Simple guide to making homemade bird food

As soon as the first snow falls and the earth hides under a white blanket, the birds that come to the gardens in search of food. With homemade food that adapts to the needs of the birds, you can attract winged friends to your garden or balcony.

According to expert ornithologists, it is not necessary to feed the birds in winter, since they are adapted to the local climate. However, feeding facilitates the survival of many birds when there is snow or frost.

A poor diet also increases the risk of disease, which is why you should prepare the food yourself and always pay attention to the hygiene of the feeders. It is also important not to overfeed the birds.

What food is the best for birds?

Since the little bird mainly depends on sufficient fat in winter, it is important to pay attention to fatty foods. Sunflower seeds and crushed hazelnuts and peanuts are ideal. But oats also provide a lot of energy for many birds.

When offering seeds to birds, always you must make sure that they come from native plants. Seeds of thistle, teasel, sunflower, pumpkin and calendula are particularly suitable.

You can collect them yourself in summer and autumn to be able to offer them in the “buffet” to the birds in winter. But You can also offer oats and nuts to the birds.

What does each bird eat?

In order to attract as many different bird species as possible to the garden, it is important to ensure a wide variety of food. With apples, raisins and also cereal flakes, you can create an offer for birds that eat softer food. These include blackbirds, robins and common wrens. These types of birds also prefer to forage for food on or near the ground.

With grains, nuts and seeds we can set the table for the grain eater. The chickadees, the tits, the woodpeckers and the nuthatches, on the other hand, they are not picky eaters and are satisfied with both soft and grainy foods.

Feed the birds with homemade food

If you prepare the bird food yourself, you can prevent the spread of unwanted exotic plant seeds, such as ragweed, which are sometimes found in prepared foods. Also, purchased food is often not species-appropriate and not good for many small birds. Making food is not difficult at all if it is adapted to the needs of the species that are in the place.

As a feeder you can use an empty coconut shell or an old bowl.

1. Food for the birdhouse

Ingredients:

300 g coconut oil 100 g organic rapeseed oil 700 g local seeds and/or flakes

Elaboration:

Heat the coconut oil and a little vegetable oil, add seeds, thick rolled oats or other cereal flakes. Do not cook: the seeds and flakes should only absorb a little fat. Let cool and serve in a bowl.

Place a little of the food in the bowl and the rest keep it in the fridge. Clean the food container daily with gloves and fill it again, as bird droppings can contain dangerous pathogens.

2. Hanging food

Ingredients:

250 g coconut oil 150 g sunflower seeds 150 g oats Small pieces of peanuts or hazelnuts (unsalted and crushed) Small raisins (organic or without sulfur dioxide preservative)

Elaboration:

Melt the coconut oil in a skillet over low heat. Mix the sunflower seeds, oats, and peanuts. Press the mixture into a food bowl. You can shape homemade birdseed with the help of cookie cutters.

3. Food for soft-eating birds

To attract soft eaters to your garden, you can also cut apples and place them in corners of the garden or hang them from the trees. Soft eaters also like raw raisins.