Fall Bird Feeding Tips

As fall sweeps in, with its crisp air and colorful foliage, it’s an ideal time to transition your backyard bird feeding setup to help our feathered friends prepare for the colder months. With shorter days and a reduction in food availability, birds face more challenges during this season. By providing nutritious food and a safe environment, you can attract a variety of bird species while supporting their well-being. This article provides comprehensive fall bird feeding tips to ensure your yard becomes a haven for birds in the fall.

Transition to High-Energy Foods

As temperatures begin to drop, birds need more energy to maintain their body heat. Fall is the time to transition to high-energy foods like sunflower seeds, peanuts, suet, and mealworms. These foods are rich in fats and proteins, which give birds the extra calories they need to sustain themselves through the colder days ahead.

Some of the best food choices include:

Black-oil sunflower seeds — These seeds are high in fat and have thin shells, making them easy to consume for a wide range of birds.
Peanuts — Unsalted and raw peanuts provide an excellent source of protein and fat. However, make sure they’re not moldy as this can be harmful to birds.
Suet cakes — Packed with fat, suet cakes are a favorite for woodpeckers, chickadees, and nuthatches. You can make your own suet or buy it at a store.
Mealworms — Dried or live mealworms offer a protein boost, attracting insect-eating birds like wrens and bluebirds.

Use Weather-Proof Feeders

Fall brings unpredictable weather, including wind, rain, and even early snow. It’s essential to choose weather-proof bird feeders to keep food dry and prevent spoilage. A well-designed feeder will also reduce the risk of mold and contamination, ensuring that the food remains safe for birds to consume.

Consider these feeder types for fall:

Hopper feeders — These enclosed feeders provide some shelter for seeds, protecting them from rain and snow.
Tube feeders — Designed with small holes, tube feeders work well for sunflower seeds and keep food relatively dry.
Suet feeders — Make sure to select a suet feeder with a roof or overhang to shield the suet from rain.
Tray feeders — While these are open, placing them under cover or in a sheltered area can help protect the food.

Create a Safe Environment

As natural food sources become scarcer in the fall, birds may frequent your feeders more often. Ensuring their safety should be a priority, especially as predators like hawks become more active.

Here are some steps to create a bird-friendly and safe environment:

Location of feeders — Position your feeders close to natural cover such as bushes or trees, allowing birds to quickly escape if a predator approaches.
Avoid windows — Placing feeders too close to windows can lead to collisions, which can be fatal for birds. Position feeders at least 10 feet away from large windows or use window decals to reduce the risk.
Keep pets indoors — Cats and dogs can be predators to birds. If you have pets, keep them inside, especially during peak feeding times.

Keep Feeders Clean

As birds congregate at feeders in the fall, they can spread diseases if feeders are not cleaned regularly. Moldy or spoiled seeds and suet can also make birds sick. Cleaning feeders frequently helps to minimize the risk of illness and keeps the food fresh.

Tips for cleaning your feeders:

Use hot, soapy water — Scrub feeders with a brush to remove any dirt or mold. A solution of one part bleach to nine parts water can be used for a deeper clean.
Rinse thoroughly — Make sure to rinse off all soap or cleaning solution before refilling the feeder with fresh food.
Dry completely — Allow feeders to dry completely before refilling to prevent mold growth.

Provide Fresh Water

In addition to food, birds need a reliable source of water for drinking and bathing. As temperatures drop, natural water sources may start to freeze, so it’s important to provide fresh water in your yard.

Options for providing water in the fall:

Birdbaths — Ensure that birdbaths are shallow and cleaned regularly. Consider adding a birdbath heater to prevent the water from freezing.
Misters and drippers — Birds are attracted to the sound of running water. Adding a mister or dripper to your setup can encourage more birds to visit.
Change water frequently — To prevent the spread of diseases, change the water in birdbaths every couple of days.

Offer Shelter and Roosting Spaces

With the cooler weather approaching, birds need places to shelter from the wind and cold. Offering roosting boxes or dense shrubbery can provide them with safe, warm places to rest.

Types of shelter to provide:

Roosting boxes — Unlike nesting boxes, roosting boxes are designed to give birds a place to huddle for warmth. You can buy or make roosting boxes that accommodate several birds.
Thick shrubs and trees — Planting native shrubs and trees in your yard can provide natural shelter from the elements. Evergreen trees are especially valuable during the colder months.

Attract Migratory Birds

Fall is migration season for many bird species. By setting up feeders and providing water, you can attract migrating birds that are passing through. Offering high-energy foods and a safe resting spot can make your yard a haven for these travelers.

Birds to attract during migration:

Hummingbirds — Some species of hummingbirds migrate south in the fall. Keep your feeders out until you’re sure they’ve all passed through.
Warblers — These insect-eating birds may stop by your yard in search of food before continuing their journey.
Thrushes and sparrows — Many ground-feeding birds like thrushes and sparrows also migrate in the fall. Providing mealworms and seeds on the ground can attract them.

Table of Important Concepts and Principles

Concept or Principle	Details
High-energy foods	Transition to foods like sunflower seeds, peanuts, and suet that provide fat and protein.
Weather-proof feeders	Use feeders that protect seeds and suet from rain and snow to prevent spoilage.
Creating a safe environment	Place feeders near cover, away from windows, and keep pets indoors to protect birds.
Clean feeders regularly	Use hot water and bleach solution to clean feeders and prevent disease spread.
Providing fresh water	Use birdbaths, misters, and drippers, and prevent freezing with birdbath heaters.
Offering shelter and roosting	Provide roosting boxes and plant evergreen trees or dense shrubs for shelter.
Attracting migratory birds	Keep feeders out for migrating species and provide high-energy foods.