Feeding Wild Birds in Winter

• Depending on the species, the preferred food may vary, but most birds do like black oil sunflower seeds. These are not the same as the ones you get at a baseball game. They have a thinner shell, are easier for birds to open, and have higher oil content. While more expensive, hulled sunflower seeds or seed chips might even be better in winter since the birds don’t have to expend the energy opening the seeds. Another benefit of the hulled seeds is there is less chance that they will be lost and eventually germinate, and the lack of hulls keeps the area beneath the feeder cleaner. They should be protected from water and moisture though because they will spoil more quickly. Seeds can be offered in a tube, platform, or hopper feeder. 

• Suet is another option for feeding. Suet is beef fat that has been rendered down. You can do this yourself or you can purchase suet cakes specifically for birds. These are often incorporated with seeds or other goodies that birds like. Homemade suet is best used during the colder months because it can melt in warm weather and go rancid. Commercially prepared suet is available in "no-melt" formulas that can be used year-round in most climates. Suet is most often offered in special suet feeders with a metal cage. To attract larger species of woodpecker to your feeder you can choose a model with a tail prop. Woodpeckers are cling feeders, resting their tails on trees for support. A feeder with a tail prop simulates their natural environment, allowing larger birds to access the feeder comfortably. You'll certainly remember the day a pileated woodpecker first visits you--have that camera ready!!

• Peanuts are a third option due to their high fat content. They won’t freeze in the winter so you can offer them whole or shelled. These will likely attract larger birds like blue jays and red-bellied woodpeckers. If you feed peanuts from a large platform feeder, hopper feeder, or on the open ground you may attract crows as well. If that's something you might not enjoy you can use hanging feeders without any large perching opportunities. If you don't want squirrels cacheing the nuts everywhere you might want to forego this option--they can wreak havoc in a garden, first burying and later retrieving their booty from newly planted pots and planters or freshly mulched beds.

• Peanut butter is option which birds seem to like, too. Choose a brand with as little added salt and sugar as possible. It can be spread on pine cones which can then be rolled in bird seed and hung from branches--a great winter activity for the kids!  It can also be mixed with corn meal and/or oatmeal and plugged into a suet log feeder, or make one yourself by drilling 1-1/2  to 2 inch wide holes through a log and screwing a metal eye hook into the top. You don't have to drill the holes all the way through, but it will make it easier to clean.

• Smaller birds like finches and pine siskins seem to prefer Nyjer seed. A plus about Nyjer is that it is treated to prevent germination if spilled on the ground. It doesn't seem to store as well as other seed, though, and I've found it much more susceptible to spoilage in the feeder if not protected from rain.  For this reason, and since it tends to be more expensive than other types of seed, you might want to purchase and feed in small amounts to start. 

• Fruit is also a food most birds love. Apple or banana slices, oranges, melon, grapes, and dried fruit can all be put out for birds. Dried fruit can also be added to suet for a tasty treat. Some birds may prefer the dried fruit after it has soaked overnight--this also provides extra water for them. You can spear fruit directly on sharp twigs of bushes or place it in a suet cage or on a platform feeder. To prevent a moldy mess, don't place fruit in plastic tube or hopper feeders where it's not exposed to air circulation. 

• Mealworms are great for attracting insect-eating birds like wrens, bluebirds, and even robins. Dried mealworms can be offered in small amounts on platform feeders or in small cups or dishes. Sometimes soaking them a bit makes them more tempting if it seems the birds are interested yet. If you really want to go there, live mealworms can be purchased. These are usually kept in a container of oatmeal in the refrigerator to keep the larvae from hatching. Since wriggling larvae in the refrigerator is something most of us choose to avoid, you might want to try the dried ones first!

• Safflower seed is known to be a favorite of cardinals, and is also appreciated by many other birds including doves and finches. The advantage to safflower is that it is less attractive to (most) squirrels and nuisance bird species such as starlings and grackles, due to its bitter flavor. As birds will still usually prefer the black oil sunflower, feeding both may be unadvisable to avoid wasted seed.   

Below: Many insect-eating birds, like this Carolina Wren, will be tempted by feeders filled with suet, sunflower seeds, or mealworms in winter.

Below: Red bellied woodpeckers are easy to attract to feeders in winter, whether filled with sunflower seeds, peanuts, or suet. Despite the bright red nape on this female, this bird is so named for the very pale rose to buffy wash on the belly. Males of this species have red crown feathers as well. The red-headed woodpecker is an entirely different species whose numbers have taken a precipitous decline in recent decades.