Properly feed different bird species in Germany in winter

Birds in Germany in winter

In the cold season, birds leave areas where they cannot find enough food. Birds such as cuckoo, swallow and stork that require animal food are migratory birds. They travel to warm countries in the south to winter.

During the breeding business, all birds need protein-rich food. When the young birds are out of the nest, many birds are happy with a vegetable diet. These birds often move only a few kilometers further south or stay at the breeding site.

In Germany, in addition to the sedentary bird species, birds from Siberia and Scandinavia overwinter. Typical winter birds are blackbird, thrush, finch, Titmouse and star. You will usually find ducks, geese and coots on the waters, arriving from the cold regions of the north.

Few people notice that woodpeckers, owls and birds of prey spend the winter in Germany. These birds avoid humans. They find enough food and do not get to the feeding places. Only woodpeckers can sometimes be found there.

Hardly any bird leaves the country because of the cold. If enough food is available, some storks even stay in Germany.

What the different species of birds eat

Bird species	Examples	Lining	To note
Seed cracker	Finches, siskins, goldfinches, linnets, bullfinches, grosbeak, crossbills, golden hammer, sparrows.	Millet, poppy or flax seeds, kernels of apples, pears, cucumbers and pumpkin, Cereal grains, beechnuts and crushed nuts.	Whole grains in fat are enough as winter food.
Grain eaters, not seed crackers	Great tit, blue tit, nuthatch, woodpecker.	Peeled and soft-skinned seeds.	Mixing with food for seed crackers makes sense. Mixed with fat in winter.
Soft food eater	Blackbird, thrush, robin, starling, long-tailed tit, treecreeper, wren, brown eal, lark, golden cockerel, waxwing	Crushed kernels, oatmeal, elder-, privet, rowan berries, rose hips, raisins, apples, pears; cooked but not salted rice	Mixing with other types of food does not make sense, soak oat flakes with fat in winter.
Waterfowl	Ducks, geese, pond fowl, swans	Grain, chicken feed, water fowl feed, acorns, pieces of fruit, soft unsalted potatoes, fresh, chopped bread, no stale bread	Feeding is not allowed on all bodies of water because the body of water is polluted.

Feeding grain eaters

Birds need a species-appropriate feeding place where they can eat undisturbed. For grain eaters and seed crackers, offer places on a pole or free-hanging feed silos or tit dumplings.

For the other birds, choose a little house in the garden that has a silo for the feed so that the birds do not pollute it with droppings. The ideal bird feeder consists of a feed bin and a perch on which the birds sit. The birds should take the food through slits or holes. Houses with a floor on which the feed remains are unsuitable. The animals defecate in the feed.

Keep the feeding area clean. Clean the floor under the house daily. This is where feces and fodder collect. Birds get sick when they ingest contaminated food.

Provide optimal care for soft feed eaters

Soft feed eaters only take their feed on the ground. They need a feeding place that can be seen from all sides. If he is too close to a bush, he will sneak Cats at.

Use a silo for the soft feed and place it on a board. Put that fruit Besides.

Bring the feeding place into the house in the evening, otherwise it will attract rodents. Put everything freshly cleaned in its place in the morning. Change the place after a few days to prevent the accumulation of germs.

Feed water birds

If you want to feed waterfowl, give the animals only small amounts and they will eat them immediately. Don't leave food lying around. You lure with it Rats to or pollute the water.

Be careful when approaching birds sitting on the ice. The feet are often frozen. This will not harm the animals as long as you slowly break away from it. If you startle them, they tear themselves away from the ice and injure their webbed feet.

Most of the bird species that live in Germany in winter do not need to be fed by humans. They accept it because it is convenient for the birds. If you follow the tips above, you will feed the birds in a species-appropriate manner.