Tips to Help Birds Survive in the Winter Landscape

It's a privilege to have birds call my landscape and garden their home for the winter months. Birds are not only enjoyable to watch, but they've been hard at work during the warm months helping to keep the bug population in check. In winter, it becomes more critical to think about ways to help birds survive the cold winter months in our home landscape. It doesn't require that much effort on part to provide the basic necessities of food, water and shelter.

Basic shelter for the birds is probably already in your home landscape in the form of trees. But the more quantity and variety of trees you can make available in the winter landscape, the better the birds chance of surviving the cold months.

Evergreen trees become a vital shelter for birds in the winter landscape since these keep their leaves or needles. Any evergreen tree is better than none, but coniferous evergreen trees such as pine are a great addition to the landscape. The cones are actually a food source for some birds in the winter months.

The same is true for evergreen shrubs and hedges. The varieties are almost endless. Many types of birds nest in shrubs and hedges instead of trees. Providing evergreen varieties such as holly in the landscape will give much needed shelter for birds all winter. Many evergreen shrubs have the added benefit of providing berries for the birds in the winter

Deciduous trees are also important for bird survival in the winter landscape. Dogwood trees are not only beautiful, but provide a great food source in the berries they produce. The beautiful flowering crab apple tree is another example. The little fruits linger into the winter months providing a food source in winter.

Birdhouses are always welcome winter havens for our feathered friends. They are available in almost any style and color imaginable. Just be sure they are really intended to be bird shelters and not just decorative. Although birdhouses will be used for raising baby birds in spring, birds eagerly seek their protection in winter. They also look so pretty in the home landscape and can add needed structure to beds and gardens.

Winter is the most important time to have bird feeders up and always filled with seeds. I can't stress enough the importance of supplementing the food available to birds naturally in winter. Don't feed the birds all summer and then stop filling the feeders in winter. It may be a hassle to tromp out in the cold to fill those feeders, but the birds often don't have enough food naturally in the landscape to survive the harsh cold winter months.

While on the subject of bird feeders, stock up on black oil sunflower seeds the next time you find it on sale. If you can only afford to get one type of bird seed, this is the one to buy. Don't confuse these sunflower seeds with the type we snack on either. All birds love black oil sunflower seeds and they provide the extra oil in birds diets to aid in insulating them in winter. Keep those seeds in a large airtight container away from your food source.

Suet is another inexpensive food to give birds in winter. These are sometimes referred to as bird cakes. It's basically not much more than meat fat with seeds and/or fruit mixed in and can even be made at home. Suet provides a necessary food source for woodpeckers and other birds that rely on insects and worms during the warm months. There are small cages available to hold the suet. These can be hung any place in the winter landscape.

If flowers abound in your home landscape during the summer, then you can feed the birds in winter for free! This only requires a little neglect on your part. Sometimes the need to have things neat and tidy in the winter landscape can unknowingly rob birds of a winter food source. All of the plants that continue blooming through the fall months can provide birds with dinner in the winter months if left alone to set seed. Ornamental grasses and flowers that have gone to seed can also provide a naturalistic beauty to an otherwise barren winter landscape. Instead of cutting back the flower stalks, let them go to seed and leave them standing.

Last but certainly not least, is a water source. Birds will die in the winter months without water. It's so easy to forget this basic necessity, but it's so important. It takes extra diligence to keep the birds watered where landscapes freeze solidly in winter. Bird bath heaters are available to make the job easier in northern climates. The water needs to be shallow. Birds can't drink from deep water sources, other than that they don't care about appearances. Bird baths and fountains are beautiful in the home landscape and can be as elaborate as you can afford. But the birds are happy with any water source you can provide them in winter, even if it's the lid of a garbage can.