Helping our Feathered Friends in the Winter

This time of year, wildlife needs your help more than ever. Whether it is because they are late migrators, cold winter snaps, or they just do not have enough body fat to stay warm.

We can do our part and help winter wildlife thrive in the winter months!

There are four essentials to helping birds in the winter:

Food: Wintering birds, need high energy foods to survive the winter if they are accustomed to visiting your backyard. Always check to see what food sources are species-specific and avoid offering food to wildlife to encourage natural hunting when possible. 

Shelter: Planting native plants earlier in the year is an organic way to provide shelter for birds in the winter. If you have a birdhouse with air-venting, seal the venting with weather stripping to insolate the house from the cold. It is also good to add some grass to insolate the house floor.

Water: In non-freezing weather, change the water in your birdbath. There are heated ones available for freezing weather, however, they may melt birds’ natural sort of water in the winter, snow.

Safety: It is important to maintain your birdfeeders. Check them for breaks, that may injure birds. Check for cracks as they will allow moisture to get in. Moisture can cause rot or mold to form inside the feeder. Cleaning feeders on a regular basis will prevent harmful bacteria from growing in the feeders and harming the birds. The location of the feeders is an important safety concern. If a feeder is too close to a window or a driveway there could be a collision. If the feeder is too low a cat or other predator could catch it. The location of a shelter must also consider these factors. Taking time to prepare these essentials, will help a bird in need.

Posted in Education
Tags: birds of bc, save your local wildlife, wildlife bc, wildlife rescue bc, winter birds