How to feed those wild birds in your backyard this snowy winter

It’s winter, the snow is falling, you’re cold, and the birds outside your home are chilled – and hungry, too. What should you do for them?

First, be aware that feeding wild creatures requires care, says the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. “Teaching wild animals to associate humans with handouts can lead to problems,” the service says.

Nevertheless, many of us – 59 million, according to the service – feed birds in our yards.

You can safely put out food for birds in wintertime if you take some simple precautions. While feeding birds isn’t necessary year-round, the Humane Society says, it’s helpful in winter when temperatures drop, and while birds are migrating and food can be scarce.

It can also be “especially challenging” for birds to find food after a heavy snowfall, says the Lab of Ornithology at Cornell University.

Here are some things to know if you decide to feed wild birds this winter.

What type of food should I feed to wild birds?

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Commercially mixed bird seed appeals to a wider variety of species, says the Wild Bird Feeding Institute. They commonly contain various seed combinations.

With their high meat-to-shell ratio, "black-oil sunflower seeds attract the greatest number of species," the Lab of Ornithology says.

Others offer nyjer seeds or milo seeds (also known as sorghum) and others. Some contain peanuts. You can usually find bags or buckets of these at hardware stores, supermarkets, and wholesale club stores.

Packaged suet, cakes of beef fat mixed with seeds, corn meal, peanuts, mealworms, and other avian delicacies, is available commercially.

Seed cakes or bells, combinations of seeds held together by an edible gelatin, can also be used. Sack feeders, which are nylon mesh tubes filled with nyjer, are used for smaller birds since larger ones can't get through the mesh.

What type of bird feeder should I use?

With some variations, feeders for bird seed come in three types, according to the Lab of Ornithology:

Feeders should be sturdy enough to withstand winter weather and to keep seeds dry. You can avoid having too many birds at a single feeder by using multiple feeders and spacing them several feet apart.

Where should I put bird feeders?

To keep birds safe, take care when placing your bird feeders, according to the Lab of Ornithology. An estimated 100 million birds are killed in collisions with window glass every year, the group says.

To avoid collisions with glass, feeders should be placed either more than 30 feet or less than 3 feet, from house windows or fixed to a window itself.

"A feeder that is 30 feet or more from a window is a safe distance from confusing reflections," says the Humane Society. "One within 3 feet prevents a bird from building up enough momentum for a fatal collision."

Feeders that are close to trees or shrubs "offer resting places for birds between feeding bouts and a quick refuge if a hawk flies through," says the Lab of Ornithology.

But you shouldn't put feeders too close to trees, which can be used by squirrels or predatory cats. Ten feet "seems to be a good compromise," the lab says, but you may need to experiment. 

Suet blocks are usually put in simple square cages and hung from trees or posts.

Feeders should be cleaned every two weeks with soap and water to limit transmission of infectious diseases. Rinse them thoroughly and allow them to dry completely before refilling.

What about water?

As in summer, birds need water in winter. They can melt snow and ice to get it, but it takes a lot of calories and body heat to do it, the National Wildlife Federation says.

A simple way to provide water is to put out heavy-duty plant saucers, ones that won't be cracked by ice, the federation says. You can empty the ice and replace it with water each morning. If you want to go higher-tech, heated birdbaths are available.

Place the birdbaths in sunny areas and put in rocks that birds can use to perch.

The Cornell Lab recommends that bird feeders and birdbaths be cleaned regularly to keep diseases in check.Despite widespread transmission of avian flu among wild bird species, transmission to songbirds and typical feeder visitors has remained low. The National Wildlife Disease Program has no official recommendation to take down feeders unless you keep domestic poultry, according to the ornithology lab.

SOURCE Paste BN Network reporting and research; Reuters; Cornell University's Lab of Ornithology; American Bird Conservancy; Wild Bird Feeding Institute; National Audubon Society; National Wildlife Federation; Humane Society of the United States

This story has been updated to include additional information.