One day you may notice that your backyard bird feeders are busy with activity from cardinals and chickadees, but when you check a week later, it may be completely quiet. If you are seeing a decline in backyard birds during winter, you’re not imagining it, and you’re not alone.
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February may be the worst month for your bird feeders. Likely, you will see fewer birds at your feeders, even if you have worked hard to feed the birds all winter. The biggest reason for the decline in bird traffic to your feeders is probably something you don't expect. It is due to the abundance of natural food available to birds. Birds are able to find wild food sources and natural foraging places that are often more nutritionally rich than the regular bird seed you provide at your feeders. Many species of trees produce natural food sources like cones, berries and seeds in superabundant quantities during the winter months. When this happens, many birds will begin to forage at these trees instead of your feeders and migrate to different areas to forage.
Another thing to consider is weather patterns. February is located in an unpredictable spot between winter and spring and birds respond to these changes quickly. A sudden cold snap can cause flocks to shift south for the winter and an early warm spell can trigger restless pre-migration behaviors. Barometric pressure change, cloud cover, and wind patterns influence bird behavior and your feeders may become empty overnight because of these changes.
Conditions related to snow and ice also play a role. During ice storms in wild areas, natural food sources can become temporarily inaccessible, which may cause birds to concentrate at feeders. However, once the ice melts and exposes renews food sources such as seeds, your yard becomes less important again. Birds still appreciate your feeders, but are simply using their instincts to diversify their food sources and remain mobile as the weather is uncertain.
Additional Causes Your Feeders Go Quiet During Mid-Winter
In late winter, animals change their behavior when it comes to defense of territory. As of February many animals divide their breeding territories. For instance, male cardinals become more vocal and display aggressive behaviors to defend their territory. Birds that were frequent visitors to your feeder in December may now be defending their territory and only visit your yard occasionally.
Hawks and raptors hunting near bird feeders will make birds avoid your yard for long periods of time. One or two visits from a sharp-shinned hawk or a cooper’s hawk will make birds avoid the feeders for several weeks. Birds will learn your feeder is a hunting spot and will stop coming. Even neighborhood cats hunting birds can create a "landscape of fear" that drives birds out of the area.
You may be missing some species that are migration holdovers and changing their migratory patterns. Hummingbirds may move to different territories in southern areas due to the movement of their nectar food sources. The pine siskin and purple finch are two types of finches that are irruptive migrants, meaning that they are of the southern moving population, but they move and settle down very quickly in the northern areas when sufficient food levels are present. These nomadic birds move to areas with sufficient food levels across large distances, so it is possible that one month there are birds in your backyard, and the next month there are none.
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Disease outbreaks can spread disease to new locations. House finches can easily get conjunctivitis. Sick individuals will often leave feeding stations meaning other birds will avoid those areas, even if the sick birds are gone.
How to Instantly Draw Birds Back
The best way to improve the attractiveness of your yard quickly is to enhance the food offerings. Consider switching to higher energy foods such as black oil sunflower seeds, suet cakes with added nuts and fruit, and nyjer seed for finches. In February, birds need more dense calories to maintain body heat during the cold nights. Peanuts in the shell or shelled peanut pieces will also do the trick. Woodpeckers, jays, and nuthatches love these and their activity often draws in other birds as well.
In late winter, the cleanliness of feeders becomes extra important. Not only will birds ignore old, moldy seed, but they could get sick from it. Every two weeks, clean feeders with a 10% bleach solution, and be sure to rinse and dry feeders completely before refilling. To reduce the chance of disease spreading as well as the attraction to rodents, rake seed hulls and droppings from under feeders.
Fresh water can be your secret weapon for attracting birds. When natural water sources freeze, your heated bird bath can be the hottest spot for birds in the neighborhood. Birds need water year-round for drinking and bathing. If you have a reliable water source you can attract birds that otherwise won't visit your feeders. It is important to keep the water level shallow and only fill the bath to one or two inches. Also, make sure to place the bath near protective cover where birds can feel safe when approaching the water.
Consider increasing cover near your feeding locations. Evergreens, shrub piles, and small stick piles around feeders help provide quick escape routes, and plenty of windbreak cover. If you have problems with hawks, place feeders about 10 feet from dense cover, but further away so that ambushing cats can’t operate from the shrubs. This is an ideal distance to give small birds a fighting chance.
Year Round Bird Sanctuary Builders
To actually solve the issue of February disappearances, we must change our landscape to create value throughout the entire year. Native plants are the basis of this solution. Shrubs like winterberry, serviceberry, and elderberry provide food naturally and will not compete with your feeders. The native grasses and flowers that are left up through the winter will provide seeds and shelter for the sparrows, juncos, and finches.
Try to have a variety of feeders with different types and placements. One feeder creates one singular point of failure. Therefore, you can set up platform feeders to accommodate ground feeding birds, tube feeders for finches, suet feeders for woodpeckers, and hopper feeders for larger birds. Place feeders in various spots in your yard to lessen competition and better suit territorial birds.
When planning a habitat, think in layers. Different levels of vegetation provide birds with nesting, foraging and hiding places. Vertical complexity means the habitat will provide for more species of birds. You can create vertical complexity in almost any yard with some thoughtful plant selections. For example, by adding a dogwood understory tree, a viburnum shrub, and some native perennials, you can turn a simple lawn into a habitat that will attract birds.
The use of pesticides should be minimized or eliminated. Insects, for example, are a critical protein source for birds, especially during breeding season. A yard with a healthy insect population will attract insectivorous birds like warblers, vireos, and flycatchers for a longer duration during migration and may even entice them to nest. If it is safe to do so, standing dead trees and branches are important foraging and nesting sites for woodpeckers and species that nest in cavities.
Make careful observations and take notes regarding what you see throughout the year. Pay attention to what species visit, what their foods sources are, and how their presence is affected by the weather. Having this information will allow you to recognize and anticipate normal, expected patterns, and recognize seasonal shifts that may be atypical. You will be able to identify real issues that need to be addressed.
Enjoyed your previous birds? The shortage is likely temporary. With some fresh feed, clean water, and good shelter, those birds will be back. Happy birding!
