Should You Leave Bird Feeders Out All Winter? Here’s What Experts Say

While setting up a bird feeder in spring is something many people do to ready their yard for warm weather, keeping it up as the temperatures drop is less common. If you typically bring your feeder inside for the winter, it's worth reconsidering: Providing food for birds year-round offers key nutritional support to your backyard avians when food is scarce.

Experts suggest filling feeders with winter-appropriate feed (think comfort food, but for birds) and adding other helpful elements to your yard, like heated bird baths and covered roosting boxes. Implement these clever tips as autumn turns to winter to make your yard a bird-friendly space until spring comes again.

Should You Leave a Bird Feeder Out All Winter?

While local birds can find their own food during winter, providing a feeder offers support when sustenance is scarce. "Birds benefit most from feeders during winter because resources are less plentiful, especially on frigid, snowy days," says Olivia V. Sanderfoot, leader of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Project FeederWatch.

Leaving your feeder out also offers you a year-round view of the birds visiting your yard. "There really isn't any added concern with feeding birds in the winter," says Doug Hitchcox, staff naturalist at Maine Audubon. "That said, we know birds are finding enough natural food even during the harshest parts of the winter, so feeding birds is really about personal enjoyment and being able to observe birds closer."

Birds That Eat From Feeders During Winter

The types of birds you’ll see at your feeder during the winter depend on your climate region. "Common feeder birds resident to your area will continue to enjoy your feeders all winter long," says Sanderfoot, who lists sparrows, jays, and cardinals as common cold-weather feeders. Keri Wilson, horticulturist at Garden Media Group, adds chickadees, finches, juncos, and woodpeckers to the list of birds common throughout much of the country during the winter.

Additionally, birds that eat insects in the summer will switch to a plant-based diet in winter, making them great to host at your feeder, says Hitchcox. "American goldfinch love thistle feeders, and careful observers should keep an eye out for less common species like pine siskin or redpoll mixing in (in the Northeast)," he adds. "Larger seeds, like sunflower and safflower, are good for northern cardinals—and not much in nature looks more beautiful than a bright red male northern cardinal against a snowy landscape."

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Winter Bird-Feeding Tips

Keep these tips in mind to attract more birds to your feeder during winter.

Offer High-Calorie Foods

Our experts recommend choosing winter-ready bird foods that are high in fat, oil, and protein, including sunflower seeds, nuts, and suet cakes. "You can put out raw suet from the butcher or get suet cakes at most bird feeding stores that have seeds and fruits in them," says Hitchcox. "Mealworms are increasingly popular for people to put out, typically dried mealworms, which are great for attracting species like eastern bluebirds. Mixed bird seeds are common and a good choice if you want to attract a variety of birds, but beware that some brands add fillers that birds don't really like; avoid red millet and flax." Rich, dense foods like these give birds a needed boost of calories during the winter.

Keep the Feeder Clean

A clean bird feeder is essential in any season, but regular maintenance in winter is even more critical. As a general rule, Sanderfoot recommends cleaning seed and suet feeders at least once every two weeks and more often during wet weather. "It’s important to keep bird feeders clean and ensure seed is fresh and dry," she says.

If you place food on the ground for ground-feeding birds like juncos and robins, Wilson says it's crucial to use a clean tray feeder and only put out food that will be consumed in one day to prevent disease and pests. Feeders that stay wet can become havens for mold and disease that put your birds at risk.

Provide Cover

Sanderfoot recommends offering your backyard birds shelter from the elements with a covered feeder, which keeps them protected during snow, sleet, rain, and hail.

Other Ways to Help Birds During the Winter

To maximize the amount of birds visiting your yard in winter, our experts suggest implementing the following strategies.

Provide a Heated Bird Bath

All the experts recommend keeping your bird bath clean and filled during the winter. "Water can be a scarce resource in winter, so providing a heated birdbath is a great way—beyond a bird feeder—to attract birds," says Hitchcox. Setting up a heated bird bath gives birds a low-effort way to drink even in freezing temperatures. "Birds can hydrate with snow, but they have to expend energy to do so," says Wilson.

Plant Native Shrubs and Trees

For birds to find their own food in the winter, they need reliable access to native plants. "Bird feeders should be viewed as a supplement to a healthy landscape, not a replacement," says Wilson. "A landscape filled with plants that are native to your region will provide year-round nutrition in the form of seeds and berries in fall and winter, and caterpillars and other insects in spring and summer. Planting native evergreens with dense foliage helps to provide shelter and protection from the harsh weather and predators."

Set Up a Roosting Box

Hitchcox also suggests a roosting box, where multiple birds can settle in for the winter. "These are basically really large bird houses, usually with a bunch of pegs or sticks on the inside for birds to roost in at night," he says. "Some species, like chickadees, will have communal roosts, and giving them a box can help."