Offer suet cakes containing seeds, nuts, and dried fruits. Suet is a high-calorie food that provides essential fats for energy during the winter.
Fill tube feeders with black oil sunflower seeds, a favorite among many winter birds.
Attract finches, such as goldfinches and house finches, with nyjer seeds. These tiny seeds are particularly appealing to finches.
Ensure a constant supply of fresh water with a heated bird bath. Birds need water for drinking and bathing even in cold weather.
Plant evergreen trees and shrubs to provide natural shelter for birds from winter winds and storms.
Install roosting boxes to provide shelter for birds during cold nights. These boxes are larger than typical nest boxes and offer communal roosting space.
Refrain from using pesticides and herbicides, as these chemicals can harm birds directly or indirectly by eliminating their food sources.
Place platforms close to the ground with a mix of seeds and cracked corn for ground-feeding birds like sparrows and juncos.
Set up grit stations with crushed eggshells or commercially available grit to aid in the digestion of seeds.
Place slices of apples or oranges on feeding platforms to attract fruit-eating birds like robins and cedar waxwings.