Feeding Birds in Winter
With the onset of winter, birds need foods that are high in oil, fat and calories. These foods and stored body fat are the primary energy supply that fuels a bird during long, cold winter nights.
Seed-eating birds will continue to look for supplemental sources of seeds that will provide them with their essential fall and winter fat and calories. So it’s important to offer the right seeds in your bird feeders. Many of these seeds, including black oil sunflower, Nyjer (thistle) and millet, are featured in our regionally selected, customized seed blends that also have other seasonally appropriate ingredients.
Loaded with fat and protein, peanuts provide birds with energy and are particularly helpful to fatten up for migration and during the winter months when the extra calories help keep them warm. As winter approaches, many birds change some of their eating habits. Birds that usually eat insects may start to eat berries to supplement their diets. Dried or fresh fruit are a winter favorite of birds such as robins, waxwings, bluebirds and mockingbirds.
Suet is a high-energy, pure-fat substance that is particularly helpful in winter, when many birds have a hard time finding the insects they normally eat. Offering suet at a backyard feeding station is one way to 
attract a greater diversity of insect-eating birds. Birds that eat suet will still find natural food sources, such as insects, insect eggs and larvae for a well-rounded diet. Birds that eat both insects and seeds, like chickadees and nuthatches, will also visit suet feeders.
We carry a selection of suet and high-fat foods.
As temperatures fall, birds have a more difficult time finding the limited number of live, active insects. Loaded with protein, mealworms can help you attract common and uncommon insect-eating birds like bluebirds, wrens and the tufted-titmouse.
The Backyard Naturalist’s Regionally Selected Seed Blends
Loaded with calories and fat,
Seasons Woodland Blend mixes sunflower
seeds, peanuts, safflower seeds and fruits to attract woodland and meadow birds.
Loaded with fat, protein and
carbohydrates, our Garden Friendly Blend
is a tidy feeding solution that is
perfect for helping birds prepare
for migration and winter.
A woodpecker favorite,
Triple Delight Blend mixes
black oil sunflower seeds, striped sunflower seeds and peanuts to provide lots of fat,
protein and carbohydrates.
Full of black oil sunflower seeds,
millet, striped sunflower and
safflower, our Town & Country Blend is an
excellent fall and winter blend for
ground feeding birds.
This is very informative. However, if I may add, you can easily attract birds and provide food for them during the winter season by means of a bird feeder. It is a device placed outdoors, and it is efficient in drawing the attention of the birds and providing for them. With regard to the best type of feeds for the winter season, try black oil sunflower seeds.