Creating a Winter Haven for Birds

When choosing birdhouses, feeders and baths, talk with experts at your home and garden supply store about the seasonal needs and winterizing methods specific to your region. See what ideas they have about helping the birds in your area during the cold months.

Birdhouses

• The best houses are plain, even worn-looking, and made with natural elements. Birds prefer something that resembles nature over something with a fresh coat of paint. Painted, ornamental birdhouses are best for indoor decoration.
  
• Be sure there is ventilation near the roof of the house and small drainage holes at the bottom.
  
• A sloped roof allows rain to roll off.
  
• Add leaves, straw or strips of clothing to provide some initial insulation.
  
• Perches are a bad idea because they provide a place for predators to sit.
  
• Place the house at least five feet off the ground and in an area that gets lots of sun. If you're placing several houses, leave enough room between them. Many birds are territorial and don't like close neighbors.

Birdbaths

• Maintain a clean birdbath. Scrub out any film on the bottom of the bath, rinse and fill with clean water.
  
• If your birdbath is out in an open space, it may not get used as much during the winter. Birds feel safer in enclosed areas, so place the bath among plants and shrubs.
  
• A sloped bath is less likely to be damaged by freezing temperatures.
  
• A birdbath heater will keep the water from freezing. If you opt to use one, be sure that the unit is connected to a heavy-duty outdoor extension cord that's plugged into a grounded electric outlet.
  
• For ceramic baths, check for cracks throughout the winter. If you find cracks, store the bath inside for the winter.
  
• For deck or patio gardens, place several small bowls of warm water in a sheltered location. Even if the water freezes, you can dump the ice out and refresh it daily.

Feeders

• Be sure the seed is covered and protected from the elements.
  
• Place the feeder in a secluded, safe area surrounded by trees and shrubs.
  
• If you don't have a place for a feeder, set out small containers with birdseed, breadcrumbs or even cereal.
  
• Bird foods will deteriorate after several months, so buy only what you will use in a few months.
  
• Once you start feeding birds, continue to feed them regularly throughout the winter; birds will become dependent on that food source and may starve if you stop feeding them.

If you have a corner of the yard that's hidden from sight, you can help the birds by creating a brush pile. Using old yard debris such as branches and leaves, just pile the brush in a heap or against a wall in a teepee shape. The pile should be about three feet tall and have a hollow center along the wall. This can serve as both a shelter and foraging place for birds. Don't do this around vegetable or perennial gardens; those areas should be cleaned up in the fall.

Birds add color and activity to the dormant winter garden, and they'll appreciate the helping hand for the season.