Winter for birds is the most difficult time. At this time, it is often difficult for them to forage, especially when thaws alternate with frosts and everything is covered with an ice crust. During the thaw, there are also periods when, under the rays of the bright sun, the snow melts and melt water fills the depressions in the bark of trees, turning into an ice shell at night. Insects and their larvae, which hide under the bark of trees, become inaccessible to birds. Birds, especially young ones, do not have time to find enough food in a short winter day and die of hunger. Many people seek to help feathered neighbors survive this difficult period by arranging feeding grounds and feeders. But everything must be approached with knowledge of the matter. After all, feeding the birds incorrectly can harm them.

And the birds need a routine

First of all, you need to understand that you cannot feed the birds, you can only feed them. How is feeding different from feeding? When feeding birds, the entire daily ration is obtained only from the feeder, and when feeding - only part of it, and therefore they are forced to find the rest in nature.

In nature, the diet of birds is very diverse. Moving through the forest, flocks of tits check cracks in the bark in search of wintering insects, their larvae and pupae, pick up seeds of various plants, and eat only seeds and fat at the feeder. And with a constantly full feeder, tits simply stop looking for other food. It is better to accustom yourself and the birds to a certain regime, filling the feeders once or twice a day at the same time.

Prepare food from the summer

In our area, more than a dozen species of birds visit feeders. In the city it will be tits, house and field sparrows, rock dove, gray crow. In a large park, on the outskirts, in a garden or in the countryside, at the edge of a forest, the species composition will be more diverse. Not only tits, but also woodpeckers, nuthatches, pikas, goldfinches, bullfinches, waxwings, jays, magpies and other birds will fly to the feeders. You can feed almost any bird. Preparation for this must begin in the summer, preparing food.

To feed the birds, you must follow some rules:

During feeding, do not litter, do not leave plastic bags, cans, boxes, all kinds of ropes.

Drawing by Kirill Shvetsov, Novooskolsky district

Start feeding with the onset of cold weather.

It is necessary to feed the birds regularly in the same place, at the same time, the birds will remember this and will fly.

In frosts and during heavy snowfalls, birds need food every day in order for them to survive.

Feed should always be put a little, precisely in order to feed, support in difficult times.

Menu for bird canteens

What to feed the birds in winter? This question worries many of us with the onset of cold weather. Ornithologists recommend making a mixture of 75 percent sunflower seeds. They are very high in calories and can become the main energy source for small birds. Sunflower seeds are eaten with pleasure by granivorous birds and woodpeckers. Nuthatchets, tits, etc. love this food.

Experts recommend placing in the feeders and calcium top dressing, which is usually given to poultry. It can be pieces of plaster or egg shells. Pieces of fat and meat - for tits. But definitely unsalted! White bread needs to be pre-dried, finely crushed. Woodpeckers prefer pumpkin and sunflower seeds. Sparrows - millet, oats, millet. Waxwings, bullfinches love to feast on clusters of rowan berries, viburnum. Each bird has its own preferences. The main thing is not to let them die of hunger in the cold of winter, when it is much more difficult for birds to find food than in summer.

So, what do we put in the feeder?

Plants' seeds

Some birds prefer oats, millet, millet, rice and wheat. Goldfinches, sparrows, greenfinches and other birds will flock to this meal. Pigeons also prefer to peck grains. With pleasure, birds will feast on the seeds of watermelon (but they must be crushed!), pumpkins, melons, thistles, nettles, quinoa and burdock. They also peck at the corn kernels. Quinoa seeds are also eagerly eaten by many birds. Cut plants are collected in brooms and stored until winter. In the cold, the quinoa is stuck near the feeder in the snow. If desired, the weed can be threshed and its grains sprinkled on the birds along with other feeds. Blue tits, as well as most species of granivorous birds, love nettle seeds. Burdock seeds are the main food for goldfinches. But bullfinches prefer to feast on the seeds of horse sorrel.

Meat, fat, fat

As a top dressing during a hungry period for birds, the menu can include meat, lard, as well as beef or chicken fat. These products will appeal to tits, nuthatches and some other types of birds. However, it should be borne in mind that meat and lard must be unsalted!

Lard or meat should be cut into small pieces and strung on a twine. Then the products are hung on the branches of trees or bushes. But in order to prevent the feeding of crows, jackdaws, magpies, dogs or cats, the pieces should be placed away from the ground. It is necessary to hang the twine among thin branches, on which heavy birds cannot sit.

During the hungry period, birds need high-calorie food. Animal fat, which is in a soft state, is best mixed with other foods, preparing a kind of layer cake. Place it in nets from under vegetables and hang it in places accessible to birds.

For tits, woodpeckers, pikas and nuthatches, horse, lamb, beef and lard (necessarily unsalted) are tasty food. The melted product is poured over the branches and trunks of trees. Birds eat frozen drips.

Berries

The most beautiful visitors to the feeders - waxwings, schurov and bullfinches - are attracted by hawthorn and mountain ash berries. The fruits must be prepared in advance by drying the autumn harvest.

tree seeds

Among the usual urban plantings, ash and maple trees are often found. The seeds of these trees are called lionfish. In autumn, most of them shower the ground and become inaccessible to birds. If you do not know how to feed the birds in winter, collect lionfish with the onset of cold weather and hang them on feeders. Waxwings, bullfinches, as well as some other birds visiting bird canteens like to eat this food.

Nuts, cones and acorns

This food should be harvested in the fall. The basis of the winter menu for crossbills and woodpeckers are cones. Jays prefer to eat acorns. Having prepared this food for birds, you can also attract squirrels to your feeder.

What not to put in a bird feeder

When compiling a bird menu, it is worth considering some limitations. It is strictly forbidden to introduce any spicy, salty, fried, as well as sour foods into the menu for birds. Black bread poses a great danger to them. It causes diarrhea in birds, which leads birds to certain death. Black breads contain a large amount of salt, which is harmful to the liver and kidneys of birds. When feeding, birds often leave a certain part of the food in their crop. If there is bread there, it swells and quickly begins to ferment. This process can lead to the death of the bird. Rye bread is especially dangerous for birds. When kneading dough, more yeast is added to it than to wheat. It is very difficult for birds in the winter, and therefore any disease can be fatal for them.

bird pie

In winter and early spring, birds need high-calorie food: unsalted lard and margarine. Unsalted bacon is eagerly pecked by tits and sparrows. Animal fat can be given in its pure form if it is hard, and if it is soft, it is better to mix it with other food, making the so-called "bird pie". It is hung in vegetable nets. Hang it among the dense thin branches in the bushes so that crows and jackdaws do not get.

How to cook "Bird Pie"? Very simple!

For one such "biscuit" you will need: 3/4 cup bird food, 1/4 cup water, 1 small bag of gelatin, twine (you can also use wire or string), cookie cutters, mold or lids from cans, waxed paper (parchment)

1. Mix the contents of the gelatin sachet with 1/4 cup water, bring to a boil while stirring, and continue stirring until the gelatin has dissolved.

2. Remove from heat and let cool for one minute.

3. Add 3/4 cup bird food to gelatin; add a little more if you see more liquid.

4. Lay the molds on waxed paper and fill halfway with the bird food mixture.

5. Cut the twine to length, tie both ends in a knot and place the knot in the food (the knot must be inside the cookie).

6. Add the other half of the food to the mold

7. If necessary, add dry food to the mold (the excess will disappear after drying)

8. Let the cookies dry until the next day, turning them from time to time.

9. When the bird cookies are dry, remove them from the molds and hang them on a tree.

10. Now wait by the window for your first feathered guest.

The “Bird Pie” was prepared by: Vadim Semendyaev, Anzhelika Rudnikova and Polina Dolgintseva, students of the creative association “Friends of Nature” of the Station of Young Naturalists of the Ivnyansky District, as well as additional education teacher Galina Tsukanova.

Photos provided by the Ivnyansk Regional Station of Young Naturalists.

Olesya Degtyareva, teacher of additional education at the regional station of young naturalists of the Ivnyansky district

It would seem that even within the city limits, the trees are simply strewn with fruits and seeds, so why then feed the birds? They feed themselves just fine! The fact is that all this abundance is available to birds until the snow falls. With the advent of cold weather, the fruits and seeds from the trees crumble very quickly, and then all this abundance is covered with snow. Now the search for food for birds becomes sometimes an impossible task. And help at this time of the year will be very helpful for the birds.

If we can help someone, then we must do it. Let's help the birds survive the winter. Let's make it easier for them to get food in the winter, when every grain, every crumb, every seed counts.

This does not require much effort and time. Even if you have not specially prepared bird food in advance, there is always the opportunity to buy it in a regular store. Scientists biologists advise - birds in winter should not be fed, but fed. It is enough to fill the feeder once a day, so that the birds, having emptied it, are already looking for food in nature. And yet, before starting this good deed, you need to remember what you can feed the birds with, and what food is contraindicated for them, harmful, and sometimes deadly.

To help you feed your birds the right way in winter, check out some bird food recommendations in this article.

Of course, the usual food familiar to birds is in the first place, for example, seeds of trees and shrubs: maple, ash, burdock. These seeds are not averse to refreshing many birds, including motley goldfinches, handsome bullfinches and elegant waxwings.

Ash (left photo) and maple (right photo) still have a lot of seeds available for birds.

Ash seeds (left photo) and maple seeds (right photo) many birds eat them willingly.

Such "delicacies" are even more beloved by many birds: dried fruits of mountain ash, hawthorn, barberry, wild rose, juniper. Bullfinches, waxwings and, possibly, blackbirds.

Rowan. As long as there are berries on the tree, waxwings, bullfinches, and fieldfares use this with pleasure.

And for such top dressing among the bird family, those who wish will flock: cones, acorns, nuts.
For a generous treat, expect woodpeckers, crossbills, jays and even squirrels to visit.

Sunflower seeds deserve special attention. They must be neither fried nor salty! Due to the fact that birds easily deal with sunflower seeds, and they contain a large amount of vegetable fats, this is the most versatile top dressing for any kind of birds. Sunflower seeds perfectly restore the energy costs of birds in winter. Tits, nuthatches, woodpeckers will be grateful to you for such food.

Birds will not refuse from watermelon and pumpkin seeds, from melon seeds. So feel free to put them in the feeder.

Granivorous birds like plant seeds: millet, oats, wheat, hemp. Tits, sparrows, goldfinches, greenfinches gladly include various grains in their menu.
Regarding buckwheat and rice, information is contradictory. Some experts argue that rice and buckwheat seeds are too hard for many birds and are poorly digested. It is worth refraining from such feed, especially since the choice among other feed components is already wide.

Under no circumstances should you feed the birds.

Black (rye) bread for birds is deadly!
Just cut it to your nose, without going into details.

Nothing fried, nothing salty, nothing sour, nothing spicy - such a "diet"!

Therefore, follow our recommendations so that your good intentions do not turn into undesirable consequences. Do not pour everything into the feeder. In our opinion, it is wrong to feed the birds in winter with anything, for example, leftover food “from the table”. The principle of "do no harm" in this case is more appropriate, because for the winter feeding of birds, the list of proven feeds that we have given in this article is quite enough.

Another point that must be taken into account when arranging a bird dining room is that you will be provided with noise and din! And if your plans do not include such close communication with birds, then choose a place for the feeder away from your own windows.

As a reward for caring for our smaller brothers, you will receive a lot of positive emotions: the opportunity to observe the behavior of birds, listen to their joyful chirping, take pictures, perhaps even rare guests in your area who have flown in for a dinner party, just admire the bizarre bird plumage.

In the end, by doing the most human act, you just help a lot of birds not to die in the winter cold.

How lifeless would a winter landscape be without birds? Without important red-breasted bullfinches, sly tits and friendly flocks of sparrows, Russian winter would lose its charm. But what to feed the birds in winter? How can you help them survive the cold? In the cold season, birds cannot do without human help.

Nomadic, settled, migratory

To maintain life in the cold, you need a lot of energy, but where can you get it, if not from food? Therefore, those birds that can find food do not leave their native lands:

• Berries, seeds and insects that overwinter in plant stems become food for tits and sparrows, bullfinches and waxwings, goldfinches and greenfinches.

• Ravens are not averse to diversifying their diet with small rodents, jackdaws and pigeons diligently patrol the city dumps. Magpies, siskins and jays find food in winter.

• In cracks and under the bark of trees, nuthatches, pikas and woodpeckers get insects.

• Coniferous seeds from cones are husked by crossbills, and ducks and even swans more and more often remain in non-freezing reservoirs for the winter.

Not all of this heterogeneous company leads a sedentary lifestyle, there are also many nomads - in harsh winters they strive for warmth, and in mild ones they stay at home.

Everyone experiences the cold in different ways: someone flocks, someone is saved by warm plumage, and someone has learned to seek shelter in human buildings, but severe frosts still noticeably reduce the number of birds.

Winter is a difficult time for all living things. Fortunately, it is in our power to help the birds.

What to feed the birds in winter

Despite the meager winter menu, the birds are picky in their choice of dishes. Therefore, by pouring certain food into the feeder, you can predict who will fly in to feast on them:

• The most common and affordable provision - cereal seeds.
• Millet, oats and wheat not averse to tasting sparrows, goldfinches, greenfinches and other granivorous.
• Handsome bullfinches and waxwings will be attracted berries of mountain ash and juniper dried since autumn , and also posted on the feeder maple and ash seeds - wings.
• Bigger prey - cones, nuts and acorns - woodpeckers and jays will flock.
• Winged gourmets will not refuse meat delicacies - unsalted fat and meat ; tits and nuthatches will be delighted with such a treat, as will large jackdaws, crows and magpies.
• If you don’t want to offend anyone, feel free to pour it into the feeder unroasted sunflower seeds . Rich in vegetable fat, they make a great winter meal for most birds.

The main thing to remember is that all dishes for the bird's table should be unsalted. Black bread should also be avoided - it is poorly digested, does not provide enough energy and can even cause poisoning, but white bread is safe, but only dried. And of course, sweet pastries, cookies and potato chips are not suitable for feeding.

Types of feeders

The design of the feeder can also attract and repel different kinds of birds. For example, tits, accustomed to balancing on thin branches, will easily attach themselves to a hanging feeder, but sparrows will not like such an unstable structure, they prefer spacious houses. Depending on the shape, method of fastening and materials, several types of feeders are divided.

1. Suspension. The most unpretentious option. The food is hung on a string (good for fat or meat) or in a mesh bag. You can prepare a ball from a mixture of seeds and fasten them with interior fat, but do not freeze them - hollowing out the seeds, the birds will spend more energy than they receive. As a feeder, a garland of dried berries will also be good.
2. Area. Shaped like a shoebox lid. Attaches horizontally. Such a design is easy to make, but in practicality it clearly loses to other types, low sides do not protect against wind, rain and snow.
3. House. It also has a stable base, but unlike the platform, it is protected by a roof. It is usually nailed to wood.
4. Bunker. The feed from the container is poured onto the pallet gradually. A convenient feeder can be made from an ordinary glass or plastic bottle, placing it upside down and attaching it to the stand with wire.
5. Peelers. The grains are held by a metal mesh. Excellent for feeding crossbills and jays.
6. Tray feeders with a perch or landing area for birds. These are easy to make yourself. As a building material, ordinary PET packaging from milk or juice is suitable. The main thing is that the edges of the feeder are not sharp, and the holes are of sufficient size.

Do-it-yourself tray feeder

We need an ordinary tetrapack, if desired, we glue the box with self-adhesive film or colored cardboard. We retreat 3 centimeters from the bottom and cut out an oval hole 6-8 cm high. We bend the cardboard and cut off the excess, leaving a small bar - a place for a perch. The upper part of the resulting feeder can be decorated with small cones and spruce branches.

A simple and neat feeder-tray is ready! It remains only to place it correctly. In our case, it is better not to hang the feeder, because the paper will quickly get wet and tear. We fix the structure in the fork between the branches and pull it with twine to the trunk.

Last step: hang the feeder

The optimal height will be 1.5 meters - this way we will protect the bird's dining room from large birds that prefer to feed from the ground. We choose a place protected from the wind. There should be an open space in front of the feeder so that the birds can notice the cat in time. By the way, to protect against predators, you can attach a cone made of iron or plastic to the trunk.

You should not place the feeder near the road or in crowded places, but forests, parks, trees and shrubs are a comfortable environment for birds. Remember to keep the inside clean and add food daily.

So, in order to help the birds survive the cold, no special effort is required. In addition, they will generously reward the breadwinners when the snow melts, because the best assistants in pest control cannot be found.

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We recommend reading: Due to the fact that GPBU "Mospriroda" began to receive requests about found wild birds and animals more often, we publish the rules of conduct when they are found in natural areas. Do not spare your time and effort to attract birds to your garden - they are not only will delight you with their singing, but will also deal a serious blow to the army of insect pests.

Winter season- a very difficult period for birds. With the onset of frost, it is increasingly difficult for them to find food for themselves: insects have gone into hibernation, most of the trees have been left without fruits, snow has covered the grass and the ground, where seeds could still be found.

There are always caring people who are ready to help feathered friends survive hard times. They make and install feeders and other feeding grounds on trees. But, as you know, care can do harm. To prevent this from happening, you need to clearly understand: you can’t feed the feathered wards, you can only feed them!

What is the difference between feeding and feeding?

If the birds are fed, then they will eat throughout the day only with the food that will be offered to them in the feeder.
When feeding, the birds will have to replenish their daily diet with those reserves that they find in nature, and this indicates a useful variety of food.
Judge for yourself, at the feeder they are mainly waiting for seeds and lard, but bustling about in search of food, sparrows, tits and other birds carefully check the bark of trees for the presence of insects or their larvae hidden there, stir loosened snow in search of various seeds.
In addition, there is a possibility that with a feeder constantly filled to the brim, the birds will stop looking for other food, and a monotonous diet (if it is also oversaturated with fats) will inevitably lead to liver diseases. So it turns out that instead of benefit, we cause significant harm to birds.

The most faithful and useful for birds will adhere to a certain regimen. For this you will need fill the feeders at the same time. Approximately one or two times a day. If the sparrows immediately took away the food you poured, do not pour another portion. Hold firm, no matter how they "begged" you.

What not to feed the birds

Some foods that are “usual” for feeding (salted nuts, coconut flakes, chips, lard) are harmful to birds, and in most cases even deadly. These include fried and salted foods. Salt in excess very quickly accumulates in the body of birds, with which their excretory system cannot cope, and this threatens with poisoning. Fried foods harm the liver, since it seems that the beneficial substances contained in grains, while frying, fats tend to change their structure.

It is strictly forbidden to use rancid grains, moldy and spoiled food with an unpleasant odor as bird feed. These foods are high in toxins. This threatens to weaken the body, which will ultimately lead to illness and death of the bird.

An extremely dangerous product for birds is also black bread or any other rye bread, which contains a large amount of water. Firstly, rye starch is one of the substances poorly absorbed by the bird's body. Secondly, in contrast to white, brown bread has much more moisture, it has significantly increased acidity. This often leads to excessive fermentation in the intestines, and volvulus is not excluded.

Millet has a negative effect on the bird's body. This is due to the fact that millet, unlike the same millet, is devoid of a protective shell, as a result of which fats on its surface are oxidized and toxic substances and microorganisms that develop diseases appear.

What can you feed the birds

Top dressing can be arranged for almost all types of birds. You can prepare for this noble cause even in the summer.

For example, after eating watermelons and melons, collect their seeds and dry them. In winter, tits will feast on them with great pleasure. They will also be happy with pumpkin and sunflower seeds (but not in the fried version!), hemp seeds.
In the feeder for tits, you can safely put cottage cheese (medium fat), which is mixed with white breadcrumbs, a hard-boiled egg and grated into crumbs, as well as a fresh apple will be an excellent delicacy for tits. On frosty days, pieces of unsalted fat and meat can be fed. They will gladly accept tits and bread crumbs. The only thing is that it is better to use stale bread, because fresh bread freezes in the cold.

Sparrows and pigeons will be glad to bread crumbs. But it is best to feed urban birds with wheat, barley, or a prepared grain mixture. If you take cereals, then the most useful is barley (in fact, it is peeled barley). Dense oatmeal (not instant) is excellent for feeding sizars. In small quantities, supplements from unroasted seeds will be useful. Sparrows eat the same food as pigeons, except perhaps barley - it is harsh for them.

Waterfowl will be most pleased with a grain mixture, wheat or compound feed (used for chickens). But there is a problem: this food sinks in water. For this reason, it is not easy to find an alternative to white bread. Ducks are less willing to eat non-roasted seeds that do not sink in water.

Herbs are dried as top dressing for bullfinches in summer and autumn. They love quinoa, nettle, burdock.

Thrushes and waxwings will especially enjoy clusters of berries such as viburnum, mountain ash, red and black elderberry. Bullfinches also regale on them with great pleasure, but unlike their counterparts, they do not use the berries themselves, but the seeds.

Such forest inhabitants as nuthatches, jays and woodpeckers often visit the feeders where tits feed, therefore they stay in common flocks. If the nuthatch first of all pounces on the hung meat and pieces of fat, then the jays eat almost everything. They are also big lovers of acorns.

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