Feeding Chickadees In The Winter – Help Chickadees Stay Healthy, Safe & Alive :- The cherished chickadee is one bird that could always use a little assistance getting through the winter, and providing them with food that will keep them safe, warm, and alive is one of the greatest ways to do exactly that.
Not only are chickadees among the cutest and tiniest birds on the planet, but they are also among the best to have in your backyard. particularly in terms of helping gardeners. Simply said, chickadees are insect-eating machines. They can eat twice their body weight in a single week, that’s how much!
Feeding Chickadees In The Winter – Help Chickadees Stay Healthy, Safe & Alive
For gardeners, that can be quite beneficial in the growing season. Particularly when you consider that some of the plants’ preferred foods are caterpillars, slugs, snails, and aphids that attack them. Better yet, they are excellent at controlling pest populations since they also consume bug eggs and larvae.
Feeding Chickadees In The Winter
Chickadees need food, water, and shelter to survive the winter. There are three major ways you can contribute to their quality of life.
Chickadees like to gravitate toward places that offer them security and warmth when it comes to shelter. Chickadees are preyed upon by both owls and hawks. This is particularly true in the winter, when they also struggle to get enough food to survive.
Chickadees like to spend the night in tree cavities, thickets, and heavy brush because of this. Simply leaving decorative grasses and other larger perennials up through the winter is a terrific approach to assist them.
Moreover, chickadees are among the rare overwintering birds that will take up residence in bird homes. For their chickadees, it’s one of the reasons that a lot of bird watchers would leave a few houses up throughout the winter.
ALSO SEE
How To Recycle Coffee Grounds In The Winter – 4 Great Ways To Use Coffee Grounds During Winter!
The Best Foods For Chickadees
Here’s a look at some of the best wintertime seeds and diet for chickadees. Use a mix of some or all of the sources listed below to supply a broad spectrum of nutrients and energy for optimal effects.
Cracked Corn: A fantastic addition to winter bird feeders for chickadees, cracked corn is high in fiber and carbohydrates. It is also simple and problem-free for them to consume because it has already been cracked. The best part is that cracked corn is among the least expensive bird feeding options.
Sunflower Seeds: A chickadee’s keen beak can easily cut through a sunflower seed’s outer shell. Furthermore, sunflower seeds are not only very nutrient-dense but also simple for kids to eat.
Beyond Seeds & Nuts
Suet Blocks – The best way to provide chickadees with a supplemental high fat and calorie food source is with suet. Suet is rendered fat that can also contain peanuts, seeds, berries and nuts. And chickadees flock to them!
You can purchase suet blocks ready to go – or make them quite easily at home using lard, fat or peanut butter. They are actually incredibly helpful to nearly all overwintering birds. In addition to chickadees, cardinals, finches, blue jays and wrens will snack from them as well. For more on making your own at home
Winter Water For Chickadees
Not to mention, chickadees also require water to survive. Water helps the birds’ metabolism and keeps them hydrated. Chickadees will “drink” from the snow and ice by breaking off pieces and consuming the liquid to stay hydrated.
That’s why placing a couple bowls of water under or next to your feeders will greatly benefit them, even if they freeze. Water is just as vital as food. Don’t forget it!
I hope this helps the chickadees survive this winter in your property. And even better, they will grow robust and healthy come springtime to help manage all those pests!
