"While migratory birds do fly south for the winter, many seed- and insect-eating birds do not, and with leaves off the trees, the winter months are often the best time to watch them. As someone who tests smart bird feeders year-round for WIRED, I'm always interested in ways to ensure I'm attracting the largest and most interesting variety of birds to my yard, no matter the season."
"Though there may be less diversity of bird species around your area due to some migratory birds having moved on (warblers and tanagers, for instance), many seed and insect eaters find enough locally to sustain them. In my West Coast region, this means chickadees, all kinds of sparrows, and even larger birds like flickers. Both ornithologists I spoke to recommended diversifying feed types in winter to appeal to the widest variety of birds."
Many seed- and insect-eating birds remain locally in winter and are easier to see with leaves off trees. Diversifying feed types and feeder styles increases species diversity at feeders; options include mealworms on platform feeders, suet cakes or balls, and seed tubes. Suet is a winter staple and cakes mixed with hot pepper can deter squirrels while attracting insect-eating birds. Offering several seed types and feeder formats helps appeal to different feeding preferences and speeds discovery of new feeders by neighborhood flocks during cold, wet, or icy months.
Read at www.wired.com
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