Winter Wild Bird Feeding

The winter months are an excellent time to attract colorful birds to your residence. While some species make their yearly flights south, many – like chickadees, finches, and woodpeckers – stay in the region throughout winter. With bugs and natural sources of forage either dead, dormant or covered in snow, wild birds need all the help they can get to maintain body temperature and energy levels, including providing supplemental sources of food, water, and shelter. FELDMANS is here with the products and the know-how to help you establish a winter refuge for the wild birds!

Protein and Fat: What Wild Birds Need

As warm-blooded animals, birds need food with high protein and fat levels during the winter months in order to maintain body temperature and energy levels. Some of the best sources of protein and fat are also some of your most cost-effective options! Here are several products to consider: 

• Black Oil Sunflower Seed: For all around wild bird feeding, it is hard to surpass the benefits of black oil sunflower seed. One of the most widely preferred seeds, black oil provides birds with high levels of energy. Furthermore, its thin shell is easy to crack open by smaller birds such as chickadees, nuthatches, juncos, cardinals, titmice, mourning doves, grosbeaks, and others. FELDMANS has 50 pound bags of black oil sunflower seed on sale this month for $19.99!

For an excellent black oil sunflower seed feeder, try our No/No Wild Bird Feeders. These all-metal feeders are built to last! With a large seed capacity, these colorful feeders can host up to 15 birds at once. We have three models on sale this month starting at $7.99. 

• Nyjer Seed: Consisting of approximately 35 percent fat and 18 percent protein, Nyjer seed is highly attractive to the Finch family, including American gold, purple, and house finches. FELDMANS stocks 20 pound bags for $19.99 and 50 pound bags for $44.99. 

Tube feeders with narrow ports to prevent spilling are ideal feeders for use with Nyjer seed. We stock a range of Nyjer feeders on sale this month from $3.99 to $39.99. My favorite is the $39.99 Birch Log Feeder. With a 2 pound seed capacity, this attractive feeder protects the seed from squirrels with stainless steel shields and locking roof clips. And it is made in the USA! 

• Suet: This solid fat rendered from beef or venison contains highly concentrated fat and energy. Typical suet-eating birds include chickadees, titmice, nuthatches, bluebirds, and woodpeckers. FELDMANS offers a large selection of suet cakes and pellets starting at 99¢! Affordable suet cake feeders are available in single cake and double cake varieties.

 

The Highs and Lows of Feeder Positioning

Feeder position can make all the difference in the success of your winter bird feeding. Here are some general rules of thumb that will help you attract a larger amount of birds. First, position the feeder near natural or artificial cover so that the wind is cut down. Second, it is generally better to locate feeders in areas that mimic natural sources of food. Last, feeders placed in quieter areas will usually attract more birds because they feel safer. However, do not locate the feeder so out of the way as to make it difficult or dangerous to refill.

The height of your feeder is an important decision that will affect which species you attract and how many. Ground feeders tend to attract birds like sparrows, juncos, and mourning doves. Elevated platform and hopper feeders are especially good for attracting cardinals, wrens, chickadees, titmice, jays, and grosbeaks. Since hanging feeders blow in the wind, they are used by species that are able to hang while feeding, like chickadees, titmice, nuthatches and finches.

Natural and Artificial Bird Shelters

A combination of natural landscaping and artificial shelters can make our feathered friends so much more comfortable in the cold! Planting evergreen trees or bushes with year-round foliage can provide both natural shelter and protection from predators. Maintaining bird houses throughout the winter can help as well. While bird houses do not provide the cold protection that roosting boxes do, they can cut down on the wind. The addition of straw or wood shavings as an insulating material will increase the effectiveness of the bird house. Face the bird house opening south to maximize passive solar heating of the interior.

Don't Forget the Water

The importance of providing water cannot be understated. You wild bird refuge will be more frequented if it has a steady source of water. FELDMANS offers two styles of bird bath. First, we carry Henri Studio cast stone concrete pedestal bird baths. These USA made bird baths are hand painted with weather resistant paints and have intricate sculptural detail. A truly unique addition to any backyard setting.

Second, we carry the Birdscapes Cobblestone hanging bird bath. With a 12” surface and a hand resin finish, this hanging bird bath offers ultimate flexibility in bird bath location.

Remember FELDMANS for Your Birding Needs

Whether you are an amateur or experienced bird feeder, FELDMANS can help provide custom solutions to your particular needs. Make FELDMANS your one stop shop for all of your birding needs!