Choosing the best foods for backyard birds

Feeding wild birds can be a popular and rewarding hobby. Such a hobby facilitates a connection with nature and helps to ensure local wildlife gets the sustenance it needs to survive.

According to estimates from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, around 50 million Americans engage in bird feeding each year. When feeding birds, it's important to choose quality foods to ensure health and survival, particularly during months when the weather is harsh. Here are some factors to consider when setting out food for birds.

Choose wisely

When selecting bird feed, homeowners should look for feed that is high in fat and protein. Black oil sunflower seeds (BOSS) are a popular choice because they offer high caloric value and are easily opened by the greatest variety of species. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology reports that BOSS, which are small, thin-shelled seeds, attract more than 40 types of North American birds, making it the most universally accepted food.

For smaller birds, like goldfinches and pine siskins, nyjer (thistle) seed is an ideal choice.

Offer essential fats

It's key for birds in colder climates to maintain significant fat reserves to achieve the correct body temperature. Suet cakes, which are rendered beef fat mixed with seeds or fruit, can be the meal birds need. Suet provides essential calories for birds like woodpeckers, nuthatches and chickadees when insects are scarce. Homeowners should choose commercially produced suet cakes or raw suet, as homemade varieties made from cooking grease might melt and mat birds' feathers, affecting their insulation.

Shelled peanuts and crushed nut meats, which are the kernel of nuts, can offer high-energy fats for titmice and jays.

Avoid certain foods

Although we've all seen people casting bread out to wild birds, bread products are particularly discouraged as bird food. They fill birds' stomachs without providing necessary nutrients. Table scraps containing excessive salt or sugar also should be avoided.

Maintain avian hygiene

Bird feeders can concentrate flocks, which can be fun to watch. But it also increases the risk of disease transmission among birds. The Audubon Society and similar conservation groups emphasize that studies show poor feeder hygiene can increase rates of disease like salmonellosis. Feeders should be cleaned weekly with a mild bleach solution (one part bleach to nine parts water) and completely dried before refilling. Hosing off the area to wash away bird droppings also can keep feeders and surrounding areas sanitary.

Choosing nutrient-dense, high-quality seeds and fats and maintaining a clean feeding station can ensure that a backyard remains a haven for wild birds. Those with additional questions about what to feed birds should consult with a wild bird food retailer.