9 Most Beautiful Winter Birds and How to Attract Them

The winter season brings surprise guests to your backyard. The birds that stick around the whole year they visit in winter and rely on backyard feeders. Because the natural food is limited and also has less time for foraging.

This season provides an excellent view to the bird lovers. The bright plumage of the birds like Northern Cardinal looks very beautiful against snow and grey skies. The juncos and certain finches are called “winter-only” visitors in many regions. They arrive during cold weather and leave in spring. The bare trees and quiet landscape provide wonderful opportunities to view winter birds.

In this article, we will guide you about the 10 most common backyard birds that appear during winter. This article will help you to identify them, what food they need and also what are the feeding essentials they need. 

9 Winter Birds and How to Identify Them

A variety of birds visit backyards and feeders in search of food and shelter. Here are the names of the birds and fun facts about each:

1. Black-Capped Chickadee

The Black-Capped Chickadee is a tiny, cute, and energetic songbird. It has a black cap, short neck and bright white cheeks on a soft gray body. They come to the feeder liking suet, sunflower seeds, and peanuts. These birds gain 10% of their body weight in fat each day and burn it to stay warm.  According to recent research, the availability of extra fats during hard weather increases the survival rate of Chickadee.

2. Northern Cardinal

The male cardinals are brilliant red with a black face mask. On the other hand, the females are pale brown with warm reddish tinges and an orange beak. Both sexes sport a pointed crest on the head. These birds do not migrate the whole year. They mate during winter, and the male attracts with his red plumage. The Northern Cardinal favors sunflower seeds, peanut pieces, and corn. 

3. Blue Jay

Blue Jay is a large songbird and is familiar to many people. These birds have a perky crest, blue, white, and black plumage, and noisy calls. These birds belong to a clever family of crows and are very intelligent. They often announce their arrival with squawks and scare small birds for a moment.

You can attract these birds with peanuts, sunflower seeds, and suet. They prefer a feeder that can fit their size.

4. Mourning Dove

They have slender, tan-brown body with black spots on the wings and a long, pointed tail edged in white. It is the most wide spread dove in America. In winter, it attract people with it gentle and mournful “coo-ah, coo, coo, coo” call.

Mourning Doves are ground feeders and pick millet, cracked corn, sunflower seeds, and other small seeds. They come in flocks and swallow a lot of seeds quickly, storing them in their crop to digest later.  

5. Tufted Titmouse

Tufted Titmouse is a relative of the chickadee. It is a gray bird with a smart little crest on its head, white underparts, and a rusty peach wash on its sides. These birds have big dark eyes and a black forehead. In late winter, you may hear the Tufted Titmouse’s clear, whistled “peter-peter-peter” song. 

They often visit feeders in the eastern U.S and are a bit shy. Their top picks are sunflower seeds (particularly black-oil sunflower), peanuts, and suet. They keep coming back to the same place for these seeds. 

6. Downy Woodpecker

The Downy Woodpecker is a small black-and-white woodpecker commonly seen in winter. They are about 6 inches long with a short, stubby bill. You can easily attract them with suet cages or picking at sunflower seeds and peanut bits. As winters progress, the birds give a sharp pik call or the males drum on tree trunks (or even on metal gutters). 

7. White-Breasted Nuthatch

Nuthatches are beautiful birds with a unique behavior. They are most commonly found near wooden trees in the backyard. They typically make a nasal "yank-yank" sound. It is about 15.5 cm in length and has clean black, gray, and white markings. These birds love sunflower seeds and also like peanuts and suet. It's amazing to watch them do acrobatics while they look for food.  

8. American Goldfinch

Goldfinch is a small North American diurnal bird. The winter goldfinches have a dull olive-gray color with wings that are mostly black and yellow. During the winter, goldfinches travel in flocks and are drawn to feeders filled with black-oil sunflower seeds and Nyjer (thistle) seed. A dozen or more goldfinches may be seen swarming a feeder and whispering to one another. They also perch on dried flower heads in the garden, such as asters or coneflowers. 

9. Dark-Eyed Junco

They are also known as Snowbirds because they appear only in winter in many parts of the country. They are easily identified by its clear two-toned coloring that is slate-gray (or brownish-gray) upper body and a clean white belly.

They prefer to eat fallen seeds or low platform feeders over perching on hanging feeders. Juncos enjoy eating a variety of seeds, including thistle seed, cracked corn, white millet, and black-oil sunflower.

What are the Feeding Essentials for Winter Birds?

As the birds need high energy to maintain their inner body heat in winters. So it is important to provide them food with high fats.

Best Foods For Winter Birds

You should focus on food rich in oil, fat, and calories. Here are some top choices for birds with quality seeds and natural foods:

• Black-Oil Sunflower Seeds: Most backyard birds love these seeds due to their thin shell and high-fat kernels.
• Suet: It is a high beef fat and a vital source of energy for insect-eating birds that can't find insects in winter.
• Nyjer (Thistle) Seed: Nyjer seed is high in oil content and is usually called goldfinch magnets. Most finches have finely pointed beaks, perfect for nyjer seeds.
• Peanuts: These are a high-protein, high-fat food beloved by many birds. Peanuts are easier for small birds to eat.
• White Millet and Cracked Corn: It plays a significant role in "mixed seed" blends and is excellent for ground-feeding birds

Feeder Types and Setup

The right feeder type will make your yard accessible to all kinds of winter birds. Here are the different types, uses, and benefits of each:

• Hopper Feeders: A hopper feeder has a roof and walls to protect the seed from rain and snow. They hold a lot of seed, so you don’t have to refill as often.
• Tube Feeders: These are cylindrical feeders with numerous feeding ports and perches. For small birds, tube feeders are great.
• Platform (Tray) Feeders: A platform feeder is just a raised, level tray on which to spread seed. It could be the ground itself, an open shelf, or a tray supported by legs. These feeders are good for ground feeding birds.
• Suet Feeders: Suet cakes or balls are usually kept in these tiny wire feeders. Suet remains solid in the winter. In hot weather, it may melt or turn rancid, but in cold weather, it remains solid.

Placement Tips

The location of your bird feeders has an impact on your enjoyment and the safety of the birds.

Near Shelter: Plant feeders ten feet away from bushes or trees. Being able to swiftly fly into cover in the event of a predator makes birds feel safer.

Window Safety: Use the "3 or 30 feet" rule to prevent birds from striking windows. Place feeders close to windows (within 3 feet) or far from windows (more than 30 feet).

Height & Easy Reach: Most birds will find feeders comfortable if they are hung 5 to 8 feet high, and you can easily refill them. To deter squirrels, use a pole with a baffle.

Multiple Feeders: You can also place more than one feeder in your yard. It will provide every bird equal opportunity to have a plenty of food in one place.

FAQs

Q1: Will winter birds starve if I stop feeding them?

Ans: No, wild birds won't rely on a single feeder. Birds only receive a small percentage of their daily food from feeders. The majority still forage for food on their own.

Q2: Does winter feeding stop birds from migrating?

Ans: No, migrations of the birds only depend on the genetic information and the photoperiod. Winter feeding has no effect on the migration of the birds.

Q3: Why do the birds stop visiting my yard in winters?

The birds can stop visiting your  yard due to numerous reasons. Sometimes, the predator eats them and also stops them from visiting. The bad  weather, plenty of natural food near their habitats are also  other  reasons. You also need to keep your feeders clean  and  provide them quality  foods so  they  keep coming back to your  yard.

Summary

Winter is a great opportunity for bird lovers to  watch them closely. The bare trees and landscape provide a great view to watch winter birds.

You can enjoy their songs and beauty and also help them survive harsh weather. Make your yard a comfortable place for birds and hence build a connection with them.