Birds

BIRDS of Michigan

FEEDING THE BIRDS CAN FEED THE SOUL

Downy Woodpeckers love to eat suet at your feeders. They also eat black oil sunflower seeds and small nuts.

White-breasted Nuthatches

love black oil sunflower seeds that they take from tube feeders.

Northern Cardinals like larger seeds, such as sunflower and safflower seeds. They feed from platform feeders and hopper feeders with wide trays.

What birds come to feeders in Michigan in winter?

Winters in Michigan are very cold. There are many consecutive days in winter where the temperature does not reach above freezing. Snow averages 40-120 inches per year, depending upon what part of the state you live in.

That means that winter bird feeding must take into account that natural foods may be buried in snow for much of the winter. The birds really will appreciate the food you offer! The good news is that you should easily be able to attract lots of birds! American Goldfinches eat black oil sunflower seeds from tube feeders, but really like Niger seed in special “thistle sock” feeders.

Feeding winter birds in Michigan can actually make a life-and-death difference during those especially long cold spells and periods of deep snow. At such times backyard bird feeders do more than just provide an added supplement to natural foods. Some birds would probably not survive winter without some help.

It may be that first-year birds benefit the most from bird feeders. These birds are barely 6 months old and have not yet experienced their first winter. Thus, they may not be as experienced at finding food in the winter. Your bird feeder can really help keep them fed and healthy.

Of course, the real reason that we feed birds is for the joy that it gives us. People need the connection with nature that inviting birds to the backyard brings. The same individual birds spend the winter in our backyards, waiting for spring. We become attached to “our” birds. And we feed and take care of them.

This gives us a feeling of being needed. Feeding birds can help us survive the long cold dreary winters!

What birds come to feeders in Michigan in winter?

Michigan is blessed with many birds that visit backyard feeders in winter. Check out some of the regular visitors in the neighborhood: Black-capped Chickadees love black oil sunflower seeds that they take from tube and hopper feeders.

Mourning Doves eat all kinds of seeds including sunflower seeds, millet, and cracked corn. They prefer to feed on the ground or large platform feeders.