How to Help Wild Birds and Animals in the UK During Winter
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How to Help Wild Birds and Animals in the UK During Winter
As winter settles across the UK, wild birds and animals face increasing challenges in finding food and shelter. The cold season can be harsh, but there are many simple ways you can support local wildlife—even if you have limited outdoor space. Here are some practical tips to help our feathered and furry friends through the winter months.
Feeding Our Feathered Friends
Providing a reliable food source is crucial for birds during winter. Here’s what to offer and how to do it effectively:
What to Feed
A variety of seeds such as sunflower seeds, nyjer seeds, high-energy seed mixes, and peanuts are excellent choices. You can also offer suet balls, mealworms (live or dried), and kitchen scraps like cooked rice, mashed potatoes, and fruit. However, avoid anything salty or mouldy, and never offer cooked fat, as it can cause digestive problems.
Check out the breakdown of different feeds later in the article.
Types of Feeders
There’s a feeder for every garden and budget:
Seed feeders dispense a variety of seeds.
Peanut feeders are specially designed for whole peanuts.
Suet feeders hold suet balls, providing essential fat.
Platform feeders are open trays that accommodate a range of foods.
Window feeders attach directly to glass with suction cups, perfect for small spaces.
Where to Place Feeders
Position feeders in a sheltered spot, away from predators like cats but still visible to birds. Avoid placing them too close to windows to prevent collisions. Clean feeders regularly with warm, soapy water to prevent the spread of disease.
Creating a Bird-Friendly Garden (Big or Small)
Even a small balcony can become a haven for birds with thoughtful planning:
Plant for All Seasons
Native plants provide a natural food source and shelter. Consider berry-producing shrubs like hawthorn and rowan, or trees such as birch and elder. Even window boxes can host bird-friendly plants.
Provide Shelter
Bushes, hedges, and piles of twigs offer vital protection from the elements. Bird boxes provide nesting sites in spring and summer, but they also serve as warm roosting spots in winter. If you have a balcony, a small, covered birdhouse can be a great addition.
Water, Water Everywhere
A fresh water source is essential, especially when ponds freeze over. Offer a bird bath or a shallow dish of water. To prevent freezing, place a floating ping pong ball in the water or change it regularly.
Small Space Solutions
Limited on space? A hanging bird feeder, a small pot of bird-friendly plants, and a shallow dish of water are all you need to attract birds to your balcony or patio.
Helping Other Wildlife
Birds aren’t the only creatures that struggle in winter. Here’s how you can help other animals:
Hedgehogs
These prickly visitors hibernate in winter, so providing a hedgehog house or a pile of leaves and logs offers them a safe haven. Leave out food such as meaty cat or dog food (avoid fish-based varieties) and fresh water. Be mindful when using garden tools, as hedgehogs are easily injured.
Squirrels
Squirrels don’t hibernate, but they store food for the winter. Help them by setting up a squirrel feeder stocked with nuts.
Insects
Insects are a vital food source for birds. Leaving some areas of your garden wild and undisturbed provides essential shelter. You can also build a bug hotel to offer protection for overwintering insects.
A Guide to Wild Bird Seed Types & Mixes
Feeding birds is one of the best ways to support wildlife, especially during the colder months. However, choosing the right food can make a big difference in attracting different bird species and ensuring they receive proper nutrition. Below is a breakdown of the most common bird seed types and mixes available in the UK, including the birds they attract and their benefits.
Black Sunflower Seeds
Description: Black sunflower seeds have a high oil content, making them an excellent energy source. They have thinner shells compared to striped sunflower seeds, making them easier for birds to eat.
Birds Attracted: Blue tits, great tits, coal tits, chaffinches, greenfinches, goldfinches, robins, nuthatches, house sparrows, dunnocks.
Benefits:
• Rich in fats and oils, providing essential energy.
• A more affordable alternative to sunflower hearts.
• Suitable for most seed feeders and bird tables.
Sunflower Hearts (Dehulled Sunflower Seeds)
Description: Sunflower hearts are dehulled sunflower seeds, meaning birds don’t have to remove the shell, making them easier to eat.
Birds Attracted: Goldfinches, robins, blue tits, great tits, greenfinches, chaffinches, dunnocks, blackbirds, starlings, nuthatches.
Benefits:
• High-energy and easy to eat, making them ideal for a wide range of birds.
• No husks, reducing waste and mess under feeders.
• Perfect for use in seed feeders, bird tables, and ground feeding.
Nyjer Seeds (Thistle Seeds)
Description: Tiny black seeds packed with oil, highly favoured by finches and small birds. Best used in a specialist nyjer seed feeder to prevent waste.
Birds Attracted: Goldfinches, siskins, redpolls, chaffinches, house sparrows.
Benefits:
• Extremely rich in oil and protein, great for maintaining energy levels.
• A favourite of goldfinches, helping to support their populations.
• Requires a fine-mesh nyjer feeder to prevent spillage.
Peanuts (Whole or Crushed)
Description: Peanuts are a high-energy food, best offered in mesh feeders to prevent choking hazards, especially for younger birds. Avoid salted or roasted peanuts, as these can be harmful.
Birds Attracted: Blue tits, great tits, coal tits, nuthatches, woodpeckers, robins, sparrows.
Benefits:
• High in protein and healthy fats, making them ideal for cold weather.
• Popular among small birds and great for parent birds feeding chicks in spring (when offered crushed).
• Suitable for peanut feeders, bird tables, and ground feeding (crushed).
Fat Balls & Suet Blocks and Pellets
Description: Fat-based food that comes in balls, blocks, or pellets. Often mixed with seeds or insects for extra nutrition.
Birds Attracted: Robins, blackbirds, starlings, blue tits, great tits, long-tailed tits, woodpeckers.
Benefits:
• High-energy food perfect for winter survival.
• Attracts insect-eating birds as well as seed-eaters.
• Can be placed in suet feeders, on bird tables, or crumbled on the ground.
Millet Seeds
Description: Tiny seeds often found in mixed bird seed blends, particularly suited to ground-feeding birds.
Birds Attracted: House sparrows, dunnocks, collared doves, finches.
Benefits:
• Preferred by ground-feeding birds like dunnocks and sparrows.
• Low in fat but a good carbohydrate source.
• Best scattered on the ground or in platform feeders.
Mealworms (Live or Dried)
Description: Dried or live mealworms provide essential protein, especially useful during nesting season.
Birds Attracted: Robins, blackbirds, blue tits, great tits, wrens, dunnocks, starlings.
Benefits:
• Rich in protein, essential for growing chicks and moulting birds.
• Ideal for soft-billed birds that don’t eat seeds.
• Best offered in a shallow dish or on a bird table.
Mixed Bird Seed Blends
Standard Seed Mix
Description: A blend of common seeds like sunflower seeds, millet, and cracked corn.
Birds Attracted: House sparrows, dunnocks, blackbirds, pigeons, and collared doves.
Benefits:
• Provides a balanced mix for a variety of birds.
• Some cheaper mixes contain filler seeds that many birds ignore (e.g., wheat and barley).
No-Mess Seed Mixes
Description: A premium seed mix containing sunflower hearts, peanut granules, and high-energy seeds without husks.
Birds Attracted: Robins, tits, finches, nuthatches, blackbirds.
Benefits:
• No husks, reducing mess and waste.
• Suitable for feeders, tables, and ground feeding.
High-Energy Winter Mix
Description: Specially designed for cold months, containing suet pellets, sunflower hearts, and high-fat seeds.
Birds Attracted: Tits, nuthatches, woodpeckers, finches.
Benefits:
• Provides extra fat for warmth and energy.
• Helps birds survive harsh winter conditions.
Final Tips for Feeding Birds
Use the Right Feeder – Different seeds require different feeders (e.g., nyjer feeders for nyjer seeds, mesh feeders for peanuts).
Keep Feeders Clean – Regularly clean feeders and tables to prevent disease.
Provide Fresh Water – Birds need water for drinking and bathing, especially in winter.
Feed Year-Round – Food scarcity isn’t just a winter issue; birds also struggle in spring and summer.
By offering a variety of seeds and foods, you can attract a diverse range of wild birds to your garden and provide them with the nutrients they need throughout the year.