Small birds in freedom, they live outdoors in our gardens in winter and we take pleasure in observing them. The freezing cold, the snow, the frost... Our little companions are weakening and no longer find as much food as in summer. Thus, it is essential to help them by offering a rich and appetizing diet. Over time, wild birds will get into the habit of coming to keep you company during the winter.
Why feed wild birds?
Nature offers in abundance all the food that a bird in freedom needs for its well-being and greed. Berries, juicy fruits, succulent seeds, insects, worms... But when the frost gets involved, it's a different story!
In winter, food is becoming increasingly scarce. Snow covers the treetops and the ground hardens. The days are getting shorter and the hours of hunting are decreasing. Energy is running out... Spent in full on an active but fruitless search for food. Under these conditions, it becomes to eat. Our friends then find themselves on a diet. Proteins and fats are also assimilated by the body to warm up in periods of extreme cold. If food is lacking, the body will not be able to maintain its temperature and the bird may freeze to death in the short term.
It is found that the mortality rate of wild birds is higher in winter, because of the lack of feed. Small species will be more fragile. Man can then be the bearer of food and the savior of these little feathered beings.
When to start?
We must not start too early, or too late. It's a tight schedule. Depending on the region, it is necessary to start distribution at the first frosts, and install feeders in late October, or early November. In the northern regions, it will attack a little earlier, while in the south, where the sun is king and the temperatures milder, we will take more time. The distribution must be stopped in early spring and summer, gradually. At these times of the year, nature wakes up and our feathered friends become, for the most part, insectivores... Food becomes abundant again.
As soon as you start feeding them, you sign a kind of moral contract with them and you commit to helping them during periods of extreme cold. The wild bird knows that there is a beautiful feeder filled with food in your garden and will come to visit you regularly. If you stop abruptly, the distribution, the bird has traveled a long way and consumed a lot of energy and can die.
What food for wild birds?
Pet stores offer food specially designed for winter, which respects the nutritional needs of wild birds. In winter, it is essential to feed food that is higher in fat and protein to provide energy to the birds. At the same time, the body temperature essential to resist the cold is maintained. Food must be protected, and sheltered from bad weather and predators. The idea is to install a feeder, which must be cleaned regularly.
You can thus offer feeders all of these foods:
- Fat and fat balls. Preferably of vegetable origin, with high energy value. There is also vegetable fat bread mixed with fruits, berries, or even insects, which is very popular.
- Sunflower is an indispensable and nutritious seed.
- Grains and seeds are the main diets of birds. Pigeons, tits, sparrows... Species in wooded and agricultural areas love it. They are rich in vitamins and minerals.
- Cereals, such as corn, wheat, barley, oatmeal, millet, hempseed, sesame, ... In a mix, with seeds, very tasty.
- Dried and unsalted fruits (peanuts, hazelnuts...) as well as decomposed fruits (apple, pear, grapes) are used in delicacies and are rich in vitamins, iron, and calcium.
Warning: to be avoided!
To meet their nutritional needs, there are certain foods to remove from the kennels, for the well-being of their little feathered beings. We find :
- Animal fats. Birds are warm-blooded animals and it is not recommended to feed them with fats of animal origin.
- Milk is not part of their diet. It is very poorly digested and can be very toxic or even deadly, just like salty foods.
- Although some wild birds are insectivorous, the very resistant fly larvae, once ingested, can perforate the stomachs of our friends.
- Toxic flax seeds, as well as 'cheap' mixes with split peas, lentils, rice... Are to be removed from feeders.
- A lot of people think they're making fun of a little treat for domestic fowl, but it's not part of the natural diet of our outdoor friends.
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