During winter, small city-dwelling insect-eating birds often struggle with scarcity of food rather than cold temperatures. Setting up feeders is vital for their survival. Here’s how to feed them safely and make your feeder appealing:
Setting Up the Feeder: Start providing food when the temperature consistently falls below freezing. Feeding in autumn can interfere with their natural food-seeking behavior, and feeding in spring may hinder their return to the wild.
Making the Feeder Attractive:
- Enhance the aroma by placing food both inside and around the feeder.
- Adorn the feeder with colorful items like red twigs or streamers.
- Play recordings of bird calls, such as the great tit’s, to draw birds.
- If using a window feeder, ensure there’s enough airflow.
Feeding Guidelines:
- Use a feeder that’s small enough for little birds but not pigeons.
- Keep the feeder away from predators, like urban cats.
- The feeder should be easily accessible, with no sharp parts.
- Clean and refill the feeder regularly to avoid mold and illness.
- Choose a feeder with a perch for birds to rest on.
- Continue feeding consistently until the end of spring.
Choosing the Right Food:
- Steer clear of human foods, particularly those that are salty, spicy, or rotten.
- Avoid dark bread, and be cautious with white bread.
- Provide uncooked seeds (like sunflower, millet, flax, poppy) and fruits (such as viburnum, rowan, and sea buckthorn).
Patience Pays Off: It might take some time for birds to find your feeder, possibly up to a month, but watching them is rewarding. Use bird identification apps to enhance the experience.
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