The Right Way to Help Your Birds This Winter (Most Advice Is Wrong)

Most winter bird feeding advice is wrong. And some of it can hurt the birds you want to help. Your birds won't starve without you. But on the coldest days, your yard can make a real difference. Today, I'll show you what really helps, and what to stop doing. The right food, and the filler to skip. When to fill your feeder. Water that won't freeze, and the three rules for a heated bath. A safe place out of the wind. The dangers we add without meaning to. And the one habit that can stop a whole flock from getting sick. I've fed birds through more than fifty winters, and I've made most of these mistakes myself. Which one haven't you tried yet? The water dish, the brush pile, or the roost box? Tell me in the comments. Want more birds at your feeder? Grab my free checklist: the 12 small changes that bring birds back to your yard. Facts checked against the Cornell Lab of Ornithology (All About Birds, Project FeederWatch, NestWatch), Audubon, and published research (Brittingham and Temple 1988, Ecology). Bird recordings Black-capped chickadee: TRP (CC0, Freesound) Downy woodpecker: National Park Service (Rocky Mountain National Park) (Public domain) Blue jay: TRP (CC0, Freesound) American goldfinch: TRP (CC0, Freesound) Dark-eyed junco: TRP (CC0, Freesound) Northern cardinal: TRP (CC0, Freesound) White-breasted nuthatch: National Park Service (Rocky Mountain National Park) (Public domain) Pine siskin: J. Job, National Park Service (Rocky Mountain National Park) (Public domain) Photo credits (Wikimedia Commons) Black-capped chickadee (51827753692): U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - Midwest Region (Public domain) Northern Cardinal (44586377495): ShenandoahNPS (Public domain) Black-capped chickadee (51097954785): U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - Midwest Region (Public domain) Male-House-Finch-at-Bird-Feeder: Quist (CC0) Red-bellied woodpecker (54278336512): U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - Midwest Region (Public domain) White-breasted Nuthatch in Mammoth, Yellowstone NP (52910524750): YellowstoneNPS (Public domain) Tufted titmouse on Flint Hills National Wildlife Refuge (34290538585): USFWS Mountain Prairie (Public domain) Downy woodpecker (51787375226): U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - Midwest Region (Public domain) Blue Jay with Peanut Ready to Fly: Niaz Abbas (Public domain) Blue Jay (49356193761): USFWS Headquarters (Public domain) Winter Goldfinch: LASZLO ILYES (CC BY 2.0) Female Northern Cardinal on bird feeder: PookieFugglestein (CC0) Dark-eyed junco (53615011621): U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - Midwest Region (Public domain) Dark-eyed Junco (44607079655): ShenandoahNPS (Public domain) White-throated sparrow (52082467454): U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - Midwest Region (Public domain) USFWS mourning dove (23225342564): USFWS - Pacific Region (Public domain) Turdus migratorius 2016-06: Mara Koenig/USFWS (Public domain) Eastern Bluebird (male) (45635800071): ShenandoahNPS (Public domain) American Robin eating Holly berries (46382725311): Andy Reago & Chrissy McClarren (CC BY 2.0) Carolina Wren (52768513508): ShenandoahNPS (Public domain) Northern cardinal male (51144729051): U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - Midwest Region (Public domain) White-breasted nuthatch (50679325031): U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - Midwest Region (Public domain) Cooper's Hawk (52386581691): Joshua Tree National Park (Public domain) Dark-eyed junco (51997529313): U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - Midwest Region (Public domain) Female Cardinal: Manjith Kainickara (CC BY 2.5) Mourning Dove 2136 (4722154184): Robert Taylor from Stirling, ON, Canada (CC BY 2.0) Male Northern Cardinal (42253318221): U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - Midwest Region (Public domain) Pine Siskin (Spinus pinus) (15707054559): Andrew C (CC BY 2.0) American Goldfinch, Winter Plumage 3612 (5045876844): Robert Taylor from Stirling, ON, Canada (CC BY 2.0) Dark-eyed Junco (44607076615): ShenandoahNPS (Public domain) Common redpoll (53498503250): USFWS Midwest Region from Midwest Region, United States (Public domain) Pine siskin (53581998660): U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - Midwest Region (Public domain) Chapters 0:00 Intro 1:08 Number 1: Fat beats filler 3:57 Number 2: Feed at the right time 6:40 Number 3: Water that won't freeze 8:23 Number 4: Shelter from the wind 11:03 Number 5: The dangers you add 13:07 Number 6: Keep the feeder clean #backyardbirds #winterbirds #birdfeeding #birdwatching #chickadees #cardinals #juncos #birdbath