Many people hang feeders outside their windows in winter. Indeed, in the cold season, in relation to food for birds, it can be very difficult to do without human help. But what kind of food and what birds are better to put in the feeders? How to feed titmouses and other birds in winter?
Of course, all birds living in cities need additional feeding in November - March. But most of all, those birds that fly to settlements from the wild suffer from a lack of food in winter. Sparrows and pigeons are much better adapted to frost than, for example, the same tits. It is actually much more difficult for “wild” birds to endure winter than for urban ones. According to the studies, for example, in the cold season, about 8 out of 10 titmice perish. For sparrows and pigeons, this figure is only about 1-2 individuals. And that is why special attention should be paid to feeding the titmouses in the winter season.
What do titmice eat in the wild?
Caterpillars of butterflies form the basis of the diet of these bright birds in the forests and in the fields in summer. Also in the wild, tits feed on beetles, mosquitoes, midges, aphids. Closer to autumn, these active bright birds switch to a plant diet. At this time, their main food is the seeds of beech, spruce, birch, sorrel, burdock and hazel. Also in the fall, tits can pick up corn, rye and wheat grains in the fields.
What to feed the tits in October - March?
It is believed that the best food in the city for these birds can be:
- all sorts of cereals;
- seeds;
- dried berries and dried fruits;
- nuts;
- ready-made commercial mixtures for canaries and parrots.
And of course, just excellent food for titmouses is pieces of raw bacon. These birds are known to love this protein-rich product the most.
What should not be offered?
So, what is the best way to feed the tits is understandable. But what cannot be given to these birds? Tit - birds are actually pretty wild. Unlike the omnivorous urban "regulars", sparrows and pigeons, their stomachs, unfortunately, are not at all adapted to some types of human food. So, for example, in no case should you feed the tits:
- anything salty, including bacon, pistachios, etc.
- sweet;
- rye and fresh wheat bread;
- almonds and cherry kernels;
- raw potatoes;
- mushrooms;
- food for cats and dogs.
In this way, seeds for titmice can be given exclusively raw. Wheat bread is suitable for them only in the form of crackers and crumbs.
What to feed other birds
Thus, we figured out how to feed the titmouses in winter. What kind of food should be offered to other birds at this time of year? In addition to tits, many other "wild" birds fly to cities in winter. It is believed that bullfinches, goldfinches, gaits, etc. are best fed with the same food as tits. The stomachs of forest and field birds are also quite sensitive to some types of human food. Therefore, like titmice, you can only offer them unsweetened and unsalted raw food.
In the case of sparrows and pigeons, there are no such strict rules in terms of the selection of food. These permanent city dwellers are allowed to give almost any food. The stomachs of such birds will perfectly tolerate fresh bread, and fried seeds, and pistachios. But it is best to feed the city birds, of course, with ordinary bread crumbs and some inexpensive cereals. For sparrows and pigeons, this will be very useful, but for the wallets of those who want to help them, it will not be overhead.
