Feeding birds

You might think that wild birds find all of their food themselves, but sometimes they need extra food from humans. Historically, birds were only fed during the cold seasons such as autumn and winter. However, some birds nowadays have a hard time finding food for the entire year. That is why bird feeding occurs in all seasons. In this article, we will tell you everything you need to know about bird feeding.

Feeding birds in summer

If you feed birds in your backyard in the summer, you will see all kind of different species. It is a myth that birds will get dependent if you feed them in the summer months. During summer you will have to feed the birds differently than in the colder months. Suet is good nutrition for birds but in summer it can often melt because of the heat. Avoid feeding suet to birds in spring and summer! In spring and summer, it is best to feed the wild birds in your backyard during spring and summer:

• Black sunflower seeds,
• Berries,
• Fruits,
• Oatmeal.

Feeding birds in winter

Feeding birds in winter is necessary for the birds to survive. They can't find food everywhere in winter so they need your help! In winter it is also possible to feed birds the natural way. This way, you will leave fruits and berries on trees or bushes. The birds will get less dependent this way. Throughout the warmer months, you can't feed suet to birds, but in winter this is the perfect food. There are a lot of calories in suet! If you want to make bird food yourself, using suet is the easiest way. 

Feeding bread to birds

Feeding bread to birds is perfectly fine. Myths might say that bread is not the best option for birds, but as long as there is no mold, it is okay. There are more myths about feeding birds, people say that feeding rice to birds is very bad. Some people even give warnings to engaged couples, that it is dangerous for birds to throw rice at the wedding because birds will explode after eating uncooked rice. Don't worry! Birds can't explode from eating rice. 

Feeding (orphaned) baby birds

If you think you found orphaned baby birds in your garden or even in a park, wait at least 2 hours before you start feeding them. Birds may leave the nest for a couple of hours before returning with food. If you are sure the nest is orphaned and you want to start feeding the birds, first make sure what kind of birds they are. Crows eat almost everything, while cardinals eat mostly seeds. A lot of birds are feed insect by their mom and dad. You can buy insect at a local store or collect them under rocks in a forest. Dried mealworms mixed with some warm water are also a good idea to feed orphaned baby birds.

When to stop feeding birds in spring or summer? The answer is never! The best thing for the birds is to feed them during the entire year. You can easily buy some bird mix or make bird food yourself! Making bird food is easy and a lot of fun. It might even be fun to do with your (grand)kids on a rainy afternoon! Let us know how the bird feeding went and if you might even found some new birds in your backyard. If you want to attract more birds in the garden, make some peanut butter rolls for the birds. They can smell the peanut butter from a long distance and will make sure they check it out.