Winter Bird Feeding

Keeping our feathered friends fed and happy can be a year round activity. Though many birds migrate through Iowa during the spring and fall months, there are many that stick around throughout the entire year. Here are a few tips and tricks to help the brave birds that call Iowa home through the harsh winter months.

Create a bird feeding station near your home. Feeders help reduce the amount of time it takes birds to find food. Bird feeders are especially important in late winter when there is heavy snow and extreme cold. Try to provide a variety of bird seed and different types of feeders to attract as many species of birds as possible.

Different Types of Feeders to Include:

• Suet Feeder
• Peanut Feeder
• Open Platform Feeder
• Tube or Cylindrical Feeder

Types of Seed to Use: 

• Black-oil sunflower seed (not mixed with anything else) for cardinals, chickadees, nuthatches, & tufted titmice.
• Thistle seed for the finches.
• Safflower seed for cardinals (sparrows won't eat it).
• Peanuts for the blue jays.
• Suet for the nuthatches and woodpeckers.

 One thing to be aware of is many birds are killed by flying into windows. Those that aren’t killed right away are often stunned and become easy prey for domestic and wild animals. Most window strikes occur when birds see trees and scenery reflected in the windows.

To make your windows safer try placing vertical markings spaced no more than 4 inches apart on the outside of windows. Options would include hanging closely spaced ropes in front of the window or applying tape to the window. There is also a product called CollidEscape. This film adheres to the entire exterior surface of a window and allows people on the inside to see out, but the window is opaque on the outside.

Share your bird feeders with us on Instagram by tagging Polk County Conservation.