While you might think that bird-watching is a spring and summer activity, you can also enjoy spotting birds in your Omaha backyard during the cold weather while still allowing you to stay warm and dry indoors. Even if it’s freezing or dreary outside, having bird feeders in your backyard lets you enjoy all of the bird species that arrive in the winter. Not to mention, pictures of birds in the snow always look amazing! But how do you make sure that winter birds come to your backyard? We have a few tips to not only help you spot winter birds but also make sure they keep coming back to your yard.
Most Common Birds To Watch Out For This Winter in Omaha
- Red-breasted nuthatch
- Snow bunting
- Cardinals
- Pine siskin
- Dark-eyed junco
- American robins
- House sparrow
- Bohemian waxwing
- Downy woodpecker
How to Attract Winter Birds To Your Omaha BackYard
Make Sure Birds Have A Food And Water Source
Although all bird species have different food preferences and winter habits, there are a few simple steps you can take to attract all sorts of birds to your backyard. The key to drawing in a lot of feathered friends is to provide food, water, and shelter from the harsh winter elements. If you are wondering what type of bird feeder is best for birds in the winter, choose one that covers the birdseed, provides some shelter for feeding birds, is easy to keep clean, and can hold a lot of birdseed. A large feeder will not only keep your birds well-fed but will also keep you from having to refill it in the cold weather!
Pick the Right Bird Food
When choosing what type of food to fill your birdfeeder with, try to pick something that will provide a lot of fat and oil. Seeds with high fat and oil content are especially important for birds in the winter, as their normal sources for these nutrients, insects, and berries, are scarce. Good options for winter bird seed include:
- Black oil sunflower seeds.
- White millet seed.
- A suet mix that includes both seeds and fruit.
- Even peanut butter.
Be sure to keep an eye on which seeds the birds in your yard prefer so that you aren’t wasting any food.
Make Home Made Bird Seed Ornaments
If you’re looking for a fun family activity that will also keep your backyard birds well-fed, try making some birdseed ornaments to hang on your trees and shrubs! These simple, easy decorations can help your yard look festive and feed your feathered friends. Another idea to make sure winter birds have plenty of food is to plant trees or shrubs that produce berries during the winter. This will add another food source for your birds and will help your yard look nice all throughout the year. Also, make sure to stamp down the snow around the base of your bird feeder to make sure birds can still get to any feed that falls on the ground.
Provide Fresh Water
Just like us, birds also need water. Although birds can get by with snow or ice, having fresh, liquid water in your backyard will make it a hotspot for winter birds. A heated birdbath, or a heater attachment for your birdbath, will go a long way in providing this resource to winter birds.
Protect Them From The Elements
Another important component to attracting birds to your Omaha yard is providing shelter. In the winter, when cold winds and snow might be in the air, some sort of shelter around food sources makes birds more likely to stop over in your yard. A simple way to provide shelter is to place your feeder near trees or shrubs that help block the wind and keep snow off your birdfeeder or build a pile of cut limbs or brush nearby. Other good ways to provide protection from the elements are winter bird shelters like birdhouses and brush piles or making nesting material, such as straw or native grasses, available so birds can insulate their nests.
Achieving Healthy, Lawn Care For You And Your Feathered Friends
If you spend a lot of time bird-watching this winter, you may start to notice some signs of weakness or disease in your lawn, or just that it’s looking a little bland. To make sure that your Omaha yard will look its best in the spring so you can enjoy being outdoors and keeping an eye out for birds, call the professionals at Sunset Lawns. We offer a wide variety of lawn care, weed control and prevention, and additional aeration and overseeding services that will keep your lawn looking great and ready for all your outdoor activities like bird-watching. You can visit our website for more information, reach out via our contact form, or give us a call at 402-537-8030. And don’t forget to check back next month for another informative blog about lawn and garden care!