Winter Feeding of Birds in the Garden

Do you also find it cozy to have visits from our flying friends in the garden?
In the summer, birds can easily fend for themselves, even if you don't have a bird feeder or feeding table, but during the fall and winter, birds become dependent on your feeding if you want to ensure their continued presence in the garden. Therefore, it is extremely important to continue feeding them if you have already started providing them with food regularly during the cold months.

If you create a good foundation for bird nests in your garden, winter feeding can result in more breeding birds in your garden the following year. One of the advantages of having birds in the garden during the summer is that they can help control pest infestations, as birds eat lice, larvae, and other small insects. Additionally, it is, of course, very cozy to enjoy your morning coffee and the sunrise while listening to the birds chirping.

In this article, you can read about the different bird species' preferences regarding food, as well as good tips and tricks for winter feeding of birds.

Importance of a Good Feeding Table or Birdhouse

It is important to acquire a feeding table, birdhouse, or feeder when you need to feed birds in the fall or winter. The weather in Denmark is not always on our side, and therefore the food can quickly be wasted as it can get lost in rain, snow, and sleet. Furthermore, birds should preferably not sit among the food when they eat it, as diseases can easily spread among them if they defecate in the food.
Remember to frequently clean the birdhouse or table, as diseases can also occur there.
Besides being very practical, a feeding table also adds a charming and cozy touch to your garden. Additionally, you can more easily observe the birds from inside your house if the feeding spot is placed at a height compared to if the food is among the grass.

There are many different feeding tables and birdhouses available, so it is important to choose one that suits the specific birds you want in your garden. See our entire selection of beautiful feeding tables here.

Safe Placement of Food

Make sure to place your feeding spot at a height on e.g. a pole, and preferably out in the open, to prevent the neighbor's cat from getting to your dear friends. If the feeding spot is out in the open, the birds can also more easily keep an eye out for approaching cats or other predators.

Different Bird Food Depending on Species

The bird species attracted to the garden depend on the composition of the food you provide. You can read more about the different types of food below.

Sunflower Seeds and Fat Balls

The blue tit and great tit are typically the birds that visit when you put out sunflower seeds and fat balls on the feeding table. These birds are not particularly social, meaning they often do not share food. If you want to see more of the great tit and blue tit, it might be a good idea to distribute the food to several different feeding spots in the garden.

Besides the blue tit, there are other types of tits, including the marsh tit, crested tit, coal tit, and long-tailed tit. Tits also enjoy fat and will even eat meat in the winter months if necessary. You can actually make your own tit balls relatively easily by mixing pork fat with sunflower seeds.

Sunflower seeds are also popular among birds like the greenfinch, hawfinch, and bullfinch – these birds prefer to be fed in open areas as they are very alert to cats and other alarming threats.

Common Grains

Grains attract both tree sparrows and house sparrows, which, unlike tits, are much more social. It is not uncommon to see sparrows taking over a feeding table in flocks.
If you live further out in the countryside among fields, you might be lucky to have visits from the yellowhammer, which also welcomes grains with open beaks.

Apples and Other Small Berries

The blackbird and fieldfare enjoy apples during the cold periods, as the ground can be frozen or covered with snow, sleet, and rain. They also love raisins, but this is a very expensive type of food.
The waxwing, on the other hand, does not eat apples but sticks to other small berries from trees and bushes.

Mealworms for Robins

If you want robins to visit your garden, you should serve mealworms, as they are among their favorite foods. Robins can also eat leftovers and crumbs from the fat balls that the tits go for.

Even Birds Need Water

If possible, you should ensure that your birds have access to fresh drinking water, as they, like us humans, need water. If you feed the birds frequently and also provide them with access to water, it will increase their visits to your garden.

Good Books About Birds in Denmark

Do you want to know more about bird species in Denmark? Then check out our section with garden books about birds.