Pictures of chickens, flowers, wheat, a boy looking through a magnifying glass, irrigation pipe, soybean pods, and fruits and vegetables.

Cooperative Extension Service

Search | Publications | Jobs | Personnel Directory | Links
County Offices | Departments

About Us

Find Us

For the Media

Agriculture

Business & Communities

Families & Consumers

Health & Nutrition

Home & Garden

Natural Resources

Arbor Day
Environmental
      Management
Forestry
Recycling
Wild Foods
Wildlife

Links
Newsletters

4-H Youth Development

Public Policy Center

For Faculty & Staff

Giving

Division Home

Agricultural Experiment
      Station Home

Cooperative Extension
      Service Home

Attracting Winter Birds to Your Backyard

Cooler weather may mean spending less time outdoors, but you can also bring the outdoors to you. Feeding songbirds has become a popular past time. A recent national survey indicated 31% of United States residents participated in wildlife-watching activities. Almost all of them reported feeding wild birds.

Bird seed mixes are readily available in supermarkets, garden stores, and bird specialty stores. The most economical method for feeding birds is to use two common seeds -- the black oil sunflower seeds and white proso millet. These can be bought in bulk from seed supply stores or animal feed dealers. With these seeds, expect to find cardinals, chickadees, house finches, juncos, and doves at your feeder. The addition of a suit feeder will attract woodpeckers, nuthatches, and other woodland species to your yard. Be creative! Place fruit on a platform feeder to attract mockingbirds and other birds. Don't discard walnut or pecan shells -- wrens can peck out the remaining meats.

Carefully plan where to locate your feeder to maximize its visibility for both you and the birds. Place feeders in an open area where you can see them from your window, and where the birds can see predators approaching from the ground and air. Cats and hawks will be attracted to the congregating birds. Preferably, shrubs or trees should be located ten to fifteen feet from the feeder. This will provide escape cover for fleeing birds.

There are a variety of bird feeders available commercially, or you can make your own. Seed feeders can be as simple as a raised platform or a window shelf feeder. Hopper-type feeders have an overhanging roof which protects the seeds from moisture. Tube feeders and some hanging feeders are designed to accommodate smaller birds while discouraging blue jays, starlings, and squirrels which can take over a feeder. Providing several feeders may give the desirable birds a chance to compete. If squirrels become a problem, squirrel-resistant feeders are available commercially, and squirrel baffles can be mounted under a post feeder. Another option is to apply hot pepper to the seeds, which won't affect birds but may slow down squirrels' consumption, according to a Cornell University study. However, squirrels don't give up easily. You may need to use several methods and be persistent.

Don't forget to clean and disinfect your feeder periodically. Move the feeder when several inches of discarded seeds begin to accumulate on the ground. Wet seeds are a breeding ground for a fungus that causes a potentially-fata bird infection. And excessive bird droppings can pose a health hazard.

A source of fresh water is as important to birds in the fall and winter as other seasons. If you're concerned about the water freezing and cracking your birdbath, place a stick of wood in the water to allow its expansion.

For more information about bird feeding, contact your local Extension office.