Wild birds are not only an indication of environmental health: they are also one of the animals in our ecosystem most compromised by our lifestyle. That is why and especially in the cold months, it is vital to know how to attract birds to your garden. A way to enjoy its incredible beauty but also to help in its survival. The winter months can compromise the lives of many of them. Not only do they not have as many food resources as in the hot months. In addition, low temperatures can worsen your well-being and cause your death.
Wild birds have a specific weight in our ecosystems, and not exactly less. On the one hand, they have the incredible mission of generating new plant life thanks to the seeds they disseminate. On the other, their nutritional needs make them the most natural and effective pest control that exists. And, although we usually focus on how to attract pollinating insects to the garden, we forget that birds also fulfill this function of spreading life.
KEYS TO KNOW HOW TO ATTRACT BIRDS TO YOUR GARDEN IN WINTER
Before you see in detail how to attract birds to your garden, you have to keep something in mind. Having their presence around us is extremely gratifying. However, it is not something we can promote throughout the year. While helping in their survival during the cold months is recommended, doing so in the seasons of good weather is not. Keeping the feeding of these birds free will mean that they will not fulfill those vital tasks that, without knowing it, they have entrusted. Something that could result in negative in our closest environment. Without going any further, those birds that we feed do not fulfill one of their tasks: eliminate pests from the garden.
But let no one feel this interruption of feeding as a punishment. Because, if we accustom birds to our garden, they will most likely continue to be in the months of good weather. And it is that wild birds are beings of habits and making them feel safe the best way for them to settle in our environment.
Feed them, essential to attract birds to your garden
Food is probably the biggest drawback wild birds encounter in the cold months. Most trees and shrubs with fruits, one of the main sources of food, do not have them. And, as if this were not enough, the insects that make up a good part of the birds’ diet are diminished. For both reasons, providing them with food is a great way to help them subsist and keep them close.
In order to feed them, there are a few things to keep in mind. On the one hand, use a specific feeder for wild birds. It is important to contemplate that, by default, we are talking about extremely fearful and distrustful animals. Therefore, we have to opt for a feeder with which they feel comfortable and that recreates, to a large extent, the eating habit they have in their natural state. And we do not refer only to the shape of the feeder, which is important. We must also contemplate that a wild bird would never eat near us. Therefore, the ideal is to place it in an area of the garden that is sheltered from water but away from human movement. And, if we opt for a hanging bird feeder, place it on a tree or bush.
Finally, be careful when choosing poultry feed. Ideally, it should be composed of varied seeds or even peeled and unsalted nuts such as peanuts.
Offer them water, another fundamental aspect to attract birds to your garden
Although the food has to be suspended with the arrival of good weather, the same does not happen with the drinking fountain. What’s more: in the hot months, it will be a real magnet for them. Birds enjoy cooling off and bathing in hot weather. And not only that: when the thermometer goes up, the birds need to be able to hydrate and it is not as easy as it seems. Therefore, attracting birds is one of the benefits of having water fountains in the garden.
If we do not have a fountain, it is enough to place a drinker for garden birds. In the hot months, it will fulfill the same function. Of course: like the feeder, we will have to place it away from the house and the space that we usually travel.
Set up a house for them
Despite their plumage, the cold can take its toll on wild birds. And not only that: birds, also those that fly free, love to have places to take refuge. A trend that mixes pleasure with something much more important: the survival instinct. Having a space in which they can hide allows them to be safe from potential predators. Therefore, we will always have to place them at a considerable height.
Finally, nothing like making the space more comfortable. And, for this, the ideal is to use one of the most unique types of substrates for plants: coconut fiber. A vegetable substrate that will serve to make their own nest, and turn the birdhouse into a more welcoming place for them.