Why feed birds in the winter?

Shoreline Snow.  Photo by Jan Hansen.

This article introduces Shoreline resident and birder Christine Southwick who will be providing the ShorelineAreaNews with articles on wild birds.  In this first article, she talks about why and how to feed birds in cold weather.  Note the snow-covered bird house in the beautiful snow picture from Jan Hansen.

by Christine Southwick

Winter can be difficult for birds. The days are short, nights long and often cold. The wild food has been mostly consumed, and insects scarce. Usable water can be a hard-to-find element. Shelter from wind, rain, snow or ice, may be sparse.

Sudden drops in temperature or windy winter storms can challenge the survival of a bird without a good fat layer. At times like these, it is especially needful to have feeders filled so that birds can find food quickly and easily.

See a bird all fluffed up? It’s trying to stay warm by creating air pockets with its feathers. It needs extra calories to keep warm.  You can help by providing feeders with high energy black-oil seeds, suet, and maybe a mix of smaller seeds. Freezing temperatures make bird baths with a heater a must in this area.

Chris's bird feeder. Photo by Christine Southwick.

Feeders should be filled throughout the winter. Watch to make sure that the seeds don’t get wet and start clumping. If they do, throw that seed in the garbage; moldy seed can make birds sick. When the feeder becomes dirty, wash with a 10% solution of bleach, rinse well, and dry. Don’t want to wash feeders? Buy cheap plastic tube feeders, and replace feeders when dirty. If you do use plastic feeders, you’ll need squirrel baffles.

In cold weather, full hummingbird feeders won’t freeze above 28°F. Colder than 28F, bring feeders in after dark, and put out again at first light . If it stays cold during the day, tape a hand-warmer against the bottom of the feeder, or use non-LED Christmas lights. Anna’s hummingbirds feed well into dusk, and come back at early dawn. They need to fill up to survive winter over-night, and tank up in the morning to replenish their energy levels.

Feeder/bird questions? email Chris.

Christine Southwick is the Winter Urban Color-banding Project Manager and Board member of the Puget Sound Bird Observatory.