Winter isn’t usually the season that people think about when they think about bird watching. People tend to assume that all of the birds have already made their way south for the winter.
That isn’t always the case here in Wisconsin, however. There are many birds who choose to spend their entire winters right here. Here are a few tips for those who would like to attract these colorful backyard visitors.
Choose the right foods.
Different types of food attract different types of winter birds, so you want to choose feeders which will target the types of birds you want to see in your back yard. Here are a few options.
- Sunflower – northern cardinal, purple finches, bluejays, nuthatches and chickadees
- Peanuts – finches, bluejays, nuthatches, woodpeckers
- Cracked Corn – cardinals, woodpeckers, and doves
- Suet Mixtures – bluejays, chickadees, nuthatches and woodpeckers
- Thistle – finches, chickadees, doves
Choose the right feeders.
Different birds also enjoy different types of bird feeders.
- Ground Tray – cardinals, nuthatches, doves
- Post Feeder – cardinals, finches, woodpeckers, doves
- Tube Feeder – cardinals, finches, nuthatches
- Hanging Feeder – finches, chickadees, nuthatches
Some birds will just eat seeds that you spread all over the ground, too.
Maintain your feeders.
It’s important to keep the feeders clean and well-stocked. Birds can get sick if the seed is allowed to mold, and they’re going to start depending on your yard as a reliable food source.
Provide a water source.
Bird baths work fine in winter. Solar bird baths or heated bird baths can keep your water sources from freezing up, even when the temperature plummets.
Birds can bring cheer to even the dreariest of winter days. Good luck with your own efforts to make your back yard bird friendly, even in winter!
We build fences, gazebos, and pergolas in many of Wisconsin’s Bird City USA locations like Shorewood, Mequon, Fox Point and Whitefish Bay. Contact us for a free esitmate today.
