Booklet “Let's help wintering birds!”
Feed the birds in winter
Let it come from all over
They will flock to you like home,
Flocks on the porch.
A. Yashin
Winter is a harsh time of year. At this time, the worst thing for birds is not the cold, because they grow down under their feathers. And the worst thing is hunger! There is little food for birds, because... insects - in hibernation, fruits, berries, grass seeds - under the snow.
If they are not helped, they may die.
- Who will help the birds? Of course we are people.
Feeders
You can make a simple feeder from any available material. You can also use empty plastic bottles or boxes, juice or milk cartons. But it is important to remember a few basic rules:
The feeder should have 2 holes (entrance and exit) so that the bird is not afraid to fly into the feeder.
The holes should be wide so that the bird can easily get in and out of the feeder.
The feeder must have a roof, otherwise the food may be covered with snow.
- There should be a threshold at the feeder to prevent the food from spilling out.
What to feed birds in winter
Even in winter, each bird species feeds on a specific type of food.
Maple and ash seeds
The seeds of these trees are called lionfish. Most of them fly away from the trees in the fall and become inaccessible to birds. Lionfish are collected in the fall and hung on feeders. Bullfinches, waxwings and some other visitors to bird canteens love to eat them.
Dried rowan, hawthorn
Rowan and hawthorn berries attract the most beautiful winter inhabitants - bullfinches and waxwings. The fruits need to be prepared and dried in advance, in the fall.
Sunflower seeds
The large amount of vegetable fats inside sunflower seeds makes them an important source of energy. This universal food for wintering birds can be eaten by various granivorous birds, as well as tits, nuthatches, woodpeckers, etc.
Lard, meat
This is a favorite food for tits, nuthatches and some other birds. But birds can only be offered unsalted lard or meat. Pieces of lard are strung on twine, which is hung on the branches of trees or bushes. Feeding from lard or meat must be placed so that it does not reach crows, magpies, jackdaws, as well as cats and dogs.
Millet, oats, wheat
By pouring seeds of various plants, especially cereals, into the feeder, you will attract granivorous birds to it.
Cones, acorns, nuts
Cones serve as the basis of the winter diet of woodpeckers and crossbills. Jays stock up on acorns in the fall. By preparing cones, nuts and acorns in the fall, you can attract not only woodpeckers and jays, but also squirrels to your feeder.
Types of feeders
When to hang feeders?
There is a special day of the year when a bird feeder or birdhouse must be hung. After all, on this day all birds celebrate their holiday. When exactly is it celebrated?
This holiday is called SINICHKIN DAY and appeared in Russia on the initiative of the Bird Conservation Union. It is celebrated on November 12th. Around this time, people prepare to meet the birds that winter in our area. These include tits, goldfinches, jays, etc.
On this day, it is customary to prepare feeders and treats for birds, “titmouse delicacies”, for example, unsalted lard. Wintering birds will certainly say their avian thanks for such human kindness.
Our address:
606829 Nizhny Novgorod region,
Urensky district, Obkhod settlement, st. Kvadyaeva, 20
Telephone:
8(831 54)2 46 45, L.M. Khoryakhova
Branch of the MBOU "Temtovskaya secondary school" of the Urensky municipal district of the Nizhny Novgorod region - "Obkhodskaya secondary school"
We'll help
wintering birds!
2017
How people help birds in winter: general recommendations
In different regions of our country, the duration of the feeding season differs, which depends on climatic conditions, the harvest of natural feed and other reasons. The national average is 180 days and lasts from October to March inclusive. But even these dates are not precisely defined, because it often happens that mid-autumn is characterized by warm sunny weather, and birds can freely get food in their habitat. And vice versa, when early autumn brings with it unfavorable weather conditions - rain, sleet - the feeding season begins earlier.
Note: As a rule, special feeders are used for feeding, varying in shape and size. In places where it is necessary to attract a large number of individuals (in parks, alleys, squares), it is recommended to place entire feeding areas. They are square-shaped areas with sides of 5x5 m or 7x7 m, on the territory of which feeders are evenly located. Typically, such sites are located in places where it is convenient to serve them without disturbing the birds.
The first period of winter feeding is called bait and lasts from one to one and a half months (from mid-October to the end of November), the second - main - lasts about 90 days (from the beginning of calendar winter to the beginning of calendar spring), the final period lasts 10-25 days (approximately from March 1 to March 25) You should know that the most difficult period for birds is the main period, during which, as a result of low temperatures, the soil freezes and the ground is covered with a deep snow cover (Figure 2).
Figure 2. Anyone can help birds in the cold season
The feed rate is determined by the time and duration of the period. So, during the feeding period, food is placed in feeders in an amount of about 15-20% of the norm, since at this time the birds have the opportunity to get food on their own. During the main period there is absolute lack of food. At this time, birds need the maximum amount of feed, however, overfeeding them is not recommended, since this causes them to become food dependent, which leads to a decrease in natural resistance to infections, as a result of which the birds often die after stopping feeding for several days. Finally, in the final period, it is recommended to lay out from 60% to 80% of the full norm, continuing feeding until the first thawed patches appear on the ground.
Helping birds in winter: food
Even in winter, each individual species feeds on a specific type of food. Therefore, the species composition of visitors will depend on the filling of the feeder. Below you can find a description of the main feeds that can be used in winter feeding and their specific purpose.
What can you feed birds?
For winter feeding, you should prepare in advance: stock up on appropriate feed and build feeders (Figure 3). At the same time, you should know that not all products are beneficial for the feathered inhabitants of parks and forests, and some of them can even be harmful.
How to help birds in winter
The smallest representatives of the bird family that remain for the winter need feeding the most. Their diet consists mainly of plants and insect pests. Therefore, in winter, when most of the usual food disappears, they move closer to human habitation in the hope of feeding and warming up (Figure 1).
Note: By helping birds during the cold season, we preserve their population, thereby providing ourselves with protection from various insects that destroy plants in forests, parks, gardens and household plots.
Figure 1. In winter, birds cannot do without human help.
Most often, people hang feeders filled with bird food. However, you should know that there are other ways to help birds in winter. For example, pour fresh warm water into a bowl to help keep you warm, or create a shelter where you can wait out bad weather. In addition, you can leave faded flower heads with seeds or viburnum berries as a treat for the winter.
