| In short : Winter is a critical period for the birds of the sky. With the drop in temperatures, frost and snow, their natural food resources (insects, berries, seeds) are becoming scarce, while their energy needs increase to maintain their body temperature. Helping them through the bad season is an excellent gesture for biodiversity, provided you respect strict rules so as not to put their health at risk: – The right calendar: Feeding should be done exclusively during the actual cold period, generally from mid-November to the end of March. It must be stopped as soon as sunny days return so that the birds resume their role as insect predators. – Choice of fats and seeds: Prefer fats of vegetable origin and black sunflower seeds, rich in lipids. – The fatal error: bread. Never give bread, rusks or savory leftovers to the birds. The bread swells in their stomachs, causes serious digestive disorders and can be fatal to them. – water, a forgotten vital need: In times of frost, finding liquid water is a challenge. Offering a clean water point for drinking and washing is just as important as food. |
Seeing the tits, robins and greenhouses around a feeder brings a lot of life to the garden in winter. However, installing a feeding point implies a real responsibility. Birds quickly become dependent on your help.
In addition, poor hygiene or inappropriate food can spread deadly diseases within avian populations. Here’s how to set up shelters and offer a healthy pantry for your feathered guests.
1. Adapted food: what to give and what to banish?
To help birds fight against the cold, they must be provided with foods with high energy value, rich in lipids (fats).
Recommended foods
- Sunflower seeds (preferably black): It’s the ideal fuel. They are suitable for a vast majority of species (tits, finches, greens) and are very rich in excellent fats.
- Vegetable fat buns: Choose blocks or fat balls Without plastic net (birds can get their paws or beak stuck there). Prefer sustainable coconut or palm fat, ideally mixed with seeds or dried insects.
- Peanuts and nuts: Not roasted and unsalted (walnuts, crushed hazelnuts), they are the delight of sitelles and spiky peaks.
- Withered fruits: A little spoiled apples or pears left on the ground or on a feeding table will be a treat for blackbirds and thrushes.
Prohibited foods (dangers)
- Bread and milk: The digestive system of birds cannot digest bread gluten or milk lactose. This triggers fatal diarrhea.
- Salt: Birds have tiny kidneys unable to remove salt. Aperitif cookies, savory bacon or savory table scraps are violent poisons.
2. Shelters and location of feeders
Protecting birds also offers them a secure environment against bad weather and predators (especially domestic cats).
Where to install the feeders?
- In height and clear: Place the feeders at least 1.50 m from the ground, on a pole or a suspended branch. The place must be clear for the birds to see the danger coming, but near a shrub or hedge (at 2 or 3 m) so that they can take refuge in it in the event of an attack.
- Multiply feeding points: Some birds eat on the ground (red-throats, blackbirds, finches) while others prefer to be suspended (tits, sites). Install a tray feeder near the ground (protected from cats) and a silo-type hanging feeder.
Install “winter” nesting boxes
The nesting boxes are not only used in spring for breeding. In winter, small passerines (like the cute troglodyte or the blue tit) use them as dormitories to snuggle with others and save their body heat during freezing nights.
- Clean the nesting boxes in the fall by removing the old nest to remove pests.
- Orient the opening of the nest box opposite the prevailing winds (ideally south / southeast).
Summary table: Food by species of birds
| Binding species | Feeding mode | favorite foods |
| Tit (blue, sable) | Suspended (silo feeder / blocks) | Balls of vegetable fat, sunflower seeds, shelled peanuts. |
| Rouge / Tree Finch | On the ground or on low shelf | Crushed seeds, flakes, raisins, dried insects. |
| Blackbird / Musician thrush | exclusively on the ground | cooked potatoes (without salt), withered apples, grapes. |
| House sparrow / Verdier | everywhere (silo or soil) | Seed mixtures (sunflower, millet, crushed corn). |
3. Water: the essential vital element
We think less about it, but birds have a crucial need for water in winter, both to hydrate and to clean their plumage (clean and smooth plumage is essential to ensure good thermal insulation against the cold).
- The device: Install a shallow cup (2 to 3 cm water maximum) with a stone in the middle to serve as a perch.
- Gel management: Change the water every day at a fixed time, preferably in the morning, removing the ice. Never pour antifreeze, salt or hot water In LaBreuvoir, this would destroy the impermeability of their feathers or cause thermal shock.
FAQ: Your Frequently Asked Questions
Do you need to clean the feeders often?
Yes, it’s capital. The concentration of birds in the same place promotes the transmission of serious diseases (such as trichomonosis or salmonellosis) through the droppings that mix with the seeds. Clean the feeders at least once a week in hot water and white vinegar, brush them well and let them dry before putting fresh seeds back.
My cat hunts birds from the feeder, what should I do?
Domestic cats are the first predators of garden birds. If you have a cat, install a protective collar (inverted cone type) on the feeder post to prevent it from climbing. Avoid placing feeding tables near the low bushes where the cat could ambush. You can also equip your cat with a bell necklace or a colored collar (of the type birdsbesafe) Highly visible to birds.
Why should we stop feeding in the spring?
From April, the temperatures rise and nature wakes up. The birds must imperatively go back to an insectivorous diet (caterpillars, larvae, aphids), particularly to feed their nests. Seeds and adult fat are totally unsuitable for the stomachs of baby birds and can cause growth defects or choking. It is also during this period that birds play their role as natural regulators for your vegetable garden.