What Bird Feed Should You Use In The Colder Months?

There is a myth that you do not need to feed birds in the colder months as they have all migrated to warmer countries. This myth is not true, and birds still need feeding all you round.

Whilst it’s true a lot of birds do migrate to warmer countries, there are pliantly of birds that stay in the UK and in some cases, like with the robin red breast, birds migrate to the UK for the winter.

If you enjoy feeding the birds and want to continue do so even in winter, then you need to no what bird feed should you use in the colder months?

Should I Feed The Birds In Winter?

When the weather gets colder, living conditions can become very difficult for birds and other small creatures. Weather can get very cold, and condition can become treacherous, meaning birds need to be able to find a safe place to stay whilst they can’t fly.

It’s important that you not only provide food for these birds, but also give them a safe place to stay and find shelter. You can do this by providing birds with a safe place to nest. Nest boxes are a great way to help the birds that visit your garden.

Make sure the nest box is high up enough that is safe from predators but no so high it can be knocked down and harm the birds living inside. You need to nail the nest box to a sturdy surface like a stable tree or protected wall.

Birds also need access to water to survive. If you leave water out for birds, then they are more likely to come and visit so that they can drink and bathe themselves. If you have a pond or bird bath in your garden make sure the bird can easily reach it, if not then you can always leave out a bowl or dish of water as long as it is big enough for the bird to bath in.

As the weather gets colder the temperature can drop and as a result your water may freeze over. If this happens birds will not be able to drink or bath in the water. To prevent freezing you can add a tennis ball or anything that floats to the water. The constant agitation of the water should prevent it from freezing fully. You can read other tips for helping garden creatures in cold weather here.

Of course, one of the best things you can do for birds in winter is to leave food out for them. In winter trees and plants do not produce as much food as they usually do and the round can freeze or become very hard making it almost impossible for birds to dig for food.

What Bird Feed Should You Use In The Colder Months?

If you are planning to feed the birds in the colder months then it’s important you feed them the right kind of food that will help them survive in the colder, harsher weather.

Birds need lots of different nutrients to survive, but this especially true in colder months. When the weather gets bad it can be harder for birds to fly in these poor conditions and flying can be more draining for them. This is why birds need food that can help provide them with a lot of energy to help them fly and make journeys that will be more difficult now that the weather is bad.

The winter months bring other struggles for the birds, particularly when it gets to very cold temperatures. Birds need good fats in their diet that hat they can store this fat for winter and keep warm. Not all fat is good for birds however and if you are planning feeding birds’ fat to help them stay warm you are better off using a bird food specialist and feeing the bird nuts or suet.

Here at Kennedy Wild Bird Food, we have a range of food that is specially designed to help birds by giving them all the nutrients and protein that need to survive. By using a bird food specialist you can be sure that they food they you are feeing the wild birds is healthy and helpful to them and doesn’t contain any nasty or harmful chemicals.