No matter if you live on a large acreage or in an apartment, these are some of the things you can do to support the bird populations in your neighbourhood during the winter:
DO clean your feeders often. In the winter, clean them every 2 weeks. In the summer, clean them once a week. Hummingbird feeders need to be cleaned every few days during warmer months.
DON’T use bird seed mixes that are mostly filler grain - opt for seeds that are appropriate and healthy for the local native birds such as black oil sunflower seeds.
DO hang feeders either within 3 feet of windows or more than 15 feet from windows to reduce the chances of window strikes.
DON'T allow cats to roam outdoors. Domestic and feral cats are estimated to kill 100 million birds in Canada every year.
DO provide a water source as well if available - heated bird baths will be a very busy place for the winter birds when everything else is frozen! They also attract birds that may not come to feeders.
DON’T select a birdhouse with any sort of platform that larger animals (predators) can climb onto - a simple box with a roof and a small hole in the front wall is best.
DO clean out most bird houses of nesting material, especially swallow and blue bird boxes, to allow for new nests to be built in the spring.
DON’T clean out screech owl boxes now - the owls start nesting early, the best time to clean screech owl boxes is October or November. Make sure to put a handful of wood shavings (not sawdust) or leaf litter in the bottom of the box after cleaning.
DO plant native plants that grow edible fruits, berries, and seeds
DON’T remove leaf litter from your garden - this is where the birds get their insect food in the winter!
DO plant thick and shrubby plants to provide shelter for the birds
Want to learn how to identify the different birds you are seeing in your back yard? Check out our beginner birding webinar