When winter comes and the menu for birds shrinks in urban backyards, they rely on the kindness of humans
When winter comes and the menu for birds shrinks in urban backyards, they rely on the kindness of humans.
That doesn’t mean just a bird feeder of seeds and nuts.
“Different birds are attracted to different foods and it’s good to have a variety,” said Dana Sanchez, a wildlife specialist for Oregon State University’s Extension Service. “In addition to bird feeders, which people sometimes forget to fill, they need plants to forage on.”
This time of year, you’ll notice winter wrens, pine siskins, scrub jays, chickadees and robins. All are searching for food to give them the energy they need to survive the prolonged stress of cold and wet weather.
“Birds need a lot of energy to make it through cold nights,” according to Sanchez. “They can’t eat during the night and they burn off whatever food calories they found during the day.”
Read more at: Oregon State University
