Feeding garden birds to help them survive the winter

During the warmer months, birds have access to plentiful seeds, fruit, and insects, so supplementary feeding is unnecessary. It's also an important time for fledglings to learn how to forage. However, in winter, when food sources are scarce, feeding your garden birds helps them survive the harsh conditions

- Linda Piegl

As warm-blooded creatures, birds require extra energy to stay warm and maintain their body temperature. The colder their environment, the more body heat they lose.

To offset this heat loss, birds must eat more food to fuel their metabolisms, explains scienceofbirds.com. But natural food sources like seeds and insects are limited during winter.

The days are also shorter, reducing the number of daylight hours that birds can forage for what little food there is.

You can help the feathered visitors to your garden with budget-friendly options or whip up quick and easy treats for them in your kitchen.

WHAT TO FEED GARDEN BIRDS

Barbets, loeries, and bulbuls relish seasonal fruit like apples, bananas, guavas, and citrus, while commercial seed mixes appeal to doves, sparrows, red-headed finches, bronze mannikins, and many other seed-eaters.

Suet, made of animal fat mixed with various ingredients including peanuts, dried fruits or dried insects, is to birds what chocolate is to humans - completely irresistible! This high-protein, high-fat treat in ball or slab form helps fatten them up and maintain their energy levels.