Help Birds Survive Winter

How to Help Birds Survive Cold Weather

Typically, your feeders serve as a supplemental food source for birds. In contrast, during periods of extreme cold and severe winter weather, your birds may switch to utilizing your feeders as a critical source of food that enables them to survive from day to day. So make sure your foods are worth their weight with quality high-calorie, fatty foods for the birds.

You can play a vital role, as feeding the birds becomes critical when extremely cold conditions occur. At these times, a reliable supply of energy-heavy food can mean the difference between life and death for a bird. To stay warm, birds will expend energy very quickly, some losing up to 10% of their body weight on extremely cold nights. Food is the most essential element, providing birds with the energy, stamina and nutrition they need. An ample supply of high-calorie foods such as suet, Bark Butter, sunflower, Nyjer and more is crucial to a bird’s survival.

  • Suet as well as Jim’s Birdacious Bark Butter® and Bark Butter Bits are full of essential fat and protein helping birds, such as woodpeckers, chickadees, nuthatches, titmice, wrens and others, maintain their high metabolic rate.
  • Nyjer and Finch Blend are high in fat and protein, and they are a favorite of goldfinches, Pine Siskin and Purple and House Finches.
  • Our Deluxe Blend is loaded with sunflower and safflower seeds and millet. Millet is high in carbohydrates and is especially good for attracting ground-feeding birds, such as native sparrows, juncos, towhees, quail and doves.
  • Bird food cylinders are a win-win for you and your birds. Cylinders, like No-Mess and Nutty for Nuts, are long-lasting allowing you fewer trips to fill the feeder. They are packed with high-calorie peanut, tree nut and sunflower energy to help the birds stay warmer. There are no shells, providing a quick energy snack for birds and no mess for you.

So in order to meet your birds’ needs, it is important to have at least one foundational feeder that dependably provides food every day and does not have to be filled very often. Studies have demonstrated that a constant, and reliable source of supplemental food helps to improve the overall health and body condition of wild birds.

Help your birds know your food is worth the weight by locating your foundational feeder in a sheltered location out of the wind and keep it full of the high-calorie, fatty foods that provide birds the crucial nutrition they need to survive and thrive even during the coldest times of the year.

Stop by our store for more expert advice and quality foods that are worth the weight to help your birds thrive this winter.

Help Birds Weather the Storm

Help Birds Weather the Storm

Just as we rely on coats, hats and mittens to keep us warm in the face of winter's icy grip, birds employ a number of methods to survive the adversity of winter. And you can help!

Food is the most essential element, providing birds with the energy, stamina and nutrition they need. To stay warm, birds will expend energy very quickly, some losing up to 10% of their body weight on extremely cold nights. An ample supply of high-calorie foods such as black oil sunflower, insects and suet is crucial to a bird’s survival.

We can play a vital role, as feeding the birds becomes critical when extremely cold conditions occur. At these times, a supply of food can mean the difference between life and death for a bird.

Most birds will adjust their feathers to create air pockets that will help them keep warm. You will often notice the birds look fatter or "puffed up" during cold weather. This is because the birds are fluffing up their feathers; the more air space, the better the insulation.

Staying warm is not all about food and feathers though. Some birds perch on one leg at a time, drawing the free leg to their breast for warmth. Most birds will shiver for short term adjustments to the cold. Shivering converts muscular energy into heat for the short term, but the energy must be replenished shortly thereafter.

While birds are equipped to withstand most winter weather, survival can be made easier by providing food, a heated, open source of water and protection from the elements with natural plant cover or a roosting box.

Stop by the store today and let us show you which high-energy foods will help your birds brave the cold snap.

 


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