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Garden Birds Need You: Simple Winter Survival Tips
20 Nov
Summary
- Provide safe food sources like cheese, fruit, and seeds.
- Offer unfrozen water for drinking and bathing daily.
- Create shelter with dense plants or nest boxes for safety.
As temperatures drop and daylight shortens, wild birds face significant challenges in finding adequate food and maintaining warmth. Their usual food sources dwindle, and increased energy is required simply to survive sub-zero conditions. Fortunately, simple actions in your garden can make a substantial difference.
Providing a consistent food supply is crucial. Safe options include mild grated cheese, cooked rice, unsalted hard fats, and commercial birdseed mixes. It is vital to avoid certain foods like cooking fats from meat juices, coconut, and salted items, which can be harmful. Alongside food, maintaining an ice-free water source for drinking and bathing is essential year-round.
Creating sheltered environments offers birds a safe haven from harsh weather. Dense planting, such as thick hedges and ivy, can provide natural cover. Installing nest boxes or birdhouses, strategically placed away from predators and strong winds, also offers vital protection. These measures not only help birds survive the winter but also encourage them to frequent your garden.
