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7 Foods Backyard Birds Love During the Winter

November 22, 2018 by Rhonda Gales 2 Comments

Today, I’m sharing a list of winter foods for backyard birds. If you love helping mother nature during the winter months, we have a few tips on what our feathered friends will devour. These winter food for backyard birds have been tested in my own backyard. As a result, I can assure you that your feathered friends will not leave a morsel. I have been bird watching for about 5 years now. And, I’ve tried a variety of foods for my backyard birds.

Here’s a list of winter food for backyard birds:

Cracked Corn – First, cracked corn is a favorite at my feeders. It is simply corn kernels that have been dried and cracked into smaller pieces. Cracked corn provides protein and fiber for backyard birds. However, there’s one drawback, black birds love cracked corn too and will devour your feeders if they find it.

Suet Cookies – So, you can purchase suet from your local butcher shop or grocery store. Suet is fat from beef or pork. Over the course of the year, I started saving my bacon grease to make bacon birdseed cookies. It’s something I learned from my grandmother, and it’s one of the foods backyard birds love. If you don’t want to use bacon grease, Crisco will do.

When I want to make suet cakes or cookies for the birds, I just add the bacon grease to a mix of no waste bird seed, black oil sunflower seeds, cracked corn, dried fruit and shelled chopped peanuts. Additionally, here’s the recipe for my bacon bird seed cookies. I guarantee that your backyard birds are going to love them!

Fruit – Next, birds love fruit. Either fresh or dried fruit will do. For the most part I use apples, whatever I can get cheaply. I simply chop up one or two and add them to my birdseed mixture. You can also add raisin or cranberries to the mixture. I look these items at the Dollar Tree. The also have dried apples and bananas. Be sure to add one or two of my birdseed peanut butter pinecones to your feeding station too.

Apples

Cedar Waxwings
Evening Grosbeaks
Pine Grosbeaks
Blue Jays
Common Flickers
Chickadees
Red-headed Woodpeckers
Robins
Bobwhites
Mockingbirds
House finches

Oranges

Mockingbirds
Orioles
Red-Bellied Woodpeckers
Rose-Breasted Grosbeaks
Gray Catbirds
Scarlet tanagers

Grapes

Evening Grosbeaks
Robins
Brown Thrashers
Blue Jays
Cedar Waxwings
Magpies
Cardinals
Western Tanagers
Mockingbirds
Orioles
Towhees
House Finches
Steller’s Jays
Bluebirds
Woodpeckers

Black Oil Sunflower Seeds – Additionally, Black Oil Sunflower seeds are a favorite at my feeders. As a result, they go fast. Cardinals, Blue Jays, Woodpeckers, Titmouse and more love these seeds. Make sure you have a large supply on hand. As a matter of fact, I purchase black oil sunflower seeds in 20 pound bags. I usually use at least 2 bags of this seed during the winter.

Safflower Seeds – Furthermore, I enjoy making my own birdseed mix. So, I mix mostly Safflower Seeds and Black Oil Sunflower Seeds in my feeders along with cracked corn. Fortunately, squirrels don’t like the Safflower Seed. Apparently, they have a bitter taste. However, they will eat the entire feeder of Black Oil Sunflower Seeds. Although, Safflower is more expensive than the Black Oil Sunflowers Seeds, not having the squirrels devour my feeders makes it worth it to me.

Peanut Butter – Yes, birds love peanut butter. So, it is at the top of the list of foods backyard birds love. Furthermore, it is a great source of fat for birds in the winter. As a result, I spread on it pine cones along with seeds, dried fruit and chopped peanuts. So, check out my peanut butter pine cones here.

Peanuts – Next, to keep cost down, I purchase unsalted peanuts in bulk for my Blue Jays. I place them in my homemade peanut holder above. In addition to the Blue Jays, Dark-Eyed Juncos and Woodpeckers love the peanuts too. Unfortunately, I have to limit how much I set out for my backyard birds. The Blue Jays are greedy and will take every peanut in about hour. I have 4 that come to the feeding station regularly. Actually, I believe they cache a lot of them. They hide them for days that I don’t set peanuts out or when other food supplies are low. Update: There are about 8 Blue Jays that come to the feeder now.

Finally, we hope that you will pick a few items from our list of foods that backyard birds love and help keep them full and warm this winter. Also, share the activity with the kids. It teaches them the importance of helping nature. Fortunately, my grandchildren love seeing the birds at the feeder too. It’s a great family activity. They love making the birdseed cookies. It’s a great rainy or snowy day activity.

Backyard Birds: Barn Swallow

May 29, 2014 by Rhonda Gales

I was working in the yard, and looked up to find this beautiful bird perched on my gutter. I had no idea what type of bird it was. It was new to my backyard. What really caught my attention was how the feathers seem glossy and the fork tail. So, I went inside to check out my backyard birds handbook. After doing my research, it appeared to be a female Barn Swallow. Today, I’m going to share a few facts about Barn Swallows. Fortunately, I have another bird to add to my attracting backyard birds list.

I thought she was absolutely beautiful. She sat regal on the gutter, and allowed her distinctive features to be admired. Look at the long, forked tail and the color around the head and beak. The top of the head was a bluish/black color. Around the beak and throat was an orange color. Her glossy feathers stood out; she was quite striking.

Also, she had her baby with her. However, the baby disappeared when I opened the door to go inside to get the camera and phone. Interestingly, momma bird seemed pretty content right where she was. When I googled the features of a Barn Swallow, I learned some interesting facts. They like to build their nest under eaves.

Facts about Barn Swallows:

Barn Swallow migrate between South America and North America. No this is not a typo, they can travel 14,000 miles between winter and summer.
They usually live around 8 years.
Insects are a favorite. They feed mostly in flight since insects are a large portion of their diet. However, they will eat egg or oyster shells from a platform feeder. Especially, in the spring.
Barn Swallows make their nests are made of mud and grass. They are usually built on man made structures.
Barn Swallows habitat across most of the country.
They are very difficult to attract. They like to be near streams, ponds and other sources of flowing water. (My wet weather stream just happened to be running after 4 inches of rain). Lucky me!

As I was writing this post I spotted a male Barn Swallow. It was just as beautiful, but it was more black and blue in color. Yet, the orange color on his breast was more defined than the females. The male was gathering mud from my stream bed. Again, Barn Swallows build their nest out of mud and grass. Unfortunately, I didn’t have my camera with me. I am glad that I was able to get an opportunity to see this beauty up close and person. According to what I have read, it is rare to get this close to them. I hoped you enjoy the facts about Barn Swallows. What backyard birds are prevalent in your area? You may also like:

Filed Under: Backyard Birds, Nature-Gardening Tagged With: attracting backyard birds, backyard birds, birdwatching

How to Attract American Goldfinch

May 26, 2014 by Rhonda Gales

Today, I’m sharing backyard birding tips on how to attract American Goldfinch to your backyard. The American Goldfinch is one of my favorite backyard birds. The male’s bright yellow color will keep you in awe. If that is not enough their flight pattern will fascinate you. The American Goldfinch is supposed to be a sign of good luck. They signify prosperity and abundance. Furthermore, they represent the importance of being optimistic, happiness, joy, and simplicity. Who wouldn’t want this type of positivity in their yard.

So, I discovered the American Gold Finch while gardening. I noticed them on my sunflowers having the biggest party. They were devouring my sunflowers seeds. They were so beautiful, I now plant sunflowers every summer for them to feast on. Besides, sunflowers are also pretty to look at and are great for our pollinators as well.

Although the male American Goldfinch had mottled, turned a dull olive color, I noticed that they were still hanging around during the winter. So, I needed to find a way to keep them in my yard during the cold winter months. I was successful, so I thought I would share my tips with you.

How to Attract American Goldfinch:

American Goldfinch love seeds, so plant sunflowers, aster and thistle to attract them during the summer months. They also love milkweed.
Offer sunflower seeds in your feeders. I fill one feeder with Black Oil Sunflowers. This is a picture of a mottled male American Goldfinch. The male turns a dull yellow/olive color in late summer. The female is similar to this dull yellow year round.

American Goldfinch will visit feeders too. You can use a platform feeder, hopper or just a regular backyard bird tub feeder. They aren’t afraid to sway in the wind. (The feeder above is an old copper tube feeder that I’ve had for years. They love it). This feeder has 6 ports, which allows several birds to feed at once. It’s one of my favorites.
These birds love Nyjer as much as they do sunflower seeds. But, you will need a special tube feeder for the Nyjer. The seeds are very tiny. As a result, they need a small openings above a perch to retrieve the seed. They make tube feeders specifically for Nyjer. This tiny seed is the most expensive bird seed that you can purchase, but it’s a great way to attract them to your feeder.

You can also purchase a nylon sock for the Nyjer. They are less expensive than the Nyjer feeders, and my Goldfinch prefer the socks over the feeder.

I hope that you have enjoyed my tips on how to attract American Goldfinch to your backyard. Finally, I hope that you will try one or two of my tips so you can enjoy these beauties too. You won’t be disappointed.

Filed Under: Backyard Birds Tagged With: attracting backyard birds, feeding backyard birds, winter food for birds

How To Attract Blue Jays To Your Backyard

March 20, 2014 by Rhonda Gales

Blue Jays are large and beautiful birds. I love attracting backyard birds, and I’m happy that I have been able to lure these beauties to my feeders. I have four that visit my feeders regularly. So, today I’m going to share with you how to attract Blue Jays to your backyard.

Next, Blue Jays start their courtship in February. The breeding season is from March to July. Spring is around the corner, so I wanted to give you a few tips on how you can get them to a feeder in your backyard for a photo op.

A few facts about Blue Jays, they are large birds and stay with their partner for life. So they understand the meaning of until death do us part. They are loud and love to make their presence know with their “jaaaay” call early morning. Wooded areas are preferred. I have trees along my back property and the adjoining property has a roll of evergreens, so I have the perfect environment. The average life span for a Blue Jay is 7 years.

The secret to luring Blue Jays to a feeder in your backyard is peanuts:

Purchase a platform feeder as shown. I ordered mine from Amazon and love it.
They also love shelled peanuts, but make sure they’re unsalted. You can buy them in bulk at Costco or SAMs.
Add acorns, sunflower seeds and fruit to the feeder. (I use old grapes).
Spread cracked corn and sunflower seeds on the ground under the feeder.
Plant an oak tree and you will have them for life. (They love acorns).

It’s difficult to tell the male from the female, they look identical. These two show up together, or one shortly after the other. Blue Jays rarely eat at the feeder. They pick up their treat and eat elsewhere, but return often for more. Their color is striking. Blue is my favorite color, so I may be biased.

I don’t know if this is the male or female, but the other is around somewhere. The peanuts keep them around all year. So, I’m hoping to see little Blue Jays this summer since breeding season has started.

Last, bird watching is a great activity to do with children. Turn bird watching into an educational lesson. Additionally, bird watching gives them an opportunity to become involved with nature and learn the habits of various backyard birds. You may also like: Backyard Birds: Red Bellied Woodpeckers

Filed Under: Backyard Birds, Nature-Gardening Tagged With: attracting backyard birds, backyard birds, feeding backyard birds

Facts About American Goldfinch

March 10, 2014 by Rhonda Gales

Today, I’m sharing backyard bird tips on facts about American Goldfinch. I fell in love with these beautiful birds years ago. They visited my garden one year to devour my sunflower seeds, and I became

fascinated by their beauty. They are now one of my favorite backyard birds. The male sports feathers that are a beautiful shade of yellow and black. They are unmistakable, and they have a unique flying pattern. It consists of an up and down motion.

Facts About American Goldfinch:

First, American Goldfinch males have bright yellow feathers that are absolutely beautiful. Unfortunately, they turn a dull yellow/olive color in the fall. The color change is called molting. In the spring, they will “color up”.
Goldfinch are strictly vegetarian, and only eat seeds.
American Goldfinch have an up and down flight pattern.
Next, Goldfinch are called wild canaries. Also, they are relatives to finches.
Their call sound like “po-ta-to-chip”.
Furthermore, Goldfinches breed in June or July. Since they only eat seeds, they wait until the thistle, milkweed and other seed plants have produced. They feed seed to their young.
The American Goldfinch is the state bird of New Jersey, Iowa and Washington.
Surprisingly, the oldest known American Goldfinch was 10 years 5 months old. Their lifespan is normally 3 – 6 years.

Also, males and females choose a suitable nest site together.
Goldfinch nests are shaped like cups.
The Clutch size is usually 2 – 7 eggs.
So, females may have 2 broods yearly.
The eggs are a pale blue or a bluish green color. The eggs usually hatch within 12 days.
Additionally, nestlings will fledge about 12 days after hatching. Mom will coax them out of the nest.
Once they take flight, they will still be dependent on their parents for another 3 – 4 weeks after leaving the nest.

Furthermore, if a female has an additional brood in a year, she will leave her original mate with the first brood. She will find a new partner for the second nesting.
So, my sunflowers attracts American Goldfinch to my garden in the summer. They cleaned off every sunflower seed on the plants. Plant a few sunflowers, and enjoy these beauties next summer.

Finally, birdwatching is a great activity for kids. I hope you enjoyed my facts about American Goldfinch and will get involved in nature too. Most importantly, birdwatching isn’t just for small kids. Big kids love it too. Check out my other posts on attracting backyard birds. You may also like 10 Beautiful Sunflower Varieties.

Filed Under: Backyard Birds Tagged With: attracting backyard birds, backyard birds, feeding backyard birds

Backyard Birds – Dark-eyed Junco Visits

December 15, 2013 by Rhonda Gales

Attracting backyard birds is a fun and interesting hobby. I ‘ve had new visitors at my feeder recently, the Dark-eye Junco. These backyard birds are also known as “snow birds”. We had about 8 inches of snow, and they appeared on que. They are beautiful birds, a grayish black with a white belly. Some look almost coal black with a white belly. They prefer colder climates, which explains why they have suddenly appeared at my feeder now that it has snowed. Today, lets discuss how to attract Dark-eyed Junco to your backyard.

The Dark-eyed Junco visits backyard feeders in the winter, but breed in forests across Canada, the western U.S., and in the Appalachians. I recently added a tube feeder to my feeding station, my tree, because the platform feeder holds the snow. However, the Dark-eye Junco actually prefers the platform feeder. They are called snow birds because they love the snow. So, forging for seed buried under the snow in the platform feeder doesn’t seem to faze them.

They have interesting habits too. I’ve seen them lay in the snow covered platform feeder and just chill. Or, you will find them scouring the snow covered ground for dropped seed.

So, if you want to attract these entertaining birds to your backyard feeder, use a platform feeder. and fill it with millet, bread crumbs, cracked corn or hulled sunflower seeds. Platform feeders need to be emptied and clean more often than tubes or other feeders. Why, because they are open to the elements. Make sure the seed is fresh rather than wet and moldy. I try to add fresh seed at least twice a week to my platform feeder.

Furthermore, Dark-Eyed Junco like bread crumbs. However, not just any bread is acceptable. Make sure it is multi-grain. Just like us, birds need to consume healthy foods. As a result, rather than throw out the end of my multi-grain loaf that everyone refuses to eat and other pieces that are getting old, I save them for the birds. I stick them in the freezer. I toast a slice and spread peanut butter on it. The birds love it.

Another trick to draw Dark-Eyed Juncos to your feeder is to spread birdseed on the ground. Use a mix of black oil sunflower seeds mixed with cracked corn. To avoid rodents or unwanted animals, limit the amount of seed that you spread on the ground. I’m looking forward to watching my new visitors frolicking in our fresh snow.

Filed Under: Backyard Birds, Nature-Gardening Tagged With: attracting backyard birds, backyard birds, feeding backyard birds