Feeding garden birds: why continuous and varied feeding is best

Do you love having many birds in your garden? Hearing that happy twittering sound in the morning and at nightfall? And do you want to help them? Then it's important to feed your garden birds a varied diet all year round. But why? And which food is best to give them, and when?

Winter is obviously the season to feed garden birds. This is the time they need extra energy to maintain their body temperature. During this period, give them high-fat food, such as suet balls and peanuts, or an energy-rich mixfor cold days.

But did you know that birds are actually always struggling to meet their nutritional needs? These needs are greatest both in winter, when their natural food sources are temporarily unavailable, and during the breeding season, when their chicks are constantly hungry. Ultimately, they could use your help all year round.

birds are actually always struggling to meet their nutritional needs. These needs are greatest both in winter and during the breeding season.

Feed garden birds throughout the year 

Take spring, for example. The early bird catches the worm! But the birds who miss out need protein and calcium-rich bird seed in the spring. You can feed garden birds a varied seed mixturesupplemented with a rich insect mix or a protein and calcium-rich food for breeding and young birds.

During the warm summer months, you can again give them a varied bird seed mixture supplemented with an insect or berry mix. And don't forget water! Put a bird bath in your garden so that the birds can quench their thirst, take a fresh dip, or splash around for the fun of it.

In the fall, birds prepare for winter. If you provide food for them in your garden, the garden birds will know that you'll also feed them in winter.

Give different food in different places

By providing different types of feed (rich in seeds or insects) and by feeding birds in different places (the ground, feed tables, feeding troughs and bird feeders), you attract different types. For example, house sparrows, ring sparrows and finches are real seed eaters, while robins, hedge sparrows and blackbirds prefer to eat insects. So you can spot a lot of different bird species ... Have fun birding!

 

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