Why is winter food harder to find?
Winter removes a lot of the easy choices.
Flowers stop producing nectar. Many flying insects disappear. Snow can cover the ground. Berries get eaten. Daylight is shorter, while staying warm costs energy.
Birds respond in different ways. Some migrate. Others stay and switch foods, search new places, join flocks, store food, or spend more time feeding.
Seeds are a major winter food
Dry seed heads can keep feeding birds long after summer flowers are gone.
Goldfinches, juncos, sparrows, finches, chickadees, and other birds take advantage of seeds from grasses, weeds, flowers, trees, and shrubs. That is one reason leaving some seed heads standing through winter can help.
At feeders, black-oil sunflower seed is popular with a wide range of species. Nyjer is especially attractive to many finches, while millet works well for several ground-feeding birds.
Berries and fruit become more important
Fruit can carry some birds through the coldest months.
American Robins, waxwings, bluebirds, mockingbirds, and other fruit eaters may gather wherever winter berries remain. A robin that spent summer pulling worms from your lawn can look like a completely different bird when it joins a winter flock feeding in berry trees.
Native shrubs and trees can provide food without anyone needing to refill a feeder.
Do birds still eat insects in winter?
Absolutely.
The insects may simply be harder to see.
Woodpeckers hammer into wood. Chickadees inspect bark and twigs. Nuthatches work along trunks and branches. Birds can find dormant insects, larvae, pupae, eggs, spiders, and other small invertebrates tucked into protected places.
When warm weather briefly wakes insects up, birds notice that too.
What do woodpeckers eat in winter?
Woodpeckers continue hunting insects in bark and wood, but many species also eat seeds, nuts, fruit, and suet.
A Downy Woodpecker, for example, may spend part of the day searching a tree and then stop at a suet feeder.
What do robins eat in winter?
Winter American Robins can rely heavily on fruit.
They often form flocks and move around in search of berry crops instead of staying on lawns looking for earthworms. That is why seeing robins in winter does not automatically mean spring has arrived.
Our American Robin guide covers their seasonal diet and movement in more detail.
What do hawks, owls, and eagles eat in winter?
They keep hunting.
Depending on the species, winter prey can include rodents, rabbits, birds, fish, reptiles, or carrion. Some raptors move south or shift hunting areas when snow, ice, or frozen water makes prey harder to reach.
What should I put in a bird feeder in winter?
Use food that matches the birds around you.
- Black-oil sunflower: a strong all-around choice for many feeder birds.
- Nyjer: often attracts goldfinches, siskins, and redpolls.
- Millet: good for many sparrows, juncos, and doves.
- Unsalted peanuts: popular with jays, chickadees, nuthatches, and woodpeckers.
- Suet: high-energy food used by many woodpeckers, nuthatches, chickadees, and wrens.
Project FeederWatch notes that black-oil sunflower is one of the most widely used and broadly attractive feeder foods in North America.
Do birds depend on feeders in winter?
Usually not on one particular feeder.
Wild birds move through an area using many food sources. A feeder can provide extra food during cold weather or food shortages, but it should be treated as a supplement to natural habitat.
If you feed birds, keep the food fresh and the feeder clean. Crowding birds around dirty food can create a different problem.
The focused guide to winter energy needs and supplemental feeding explains why cold changes calorie demands without making every bird dependent on a feeder.
Water matters in winter too
Birds still need water.
Open water can be harder to find when puddles, ponds, and bird baths freeze. A clean source of shallow water can attract birds that never touch seed.
Frequently asked questions
Do birds eat snow for water?
Some birds can use snow, but melting snow costs body heat. When safe liquid water is available, it can be easier for birds to use.
What do chickadees eat in winter?
Chickadees eat seeds, insects, spiders, and stored food. They also readily visit feeders for sunflower seeds, peanuts, and suet. See our Black-capped Chickadee guide.
Should I leave dead flowers standing for birds?
Leaving some seed heads and stems through winter can provide food and places where birds search for insects. It also saves you some fall cleanup.
Is bread good winter bird food?
No. Bread is not the best way to provide winter calories. Read can birds eat bread? for better choices.
Keep reading
See how birds stay warm in winter, how small birds survive cold nights, or the best birdseed for backyard birds.