It's For The Birds

[Harriet]

Some people say the birds need a little help with food in the winter, and that it's good to feed the birds with birdseed and what not. Others say that it is best for them to seek out naturally occuring food forms. Where do you weigh in on this?

 

[noma]

Hi Hariet

I'm from the north so we get a lot of snow and its hard for them little feather friends to find something to eat in the deep snow if it snows so i feed them in a bird feeder. Its nice to see the birds in the winter we have Bluejays and sparrows here, i should get a water tank for them that doesn't freeze to so they would get water to but they can eat snow to get water:laughing:

 

[adan]

This answers partly my question since childhood about how birds survived the winter in temperate countries. I grew up in a tropical country. The only answer I got from my teachers was that birds migrated to warmer areas during winter. I never had the opportunity to verify if that was entirely the case

 

[grnspot110]

Wild birds will survive their native areas without "extra" food. That being said, we feed black oil sunflower seeds year round, mostly for our entertainment! As for winter water, I put out a heated pet bowl on a nearby fence. Located in north Missouri, BTW. ~~ grnspot110

 

[Green Girl]

I think they need a little help, but I also favor naturally occuring food sources. I like to grow sun flowers, so I make it a point to clip off the seed heads and dry them. Then I punch a hole through the middle, run a string through it and hang several at a time in various spots.

 

[minkyung]

I am impressed about your caring for birds. Makes me feel bad for not doing something. I see people put up small bird houses with holes. The sizes of the holes are good enough for birds to crawl inside. Do they help protect birds during cold? Just wondering.