What do wild birds eat?
Especially in winter, many native wild birds need our support, because the icy temperatures, snow and frost make it immensely difficult for them to find food.
Reliable winter feeding for birds
First of all, it is important to remember that anyone who starts feeding wild birds must continue to do so reliably until the end of the winter . The small feathered creatures rely on the food available at the feeding stations. If this food source is lost, they can quickly starve to death.
What should wild birds not eat?
Simply giving birds bread or seasoned leftovers can quickly become dangerous for birds. Bread can swell up in their stomachs and they cannot tolerate spices and salt either.
What food should be fed to wild birds?
So what can wild birds be fed? The species of birds native to our country have different requirements of their food. Roughly speaking, they can be divided into grain eaters, soft food eaters and omnivores.
- Grain eaters have a strong beak and can use it to break open hard shells. They love coarse grains such as sunflower seeds and nuts. The best-known representatives are the finch, sparrow, siskin, bullfinch.
- The beaks of soft food eaters are not so powerful. That is why they prefer oatmeal, poppy seeds,
ground nuts, sultanas and dried fruit. Robins, blackbirds, starlings are typical soft feeders.
- Omnivores , as their name suggests, are flexible in their food intake. They can eat both hard grains and soft seeds. Also known as mixed feeders, they include all species of tits, woodpeckers, nuthatches and jays.
What are titmouse dumplings?
Tit or energy dumplings are a mixture of fat and grains pressed into a round shape. The fat used is usually beef or pork tallow and is particularly rich in energy, which is useful in the cold season. One advantage is that the fat protects the grains from getting wet. These titmouse dumplings or rings are suitable for soft feeders and omnivores.
By the way, an interesting alternative to tit dumplings are filled sunflower heads that contain fat birdseed like the feeder dumpling .
Which is better - the bird feeder or the bird feeder?
The advantage of the feeder over the bird house is that it is more hygienic . In the open bird feeder the birds hop over the food, contaminate it and in the worst case spread pathogens. As the birds only come into contact with the food they eat, the risk of disease transmission is lower. We recommend setting up several dispensers at once and filling them with different types of food so that all birds get their money's worth - regardless of whether they are grain eaters, soft feeders or omnivores.
Tip: If you don't want to do without your bird house , you should clean it approx. every 4 weeks with hot water and gloves.
The right place for birdhouses & Co
Here are a few tips and ideas for the right place for your bird feeder:
- Keep a sufficient distance from glass panes (around 2 metres)
- Choose a spot that isprotected from the wind
- Make it cat-proof: Mount the feeder on a smooth metal or plastic pipe at least 1.5 m above the
ground. For trees, there are cat defence belts - a wire frame that prevents the hunters from climbing the
tree trunk.
- The feeding area should be clearly visible so that predators cannot sneak up on it unnoticed. Trees
and shrubs should be available in the immediate vicinity as a place of retreat
