Feeding Backyard Birds

Recently, a reader of Feeding Backyard Birds addressed a concern about our feathered friends. This concern is very common to many who are unacquainted with wild bird feeding. To all readers, the question in general is:

If I stop feeding birds in winter, will they die?

A bird’s instinct is to rely heavily upon itself to find food. Year round, however, bird feeders draw backyard birds. Providing food distracts wild birds from carrying on their instinctive foraging habits.

If you usually feed birds year-round or close to it, but you suddenly decide to stop feeding birds in winter, backyard birds must break the habit of looking for an easy meal and very quickly resume their instinctive habit to forage in the wild.

True, if you do decide to stop feeding birds in winter, they will face the challenge to find food; nonetheless, this challenge will be temporary, for wild birds have the advantage of flying to a territory that will better meet their needs. This territory may be natural foraging grounds nearby, or even a neighbor or two who feed birds in winter.

If you are away temporarily and need to stop feeding your backyard birds for a period, you may not like the thought of your feathered friends going elsewhere for the feeding season as you return. To avoid their departure, you might consider asking a neighbor you trust to feed your wild birds.

A neighbor who feeds wild birds is likely to handle the bird food and the bird feeders properly. Depending on such a neighbor will assure you that your feathered friends will continue to have a reliable home.

Whatever other reasons you may have for not feeding birds in winter, remember one thing: The wild birds of your backyard will find a way to survive as they rely on their God-given instinct.

- Craig Curtis

Seasonal bird feeding is a sensational hobby! Not only do we take great joy if feeding wild birds, we remain conscious of the benefits we bring backyard birds as we feed them through fall.

Before we discuss the benefits of feeding birds in fall, I would like to share a concern common to many people who are unacquainted with bird feeding.

With fall migration well over, many beginning bird watchers are more comfortable with the thought of providing bird feed. Around the time of fall migration, they fear that the feed will distract migratory birds from their migration. They are under the impression that birds will not leave until their food sources are dry.

Surprising to such ones, migratory birds do not stay in your backyard to finish your food supply; nor do they remain to finish their natural food sources.

So what signals a bird to migrate?

Surprisingly, an empty stomach isn’t their reason for leaving. Birds prepare themselves for migration before their food withers.

Instead, the shortening of daylight hours signals them to prepare for fall migration by eating fattening fruits. Once they have accumulated enough fat to energize for their flight, they instinctively await a suitable wind, which determines the best time to fly.

Now that we know that our provisions do not prevent wild birds from journeying to warmer grounds, I would like to share a benefit of feeding birds in fall

While food sources are still available, backyard birds are establishing fall and winter feeding territories. Weaning them onto feeder foods will give them a reason to establish a group in your backyard and the immediate area while still providing them a chance to rely on their instinctive food sources.

By providing food now, you are welcoming wild birds to establish a territory where they can feed now, and then rely on your provisions through winter.

If you wait for winter to feed wild birds, and at the same time your neighbors also delay feeding, backyard birds will have established territory elsewhere.

Perhaps you may try to feed them in the afternoon each day or all day long every other day. See what works best for you. Just be sure to give them the opportunity to search for their natural food sources until they are scarce.

I hope this will make you more comfortable with feeding wild birds during the time of fall migration, as we see that our provisions do not delay or prevent them from migrating. I hope you also see the value of weaning them as they establish feeding territories, as this welcomes them to your backyard this winter.

- Craig Curtis

But are common backyard birds really in need of fall bird feeding?Is it really vital for bird watchers to provide food at this time?

Go outside and take a look around you.

What is the climate or the temperature? In South-central Pennsylvania, my neighbors and I have felt 80’s and 90’s for the past two weeks. Yes, summer weather is lingering on.

Birds are in great need of water – not food. Why? They need to keep cool – not warm. Water cools them down. So please provide fresh water. Refresh at least once per day to keep from attracting mosquitoes.

Keep looking around you.

Along with this summer-like heat, hordes of insects swarm through the air and common backyard birds are busy eating them. Ones like chickadees are tree gleaners, spending the majority of their time gleaning insects from trees and plants.

Because insects are the majority of many birds’ diets, wild birds will be busy eating them until a killing pre-winter frost freezes them.

You may also see weeds flourishing in nearby fields, or any overgrown area. Many ground dwelling birds such as Mourning Doves and American Goldfinches are preoccupied foraging for seeds within weeds that again will be flourishing until a killing frost occurs.

You may have seed bearing flowers such as Sunflowers which have already gone to head. Another seed-bearing flower you may have in your garden is Aster, which bears seed in late summer and fall.

Notice your summer fruit-bearing trees, many of which are bare. Autumn fruit-bearing trees and shrubs, however, will soon flourish through fall. This will be discussed in my seasonal food and cover post.

Lastly, you may see nut-bearing trees in your yard that wild birds eat through fall. These too, will be discussed in my seasonal food and cover post.

Notice four main food sources that are abundant:

• Insects
• Weed seeds and plant matter
• Seed bearing flowers
• Berries

Yes, until colder weather sets in and kills off birds’ natural food sources, feeding common backyard birds will only suit human pleasure.

Bird feeders are not vital to their life during the warmer, calmer part of fall. Sometimes, however, winter weather does begin in the latter half of autumn – particularly November.

I, myself, begin feeding wild birds mid-late November.

-Craig