Feeding Garden Birds in Winter – Your Guide for the Cold Season

 

Setting up the right feeding spot!

 

To cater to all birds, you need to know that our native garden birds can be broadly divided into two categories: seed-eaters and soft-food eaters. While some prefer to forage for food on the ground, others prefer elevated feeding spots. Furthermore, you should always ensure that the feeding spot is placed as protected from predators as possible, and that the birds can quickly escape if necessary.

 

Soft-food eaters

Birds that feed on the ground are often so-called soft-food eaters, looking for insects, worms, seeds, and fruits. They prefer ground-level feeding spots as they avoid hanging feeders. 

Typical ground feeders in our gardens are:

 

• Blackbird: Searches for worms, insects, and fruits.
• Robin: Eats fallen food and insects.
• Hedge Accentor: Prefers animal-based food and seeds on the ground.
• Wren: A small insectivore that searches for food on the ground.
• Starling: Likes to eat animal-based food and fallen fruit on the ground.
• Chaffinch: Comes in flocks and eats seeds.
• Tree Sparrow: Eats seeds and insects. 

Suitable food for soft-food eaters in winter:

• Fruit: Apples (whole or halved), pears, and berries are ideal.
• Grains: Oiled oat flakes provide important energy. Suitable oils: sunflower oil, rapeseed oil, or coconut fat.
• Dried fruits: Raisins (unsulphured) are particularly popular. Dried berries.
• Animal-based: Mealworms (dried or fresh) cover protein needs.
• Nuts: Only feed finely chopped nuts, as whole nuts are too large. 
• Fat feed: Suet balls (without net), homemade fat-seed mix with beef tallow or coconut fat (unsalted).

 

 

Seed-eaters:

Seed-eaters are birds that primarily feed on seeds, kernels, and nuts. They are characterized by a short, thick, and strong beak (often called a conical beak), which allows them to easily crack hard shells.

Well-known examples:

• Finches: Chaffinch, Bullfinch, Greenfinch, Hawfinch, Goldfinch, Siskin.
• Sparrows: House Sparrow, Tree Sparrow.
• Tits: Great Tit, Blue Tit (are omnivores, but like to eat seeds).
• Yellowhammer, Woodpeckers, Nuthatches. 

 

Suitable food for seed-eaters:

• Seeds: Sunflower seeds (striped!) shelled and unshelled, hemp seeds, millet (various varieties), linseed, poppy seeds, rape seeds, buckwheat.
• Nuts: Unshelled peanuts (peanut pieces) provide a lot of fat and energy.
• Grains: Oat flakes, wheat bran (possibly mixed with some fat).
• Fat feed: Suet balls (without net), homemade fat-seed mix with beef tallow or coconut fat (unsalted). 

 

Important feeding tips:

• Hygiene: Clean feeding stations regularly to prevent diseases.
• Frost protection: Offer water-rich food (like apples) only in small quantities so it doesn't freeze.
• No bread: Bread, salt, or seasoned food scraps are harmful to birds.