If you feed birds in a protected area, and offer fresh water and a safe place to nest, birds will linger in your yard
all year round.
- Don't feed bread crumbs. They are low in fat and are actually harmful for birds in winter, when they should consume high-energy foods, such as suet, fruits, nuts, and oily seeds.
- Start feeding in the fall. Most overwintering birds establish their food supply in the fall. So keep the feeder filled, even while on vacation.
- Experiment with birdseed, such
as hulled sunflower seeds, thistle, safflower seed, black oil sunflower seed, and white millet, to see what birds you attract. Keep a platform feeder (a wood tray on a post) well supplied.
- Make water available. A birdbath is a sure way to attract birds. Make yours more appealing by setting a few stones in the water so they protrude half an inch or so. If winters are very cold in your area, you can buy a birdbath heater to keep the water from freezing and to provide a constant water source.
- Put up birdhouses. Buy a birdhouse specifically designed for the birds you want to attract (a store-bought birdhouse should include this information). Then place at the correct height: 6 to 15 feet for chickadees, for example,
or 20 feet or more for woodpeckers. Clean out the birdhouse in late winter each year to attract more birds.
- Add landscape plants that attract birds. Birds like a variety of plants, but berry-producing species are especially appealing. So are seed-producing plants, such as sunflower and purple coneflower, as long as you permit the fading flowers to go to seed.
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