Winter is a Great Time for Bird-Watchers

First posted on 11-18-2010

While many birds fly south before the weather turns cold, winter still provides many opportunities to enjoy bird-watching, even in your own backyard, said a University of Missouri Extension wildlife specialist.

“It is never too late to attract birds looking for winter feeding areas,” said Robert Pierce. “Ideally, it is also best to continue a winter feeding program until May, when new foods become available.”

Birds need three things to survive-food, water and shelter. “Each of these elements can be supplied in your backyard,” he said.

Native plants including trees and shrubs provide birds with food and cover during the winter. Another way to attract birds is to provide supplemental foods when naturally occurring foods may be scarce.

While many types of bird feeders are commercially available, you can make simple seed feeders from recycled materials such as milk cartons, cans and other containers, Pierce said.

To attract a variety of birds, provide a variety of foods. When choosing seed, think about the birds that interest you and the type of seed that will attract them. Small black-oil sunflower seeds are the most widely preferred birdseed. These seeds have high energy content and the thin shells allow easy use by smaller birds such as chickadees, juncos, native sparrows, cardinals, mourning doves, grosbeaks and others.

White proso millet with a small amount of cracked corn also attracts small birds. Another way to provide a variety of foods is to use a suet cake, which is made of beef suet and grain. You can also use a peanut butter mixture.

Use a feeder that is easy to fill and clean and protects the birds and seeds from rain and snow.

Hopper-type feeders are the most common and useful feeders. These hold a supply of seed that is dispensed gradually. It’s a good idea to place feeders in a somewhat open area within about 10 feet of cover such as bushes or trees.

Birds prefer good-quality seeds that are reasonably fresh. Niger thistle seeds are very attractive to finches but may be rejected when several months old.

Although commercially packaged seed mixes offer a convenient way to feed birds, such mixes often contain large amounts of filler seed that birds do not prefer. You can improve these mixes by adding sunflower seeds. A good alternative is to purchase seeds in bulk and mix your own. One seed combination that is attractive to a wide range of backyard songbirds is 50 percent sunflower seeds, 35 percent white proso millet and 15 percent finely cracked corn.

“A reward for feeding birds during the winter and throughout the year is the chance to identify species that you may not have known before,” Pierce said.

Share | |