Imagine being a bird and having to survive freezing temperatures. While this is uncomfortable for us, this is a race against time for birds. Birds can lose up to 10% of their body weight in a single night in order to survive the freezing temperatures. To survive the freezing temperatures, birds need to eat enough food to have fuel to last them through the night. While food in bird feeders may seem to be just a nice gesture, it is actually lifesaving.

Knowing which foods give you the most energy can help you make the most important choices. When it comes to bird food in freezing weather, not all foods are equal and the quality becomes extremely important.

Why Winter Feeding is Important

Birds generally have a faster metabolism than mammals. For example, a chickadee's heart can beat up to 500 times in a minute, which means a fuel source is necessary to keep that engine running. Birds have a survival mode that they enter in freezing temperatures. During this time, they have to find enough calories as a means of prioritizing their survival. Birds need to eat about 35 percent more during winter than during summer to maintain their basic functions.

Bird challenges that occur with the night are even more dangerous. Songbirds are not like most migrating birds. They do not fly south for the winter. Instead, they must come up with clever ways to handle the colder temperatures of the night. Some birds will use their feathers to trap warm air. Others tuck their legs in to their belly feathers. Some birds can even enter short states of hypothermia to conserve energy. However, is is critcal that these birds rely on stored fat that they have eaten throughout the day to get them through the night.

Here is where having feeders becomes really useful. Natural food sources such as insects are gone in winter, and snow and ice make buried seed sources inaccessible. However, a reliable and fully stocked feeder provides predictable high quality food exactly when the birds need it most. Studies have shown that birds that can visit a supplemental feeder during very cold weather experience higher survival rates compared to those that cannot.

Suet: A Great Energy Food For Cold Weather

Suet is the best choice when it comes to offering winter foods! With more than twice the calories per ounce as most seeds, rendered animal fat is the most efficient source of energy you can offer. Considering birds use lots of calories to stay warm, pure fuel is exactly what they need!

During winter, woodpeckers, nuthatches, chickadees, and wrens are especially fond of seeking out suet. Birds who create cavities in trees and other surfaces for nesting have high energy demands and are usually foraging for insect larvae, and other food sources that are high in fat. Other than suet, nothing else offers a good enough winter diet substitute. Even cardinals and jays, who are usually seed eaters, will visit suet feeders when it is very cold.

Best Suet Cakes for Winter

The cold weather makes it easier to put out suet. In the summer, suet can melt and turn rancid, but in the winter suet stays fresh and solid. You should choose pure rendered suet and high-quality suet cakes that do not have fillers.

The melt-resistant formula and beef suet, cracked corn, and sunflower make the Blue Seal High Energy suet cakes a good choice. The 12-pack will last you the entire season. Woodpeckers, cardinals, chickadees, jays, and nuthatches are very active at these feeders. Also, the no-mess pack is great when it's cold outside.

To determine your birds' preferences, a multi-flavor pack is a good option to add some variety:

This pack provides the high-energy woodpecker blend which is especially great for the winter. Rendered beef suet, black oil sunflower and cracked corn – the good stuff, without the filler garbage like milo that birds tend to ignore.

Suet Feeders That Work

Try to position feeders so that the birds can see them as well as be protected from any falling precipitation. Cage feeders are great because they permit access to clinging birds while preventing larger and more aggressive species from monopolizing the food.

The Songbird Essentials suet feeder with tail prop mimics how woodpeckers feed using their tails like a \"third leg\" to stabilize themselves against tree trunks. The feeder provides that same stability so woodpeckers stay longer for better views. Constructed from recycled plastic that won't rot, crack, or or fade, the feeder has a vinyl-coated cage that protects the suet while allowing birds to easily grip and access it.

If you can, set up a few suet feeders. Since woodpeckers and nuthatches can be a bit territorial, having more feeders means less fighting between them and gives more birds access to the feeders.

Most Energy-Packed Seeds

Black Oil Sunflower: The Best Option

Different types of seeds have different nutritional value, and during winter, the level of oil is very important. For winter feeding, black oil sunflower seeds are the best. These seeds have high fat content (around 40%) and are easy to open (thin shells) even for birds whose energy levels are low. These seeds are highly preferred by cardinals, finches, chickadees, titmice, and nuthatches.

Wagner's has been around forever and their black oil sunflower seed is good quality year after year. It is clean seed with not a lot of junk in it. The 25 pound bag is perfect to keep most backyard feeders full. It will last through the cold snaps and not go stale, plus the price is good. The shells are thin so even the small birds like chickadees will be able to crack them when it is cold and they are tired.

Nyjer for Finches

Another great seed option to offer is Nyjer (thistle) seed. It is especially appealing to goldfinches, pine siskins, and redpolls. While Nyjer seeds are smaller than sunflower seeds, they contain around 35% oil which means they provide a lot of energy, but in a tiny package. To minimize waste while also keeping the seeds dry, use specialized tube feeders that have tiny ports.

Lyric Nyjer remains fresh which is important as finches can be picky and may deselect feed that is dry, stale, or has an older brown color. With 150,000 seeds per pound, this 10-lb bag lasts a long time. It is very good in the winter months with its high protein and fat content as the birds need extra calories. The disadvantage of nyjer is it clumps and spoils quickly.

Regular bird feeders are not designed to hold and dispense nyjer seeds and will waste more than give. So to avoid wasting more seeds and to get the most out of your bird feeder you'll need to purchase a finch feeder specifically made for nyjer seeds.

The Kingsyard Finch Feeder includes small Nyjer port feeders, a roof that keeps the weather out, and drainage holes that will keep seeds dry and not finish off the feeder in cold weather. With a 2 lb capacity, you won’t have to deal with refills as often. This means you won’t have to deal with weather as much and it will reduce the number of times you have to go outside to refill the feeder. All metal feeders will hold up to the squirrels that try to chew through them, and the good news is, squirrels generally ignore Nyjer anyway.

Peanuts: High-Value Protein

Peanuts (actually classified as legumes and not seeds) provide excellent nutritional value because they are high in protein and fats. You can give peanuts in the shell to jays and larger birds, and shelled heart peanuts are great for smaller species. Be sure to give \fresh and unsalted peanuts. Stale or moldy peanuts can contain aflatoxins that are deadly to birds.

Essentially unsalted shelled peanuts are exactly what your birds need. They won't make a mess in your yard and are great for small birds! If you have bird feeders they are great value bags! The active feeders will appreciate the fresh peanuts' essential fats, proteins, and carbohydrates that help birds maintain body heat through cold nights.

If you want to entice blue jays (who are nuts for peanuts), you can offer in-shell peanuts:

Blue jays have a special talent for locating peanuts in shells. It’s as if they have a sixth sense and will show up at the feeders in mere hours. If you have not seen any blue jays in months, don’t worry, they will appear when peanuts are available. You also will get a glimpse into their fun behavior of caching peanuts for winter storage and woodpeckers, squirrels (no kidding), and chipmunks will show up too. If you want to get squirrels and jays interested in your yard, use a 5 lb bag of peanuts as a starting point.

Keep Seeds Dry

If you have a problem with squirrels or grackles, safflower seeds are a good option since these species tend to avoid them. Safflower seeds(cardinals, chickadees, and titmice eat safflower seeds as the seeds have about 38% fat and are thus almost as energy-rich as black oil sunflower seeds).

You should keep your seeds dry if you want to keep the nutritional value and prevent mold. Wet or frozen seeds lose nutritional value and can develop mold on the seeds. Feeders with drainage and weather protection will keep your seeds fresh.

Fresh Water: An Essential During Winter

Many people do not realize that access to unfrozen water may be even more important than food during winter. Birds use water to drink and keep their feathers in good condition. Feathers that are dirty or damaged lose their insulating properties due to the condition of the feathers. This can make birds susceptible to hypothermia.

When cold snaps occur, all-natural water sources freeze completely. This leaves birds to search for different sources of water. If snow is all that is available, birds will eat the snow. However, eating snow costs the birds calories, and energy, that they can't afford to lose.

You don't need to have really expensive gadgets to keep a bird bath free from ice. Special immersion heaters for bird baths can be purchased for about $25 and use very little electricity. Place one in a shallow basin that is only 2 inches deep so that small birds can bathe without any issues. Try to put the bird bath near the feeders but with open areas so that the birds can see if there are any predators approaching while they are in a vulnerable position.

If a heater is unavailable, you can simply refresh the water several times a day with warm (not hot) water. Access to water for even a few hours helps birds tremendously. Regularly clean the bath because even in freezing weather birds will continue bathing.

What Not to Feed during Winter

Good intentions can sometimes cause harm, and bread is one of the biggest problems when it comes to feeding birds in winter. Although bread may be filling to humans, it contains empty calories. The bread you may have saved from the trash offers no nutritional value for birds and will be actually harmful to them. In winter, bread is especially harmful because birds will waste their energy digesting the bread.

Another issue is stale or spoiled seed. Inspect feeders on a regular basis and throw out any seed that shows signs of mold, is wet, or smells bad. Some seeds develop mold which can cause serious respiratory infections, especially in cold-stressed birds that have weak immune systems.

Stay away from seed mixes that have a lot of filler, like milo, wheat, or oats. Waste is created and rodents are attracted when birds toss these aside looking for better seeds. Use good seeds that birds will actually eat.

Additionally, do not put out heavily salted foods such as salted peanuts or other processed snacks. Birds can't process high levels of sodium, and during the winter when fresh water is not readily available, salt can be especially dangerous.

Feeding birds during winter is important for helping them survive the cold months. Suet and oil-rich seeds have lots of fat and energy and will be the best options for feeding birds. Also, try to avoid foods that will give birds empty calories, and provide fresh water. Your yard will become a winter haven for birds!

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the expenses to maintain a bird feeder during the winter?

It really depends on your traffic, but a rough estimate would be that a busy feeder station would go through 25 lbs of black oil sunflower seeds ($20-30) per month, plus maybe 2-3 suet cakes per week ($15-20/month). If you're feeding goldfinches, nyjer for finches adds another $15-20/month. Total for a well-stocked setup is usually $50-70/month. Depending on how you buy your supplies and the traffic you have, this can be cheaper than the estimates. Way cheaper than most hobbies, and you get daily entertainment.

Will birds become dependent on me for food if I start feeding them?

This myth has been busted by ornithologists. Wild birds consider feeders a source of food. Studies indicate that birds who go to feeders get only twenty to twenty-five percent of the calories in a day from the feeders. Birds continue to forage naturally. If your feeders go missing, birds just move on to different sources of food. The true benefit that feeders provide is during the worst of time when food is scarce, they provide a reliable and calorie boosting source.

Should I stop feeding my pets in winter if I'm going on vacation?

Instead of stopping feeders all at once, it is best to taper off. You can fill feeders just before leaving and let them empty on their own while you're away. The birds will locate other sources of food. The concern is not about them becoming dependent, it is about the birds wasting energy visiting an empty feeder that used to be full. If you expect to be gone for an extended period of time, consider putting less and less out some time before leaving. You could also ask a neighbor to fill feeders while you're away if it is right before leaving.

Why is my suet gone overnight?

Possums, flying squirrels, and raccoons are all nocturnal feeders that love suet and will completely clear your feeder overnight. If you think birds are eating all your suet cakes, think again, because suet feeders are nearly cleaned out overnight by mammals. If you want to be able to keep your feeders out overnight in the winter months, then consider switching to a feeder that has a cage designed for mammals. These feeders will allow you to keep your suet cakes out longer in winter. Regular squirrels, too, will quickly demolish all the suet in your feeder during the day. Some people have success putting a suet cage inside a larger cage to slow down the mammals while still allowing birds to feed.

Where is the best place to put a feeder in the winter?

Looking out your window, you will be able to watch the birds at the feeders, and you will want to be able to enjoy them up close! Therefore, it is best to place the bird feeders near the windows. Ideally, they should be able to see the southeast side of the house because they will be able to enjoy the warm morning sun, but there is no strong wind. The ideal location is no more than 10 feet away from a place like a hedge where a cat can hide. Trees and evergreens provide plenty of bird cover with plenty of hawk escape routes.

Do I need separate feeders for different types of seeds?

Sort of. Nyjer needs feeders with small feeding ports since regular feeders will waste it. Suet requires cage style feeders. However, black oil sunflower seeds works in almost any feeder whether it is tubes, hoppers, or platforms. If you're starting out, one tube feeder for sunflower seeds and one suet cage will cover most winter birds. If you want to specifically attract goldfinches, then add a nyjer feeder.

Can I give the birds cheap seed mix from the grocery store?

To be honest, most of it is a waste of money. Most inexpensive bird food compositions include a ton of fillers, like Milos, wheat, and oats. Most birds ignore these fillers. So, you end up paying for bird food that gets thrown on the ground, which will attract mice in the process. It would be best to spend the same amount of money on black oil sunflower seeds. These type of seeds are actually eaten by birds. Considering how much quality bird seeds are wasted versus inexpensive bird food compositions, quality seeds are usually cheaper.

What are the signs that my suet has gone bad?

Rancid suet gives off a noticeable odor, meaning it is easy to identify and recognize when it has gone bad. Suet that has gone bad may also become yellow, dry, and if the humidity is high, it may even develop mold. Fresh suet is light in color and smells neutral. It is also firm and in the winter, it will last a long time. Most of the issues regarding suet happen in the warm weather or if the suet gets wet continuously. If suet is getting avoided by birds that previously liked it, it likely has gone bad.

During the winter months, do I need to provide grit or calcium?

Birds need grit (small stones) for digestion, as they swallow stones to grind food in their gizzard. When the ground is frozen in the winter, natural grit is hard to find. It is helpful to offer eggshells that are crushed or dried (10 min at 250 degrees) for grit. Just be sure to have eggshells that are baked first (10 min at 250°F) to kill any bacteria.

What causes birds to visit my feeder with less frequency on warm winter days?

During warmer weather, there is more natural food available for birds as insects become active, ice melts and reveals seeds and berries, and birds need fewer calories for their circle of foraging activities. The need for natural food and food from feeders increases when temperatures drop, the ground is covered in snow, or during ice storms. That's when your feeders become truly important.

Happy birding!