Wild Bird Care in Winter

Why do birds need extra food in winter?

During cold months, wild birds need a helping hand to find enough food to keep them warm. In winter there are less natural foods available and shorter days mean there is also less time to forage. As a result of this, wild birds often lose a substantial proportion of their body weight (up to 10%  in just one day) from November to February. February can be a particularly hard month as by then a lot of natural foods in hedgerows like berries have already been eaten and it is too early for most insects. So even if the winter has been mild there may not be much food around at this time of the year. The cold weather also has an effect on their metabolism. Small birds have very fast metabolisms, so the small amount of calories and fat they consume during cold weather is needed to convert into heat to keep them warm.

Types of food

High energy food such as fat/energy balls, seeds and unsalted peanuts are the best food to leave out for birds during the winter. If is freezing putting out water for them to drink is also helpful.

How often should I feed the birds in winter?

Bird food is best left out twice a day during winter months, in the morning to replenish energy lost overnight and in the afternoon to build up energy before birds roost for the night.

Have fun feeding the birds this winter. We have a wide range of bird food and bird feeders in store at Morris's of Usk.