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Why should you feed birds in winter?
Winter can be a challenging time for birds in our garden birds, find out why leaving out food for them can help them to overcome some of those challenges.
From spring through to winter, each season brings with it a new host of challenging obstacles that birds will have to face and overcome. Winter is arguably one of the most difficult seasons for birds as their natural food sources are scarce, temperatures are low, and they must work hard to preserve energy in a bid to keep themselves warm. During periods of bad weather, birds will come to rely on bird food you offer in your feeders as an essential source of food. Discover some of the reasons why you should feed birds in winter:
Bird Natural Food Sources are Low in Winter
During the winter months, the natural food sources that birds would have relied on during summer and autumn will have reduced significantly. The soil surface will be cold and often covered in a sheet of snow or ice, so any insects will have burrowed deep beneath, making it almost impossible for birds to reach them. Berries are also less common during winter since they often get blown away by strong winds or are damaged by low temperatures.
Winter provides birds with less time for foraging
Shorter days during the winter months mean that the time birds have available to forage around our gardens and surrounding spaces for food is significantly shorter. Because of this, birds will spend more time looking for food. But with a shortened day and harsher weather conditions, this only becomes more and more difficult. In the end, the birds will waste valuable energy and time searching for food that may not be there.
Feed birds in winter to help them preserve energy
During these months, they will require energy to keep warm. So, keeping your bird tables and feeders filled will help birds to preserve and store their energy! They must lay down fat reserves to help them through the long winter nights. Some bird species need to consume as much as a third of their body weight during daylight hours daily to survive the cold winter nights. So, you can imagine how glad they will be to find a full table of bird food waiting for them on your feeders and tables!
To help them prepare for spring mating
When birds access more nutrients in winter, the spring mating season will be more successful. Chicks will have healthier weights, and egg-laying will happen earlier. By keeping your garden birds fully stocked with an array of ingredients, you will not only help them in the short term but also for months ahead in the Spring.
Choosing a bird food for winter
Birds will be actively searching for food sources during the winter, so by having a fully stocked table during those months, you can almost guarantee they will visit you. They will be keen to source any food that is high in fat, energy, and protein.
Our Winter Wellness Mixture contains a well-balanced feed for birds. The ingredients in this mixture have been carefully selected for the benefits they will provide to the birds during the winter months. Energy-rich ingredients like suet pellets, peanuts, raisins, and calorie-loaded niger seeds, will ensure the birds have a varied and substantial diet. Each ingredient provides the birds with a boost of essential protein and fats, helping them to store energy and keep themselves warm during colder temperatures effectively.