Feeding

by Don and Lillian Stokes

1. Place feeders near cover such as dense evergreens to provide birds cover

from storms and escape from predators.

2. Feed black oil sunflower, or mixes that contain a high proportion of

black oil sunflower. Black oil sunflower is an energy rich food that has a

high fat and protein content. Birds need more energy to keep warm in cold

weather.

3. Provide an all-you-can-eat buffet by keeping feeders full. Birds

especially need to chow down at the end of the day to stock up on calories

for the night, and in the early morning to refuel after a cold night.

4. Provide suet cakes in addition to seed. Suet is a high calorie food that

will attract woodpeckers, chickadees, titmice, nuthatches and many more.

5. Be consistent. Do not stop feeding in the middle of winter because birds

become accustomed to using your feeders as a food source, especially in

very severe weather when your feeders may aid their survival. If you go

away, ask a neighbor or friend to keep your feeders going.

6. Provide feeders that have a good size capacity, or use multiple feeders so

you can have an ample supply of food available for the birds, especially

during snow storms.

7. Shovel snow off feeders and from around the ground

below your feeders after storms so birds can access the seed.

Mourning Doves, Juncos and White-throated Sparrows are

ground feeders and need to access the seed that falls to the

ground.