For many birdwatchers in New York, this is an exciting time of year—backyard bird feeders can go back up! To avoid conflicts with bears, DEC highly recommends only feeding birds when bears are inactive. There are many natural sources of winter food for birds, including birch catkins, spruce and fir cones, dried seed heads from native grasses and flowers, and lingering fruits on plants. Bird feeders can supplement these natural foods and may attract more birds to your yard. A simple tube feeder with black oil sunflower seed is a great place to start. Depending on where you live, you might expect to see chickadees, nuthatches, juncos, and goldfinches. Adding suet is a sure bet to draw in woodpeckers. To provide a source of water, try installing a birdbath heater or bubbler and regularly refreshing the water.
If you are drawing wild birds into your yard with feeders, try these tips to keep birds safe:
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- providing nearby cover such as evergreen trees, native shrubs, or even discarded Christmas trees;
- placing feeders away from windows and making windowpanes bird-safe with screens, netting, decals, or vertical tape;
- regularly cleaning feeders to avoid spreading disease;
- securely storing bird seed indoors;
- keeping cats indoors;
- feeding pets inside to avoid inadvertently attracting feral cats, rodents, or other wildlife, and
- taking down feeders in the spring to avoid bear conflicts.