaccessible to birds. If you have no idea what you can feed birds in winter, you can collect lionfish when the cold weather sets in and hang them in your feeders. Most likely, bullfinches and waxwings, as well as some other birds, will come to you.
Cones, acorns, nuts
This food is prepared in the fall. For crossbills and woodpeckers, cones can become the basis of the winter menu. Jays will prefer feeding on acorns. By setting up bird feeders with such delicacies for birds, you will also attract squirrels.
Prepared mixtures
For those who want to diversify the menu in the bird canteen, we can recommend preparing different mixtures for feathered visitors. For example, it could be fifty percent sunflower seeds, about thirty percent millet, fifteen or more corn grains.
An option for a higher calorie dish would be layer cake. To prepare it, take three cups of soft fat or margarine, the same amount of grain, and a cup of sunflower oil. If desired, you can add rolled oats and other ingredients. Many people use apple peelings, nut kernels, plant seeds, chicken eggs, sweet syrup, honey, and sugar. After thoroughly mixing the mixture, leave it to harden in the cold. The entire portion can be placed in a plastic container and left in the feeder.
Small strips can be placed in outdoor bird feeders bacon skins, boiled eggs or potatoes, which will also be a pleasant treat for birds.
How should you feed birds?
Can string on a strong thread or wire meat and other products cut into small pieces. Such bundles are hung on bushes or trees. If you place the fertilizer away from ground level, there is a chance that it will not reach magpies, jackdaws, cats or dogs. You need to hang it among thin branches, then such heavy birds as crows will not be able to sit on them.
They are loved. We are talking only about white, not black bread. It should not be given to birds. In recent years, you can increasingly hear and read that even dry white bread is dangerous for birds and can lead to various diseases, including blockage of the esophagus. This opinion is replicated on many sites. I decided to look into this issue, because... I often put dried crumbs or finely chopped pieces of white bread into the feeder myself. For woodpeckers, who also fly to the feeder, there is no better treat than a hardened loaf. Could this food really harm the birds?
Not only sparrows, but also tits eat white bread in winter
To feed or to feed?
White bread is not the most complete food for birds kept in captivity. However, we are not talking about them, but about sparrows and other birds that fly to the feeder in winter. We just feed them, which is very important, especially in bad weather. For example, during or after snowfall. The rest of the time, the birds are busy searching for food on their own, flying to feeders for a “snack.” That is, we are talking about feeding, and not about full feeding. Many ornithologists do not advise putting food in feeders in the summer and autumn, when the birds themselves must look for it. Otherwise, they lose the ability to obtain food and become completely dependent on humans.
The opinion of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds of Great Britain is interesting. The disadvantage of white bread as bird food is the lack of a complete set of substances necessary for birds. They fill their stomach and experience a temporary feeling of fullness. British experts suggest feeding birds with cookie crumbs or baked goods, rather than “empty food.” It is recommended to give grated cheese, leftover boiled jacket potatoes, breakfast cereal and boiled rice.
Difficult and dangerous options
Reputable publications advise pouring raw sunflower and pumpkin seeds, corn grains, pearl barley, oatmeal, dried white bread crumbs into feeders and adding unsalted lard. Some of them recommend giving birds crushed watermelon seeds, melon seeds, thistles, horse sorrel and quinoa. It is suggested to prepare seeds in advance in the summer and make brooms from stems and branches with seeds to stick them into the snow near the feeders in winter.
Garden quinoa seeds with beet-colored leaves
There are always a lot of sparrows near the feeder
Feeder near our house
My version of feeding birds cannot harm them. I try to put wheat bread with bran and inexpensive loose sunflower seeds in the feeder. Only raw. They are sold in Auchan for 41 rubles. 71 kop. per kilogram (2016).
Raw sunflower seeds are ideal food for birds
I am unable to harvest tree cones and seeds in the fall. Let the birds themselves get them on the site. There is plenty of food for a wide variety of birds. I sometimes put small pieces of lard in feeders, but I don’t hang them on tree branches.
Birds are not at all interested in cones
Sparrows that constantly fly up to the feeder are reluctant to eat buckwheat. They peck raw rice, but without much pleasure. Birds like millet even less. I stopped putting in rolled oats. Sparrows leave it behind, and the cereal, which gets wet during thaws, becomes moldy. Sparrows and tits often get into fights over food. They are driven away by larger birds: and woodpeckers. There is no better food for jays than the top of a loaf. Woodpeckers, unfortunately, after a meal switch from the hardened loaf to the trunk of a plum tree, which grows next to the feeder.
A woodpecker patiently waits for a dried loaf of white bread to be placed in the feeder especially for him.
You should not give wet food in winter, because... it freezes quickly. Even fresh pulp of zucchini and pumpkins, which contains many seeds, soon becomes hard. Then the birds cannot peck at it.
Dried white bread (preferably with bran) remains the food for most birds that many people who feed birds in winter can afford. This is the case when the amount of feed is also important.
Five jays fly to us to steal crusts of white bread from the feeder. They first peck the pulp, then fly away, taking the crusts with them.
I noticed that sparrows like white bread more than cereals. In the feeder, the sparrows first eat crumbs of bread, even when there is other food nearby, which we consider a bird delicacy. Of course, sunflower seeds are in high demand.
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Even during the hungry winter period, each species of bird prefers to eat a certain food. Who will fly to your feeder? It will depend on what is poured there.
Unique food
What to feed birds in winter? This question worries many of us with the onset of cold weather. Ornithologists advise how to properly feed birds in winter. They recommend making a mixture, seventy-five percent of which will consist of sunflower seeds. Due to its high calorie content, this product will become the main energy source for small birds. Granivorous birds and woodpeckers happily feed on sunflower seeds. Nuthatches, tits, etc. love this food. The large amount of vegetable fats contained inside the seeds of this crop allows it to survive in winter cold conditions.
Plant seeds
What to feed street birds in winter? Some birds prefer oats, millet, millet, rice and wheat. Granivorous birds will certainly visit your feeder if oats and millet are poured into it. Goldfinches, sparrows, greenfinches and other birds will flock to this meal. Pigeons also prefer to peck grains.
What else to feed birds in winter? With pleasure, birds will feast on the seeds of watermelon, pumpkin, melon, hemp, thistle, nettle, quinoa and burdock. They will also eat corn kernels. It is worth keeping in mind that watermelon seeds should first be crushed. Then nuthatches or tits will happily eat them.
Quinoa seeds are eagerly eaten by many birds. Cut plants are collected in brooms and stored until winter. In cold weather, the quinoa is stuck in the snow near the feeder. If desired, you can thresh the weed and sprinkle its grains to the birds along with other feed.
Blue tits, as well as most species of granivorous birds, love Burdock seeds, which are the main food for goldfinches. But bullfinches prefer other food. They love to eat seeds
Animal products
What can you feed birds in winter? As a feed during a hungry period for birds, the menu can include meat, lard, as well as beef or These products will appeal to tits, nuthatches, and some other species of birds. However, it should be borne in mind that meat and lard should be unsalted. How to feed the birds? Lard or meat should be cut into small pieces and strung on twine. Then the products are hung on tree branches or bushes. But in order to prevent crows, jackdaws, magpies, dogs or cats from getting the feeding, the pieces should be placed away from the ground. It is necessary to hang the twine among thin branches on which heavy birds cannot land.
Why feed birds these products in winter? The fact is that during the hungry period, birds require high-calorie food. Animal fat, which is in a soft state, is best mixed with other foods, preparing a kind of layer cake. Place it in vegetable nets and hang it in places accessible to birds.
For tits, woodpeckers, pikas and nuthatches, the tasty food is horse, lamb, beef and lard (always unsalted). The melted product is poured over branches and tree trunks. Birds eat frozen drips.
Berries
What to feed birds in winter? The most beautiful visitors to the feeders - waxwings, bee-eaters and bullfinches - are attracted by hawthorn and rowan berries. The fruits must be prepared in advance by drying the autumn harvest.
Tree seeds
Common urban plantings include ash and maple trees. The seeds of these trees are called lionfish. In autumn, most of them fall off the ground and become inaccessible to birds. If you don’t know what to feed the birds in winter, collect lionfish when cold weather sets in and hang them on feeders. Waxwings, bullfinches, and some other birds that visit bird cafeterias love to eat this food.
Nuts, cones and acorns
This food must be prepared in the fall. The basis of the winter menu for crossbills and woodpeckers are cones. Jays prefer to eat acorns. By preparing this food for birds, you can attract squirrels to your feeder.
Menu for poultry canteens
If you want to diversify the food that you put in the feeder for your feathered visitors, you can prepare special mixtures for your little guests. It is recommended to include fifty thirty-five percent of white millet and fifteen percent of corn grains in the menu for birds. If you decide to feed your birds with high-calorie food, then make a “pie” for them. It should contain three cups of softened margarine or fat, the same volume of grain or millet, and one cup of sunflower oil. Rolled oats can be added to the “bird pie”, as well as whatever is on hand. These can be apple peelings and any seeds, chicken eggs and nut kernels, honey and sugar, as well as sweet syrup. The mixture should be thoroughly mixed and left to harden in the cold. The dough can be given to the birds immediately. To do this, it is placed in a plastic cup or cardboard box. The containers are hung on trees.
What to feed street birds in winter? They can put small pieces of bacon rinds in the feeder, as well as canned food intended for pets. Birds will happily peck boiled eggs and potatoes. Rolled oats are suitable for them, but only in the form of flakes, not ready-made porridge. Birds will readily peck dried pupae, larvae and insects.
Corvid food
If you decide to feed these birds, then you can put minced meat, raw or boiled meat and fish, cottage cheese and eggs, a variety of cereals, pieces of vegetables and fruits, canned or steamed corn in the feeder. They will willingly peck nuts. You can leave a whole raw egg for the bird. She will carefully drink its contents, and eat the shell as a mineral supplement. The feeder for such birds may contain various chicken by-products - hearts, heads, necks, etc. What should corvids not include on the menu? This list includes milk and sausage, canned food and potatoes, citrus fruits and tomatoes, fatty cottage cheese and fried foods.
What not to put in a bird feeder
When compiling a bird menu, it is worth considering some restrictions. For this you should know in winter.
It is strictly forbidden to include any spicy, salty, fried, or sour foods in the menu for birds. This product poses a great danger to them. This product causes diarrhea in birds, which leads the birds to certain death. The fact is that black breads contain a large amount of salt.
This component is harmful to the health of the liver and kidneys. When feeding, birds often leave a certain part of the food in their crop. If there is bread there, it swells and quickly begins to ferment. This process can lead to the death of the bird. Rye bread is especially dangerous. When kneading dough, more yeast is added to this product than to wheat dough. It is very difficult for birds in winter, and therefore any disease can be simply fatal for them.
Our tradition of feeding birds in winter came from our grandmother - she always laid out millet and crumbs for the birds on the windowsill, and in the morning they saw her fussing around in the kitchen and flew in and pecked at the glass.
We feed the birds with crumbled fat - what remains after cutting meat, millet grains rich in microelements, bread crumbs from the table, porridge left after lunch, etc.
I don’t know how useful this food is for them, but they fly in to eat every day.
We also always leave rowan and viburnum on the trees; by spring they are completely pecked off. We ourselves like to watch this process - plump bullfinches jump on the branches, and in recent years crossbills have become more frequent - so we are studying bird species.
Bread is not a very healthy food for birds, so it’s better not to feed birds bread, there’s just not much choice, so they peck at it. It’s better to feed seeds of different plants: sunflower, pumpkin, melon, watermelon, corn, hemp, quinoa, string, as well as wheat, oats, millet, millet. Herb seeds then need to be prepared in advance, just like the seeds of melons, watermelons, etc. You can have lard, but it must be unsalted. The most universal food is sunflower seeds, just not fried or salted. I regularly buy these seeds for birds (we sell substandard ones especially for birds - a little trashy, small). Nuts are also suitable for both birds and squirrels.
Birds in winter will be grateful to you for any food that you put in the feeder.
If you pour millet, millet, oats, rice into the feeder, you will attract birds such as tits, sparrows, goldfinches, pigeons and others.
Tits, woodpeckers, and pigeons are very fond of sunflower seeds.
Everyone probably knows that tits love lard. You can tie a piece of bacon to a rope and hang it on a tree branch.
But crossbills and woodpeckers will like the nuts.
In general, you can pour any cereal that you have in the house into the feeder.
In winter, and at any other time of the year, you can feed birds (sparrows, tits, pigeons and others) with sunflower, pumpkin, melon, and watermelon seeds. Give them cereals, lard, bread or bread crumbs, grain. You can give them specialized commercial bird food. It is better to prepare food in the summer; I also recommend making you a convenient bird feeder.
In winter, the birds need our help, because the insects are hibernating, there is no grass, the berries have fallen, but the birds want to eat.
Tits can survive without our help; they can rarely be found in the city; they live more often in forests. But sparrows are city residents. But there is one BUT. If we feed, we give a chance to survive to the weak, who will give birth in the spring, the numbers will increase and there will not be enough food for everyone.
It is necessary to feed the birds in winter, not to feed them. If there is always an abundance of seeds and lard in the feeders, then the birds will stop looking for their own food, and these are larvae, berries, and seeds.
If there is a choice of food in the feeder, then the sparrows will choose seeds, since they are the most nutritious, and too much fat will lead to liver disease.
You need to establish a feeding ration, fill the feeder once or twice a day and not in large portions.
You should not give salted, fried seeds, millet, salted lard, or black bread.
You can give sparrows wheat, white bread, pearl barley, oatmeal, and barley.
For tits - low-fat cottage cheese in small quantities, boiled eggs, seeds, lard, beef, butter.
For tits and sparrows, place dried sunflower, pumpkin, watermelon, and melon seeds in the feeder. You can also treat the birds with millet, stale white bread, pieces of apple and boiled egg. It will be very useful for these birds to peck on grain cottage cheese, a piece of lard or boiled meat, and butter. You should not give birds salted, fried or spoiled foods, because they poison the birds’ bodies with toxins. As a result, the birds may get sick and die.
We feed titmice, sparrows, bullfinches and other small birds with grain and bread. You can also hang lard on a string, for example, they also love to feast on it, the main thing is that it is not salty, and in general, as far as I know, birds should not be given anything salty.
Every winter I make a feeder for tits, bullfinches, and many other small birds; I put millet, bread, small corn, and also millet in the feeder. I hang the lard on a small wire, the tits prefer lard, and then they collect grain and bread.
Feeding birds in winter is sometimes very difficult, since the feeders are often literally covered with snow, but this is still a fixable matter, the main thing is to put in your efforts and a piece of your soul. You can feed any grain, for example millet, and also don’t forget about regular bread, and even simple sunflower seeds. When you look at such birds, it’s even nice that they feed with your help.
And this is clearly a question from an animal lover! Yes, feeding our little brothers in winter is desirable and very necessary, especially if there is a lot of snow. When there is no snow, they themselves are able to find food for themselves in the form of grains, herbs, waste and other things. But you can’t dig it up under the snow. So it’s easy and simple to make such a feeder and throw grain into it: millet, millet, wheat, seeds.
Tits especially love lard, as other authors have said. But if you don’t have grain in your house, then they will be grateful to you for bread.
By the way, here is an interesting version of a bird feeder. The highlight is that there are not just windows, but separate perches that are convenient to sit on
How to feed birds. Feeding birds in winter. When to feed birds
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