Feeders

Water is a critical ingredient of a winter feeding program. Obviously the water needs a heating element and a thermostat.

Several excellent birdbaths with heating elements and thermostats are available from bird-feeding supply stores. One of these would make a good Holiday present for the bird enthusiast in the family.

Don't worry about birds freezing if they bathe on a cold winter day. This is not a problem since the heated water is primarily for drinking.

Native songbirds seem smart enough not to bathe when the wind chill is 40 below.

What's the best type of feeder for your yard? Try several different kinds, if possible.

There are numerous reliable designs available commercially, and many can be easily made at home.

The most popular and effective are platform or tray (covered or uncovered), hopper-style, and cylindrical (for niger or sunflower seeds).

Variations on these designs include platform feeders with screen bottoms to allow for drainage, two-liter pop bottle feeders with slits cut near the bottom for dispensing niger or sunflower seeds, and stick-on window feeder for close-up viewing.