Keeping Your Feathered Friends Happy and Protected this Winter

Some tips for keeping your feathered friends happy and protected in your backyard this winter.  That’s coming up on This Land of Ours.

While many birds flock to warmer locations during the winter, there are many species that do stick around when it’s colder where you live. Here are a few ways to keep those feathered friends happy and hardy.

• Natural food sources become scarce in winter, so backyard birds will benefit more than ever from feeders stocked with nourishing food. Having a few plants around the yard with berries or seeds that last into the colder months also helps. And your feathered friends are sure to appreciate access to clean, ice-free water too.
• Keep safety in mind for your visiting friends. Protect the birds from your cat or other pets.
• In winter, birds need more calories to stay warm and to move about, so make sure to stock your feeders with foods that are rich in fats and oils. Also, be sure to keep feeders clean, disinfecting at least once a week.
• Provide a safe habitat where birds can find shelter. Such as Roosting boxes or birdhouses.

Listen to Cathy Isom’s This Land of Ours program here.