This Winter, Make Your Backyard a Safe Haven for Birds

Birds brighten the gray days of February and March and keep us company through the coldest months of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. 

The flash of crimson from a Northern Cardinal alighting on a branch, the joy of catching a well-camouflaged Brown Creeper circling a tree trunk, and the sweet sounds of sparrows and finches can bring a landscape to life any time of year.

Winter can be a tough time for wildlife. Though species that spend the season in cold climates are well adapted to the weather, providing just a little help — in the form of nutrient-rich foods, reliable sources of fresh (unfrozen) water, and an environment free of dangers — can make the darkest months easier to endure. Your backyard can be a welcoming stop for birds when insects and vegetation are scarce or buried under a thick blanket of snow. 

But for your yard to be an inviting space for birds, it has to be safe! That means taking care to eliminate threats from untreated windows and free-roaming cats. It also means keeping places where birds gather as clean as possible to reduce the spread of disease.

Bird feeders and bird baths bring birds into close contact with each other, facilitating the spread of communicable conditions like conjunctivitis, which affects the eyes and respiratory system. Frequent cleaning — and pausing feeding when you notice a sick bird — can help contain conjunctivitis and other illnesses, including highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI, more simply referred to as bird flu or avian flu). 

Many bird lovers have observed the spread of this strain of avian flu with great concern since it first began in January 2022. Bird flu has been detected in nearly 11,000 wild birds as of January 24, 2025 across the U.S., but domestic poultry are by far more at risk and are much likelier to die from HPAI than wild birds.   Songbirds, the birds most commonly found at feeders, are less susceptible to avian influenza than waterfowl, seabirds, shorebirds, and raptors. The transmission rate is low among songbirds because they’re less likely to contract HPAI in the first place, and the chance they’ll shed the virus in large quantities is lower.

At the time of this publication, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has not recommended individuals stop feeding backyard birds due to the ongoing outbreak of avian flu. (This excludes people who keep chickens and other poultry — in that case, do put away the wild bird feeder and consult the CDC for resources.) However, this advice may change, so be sure to keep up to date with recommendations in your area. 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) maintains a database of all reported cases of avian flu identified in wild birds, available in a searchable table and map form (click “see more” to view maps of outbreaks since 2022 and recent outbreaks by state.) In addition, other resources more local to you — like your state’s game commission or department of agriculture, natural resources, or conservation, or county extension offices — can also be reputable sources of information on avian influenza.

So, while it’s unlikely avian influenza will be spread at your bird feeders, it’s wise to stay alert to the status of avian flu and to practice good feeder and bath hygiene even when there isn’t an outbreak (find tips for keeping squeaky clean feeders below). That includes tending to your own hygiene: Always wash your hands thoroughly before and after handling feeders and baths. 

If you do find a sick or dead bird in your backyard:

• Do not pick up the bird. Instead, contact local or state agencies (in most states, this will be a department of agriculture, natural resources, or conservation.) 

• Avoid contact with bird feces. Bird flu is transmitted through feces, saliva, and mucus. 

• If you have no choice but to handle a bird that has died, wear protective gear. Wear disposable gloves and a mask and throw them away when you’re done, double bag the bird, and wash your hands well with soap and warm water. 

• Keep pets away from the bird to be extra cautious. Some viral infections, including highly pathogenic avian influenza, can be transmitted between species, including cats, and from those animals to humans. Given the increasing cases of cats contracting avian flu, if you do allow your pet cat out, now would be a good time to reconsider.  

Take down feeders and clean them thoroughly. Pause feeding until it’s safe to resume. The agency you notified about the bird can provide more information for your specific situation.

Practicing good bird feeder hygiene is always important, but incidents of bird flu in many areas mean cleaning your feeders and baths is non-negotiable. Treat your bird feeders like you would your own kitchen: Clean up and wash the dishes. 

If using a bird feeder or bird bath, maintain them with regular washes (at least biweekly) using a 10-percent bleach solution (one part bleach mixed with nine parts water), followed by a water rinse, then completely air dry.

If you’re using a tray or platform feeder, consider changing out birdseed and washing your feeder more frequently. They lack a “roof,” making it easier for bird droppings to accumulate and seeds to get wet and moldy. Sweep up stray seeds from the ground regularly. 

As spring nears and you’re preparing to feed hummingbirds, try a mix of one part sugar and four parts warm or hot water (no red dye is needed, or recommended). Place the feeder in the shade and be sure to check the mixture for mold at least twice a week. Hummingbird feeders require cleanings at least weekly using the same process as your regular bird feeders. 

With your feeders clean, you’re ready to serve up a hearty meal for birds. It takes energy to stay warm in blustery conditions! Birds can forage and survive without assistance from people, but well-stocked feeders make their work a little easier, sparing them the energy they need to stay warm. 

Start with Seeds: In the colder months, birds turn to seeds and fruits when insects and vegetation are hard to come by. Black oil sunflower seeds will net you the most birds for your buck — chickadees, cardinals, jays, sparrows, and others will readily flock to your feeders for these easy-to-crack, nutritious seeds. 

Other options may not have the wide appeal of black oil sunflower seeds, but birds still love them:

• Dried corn is a favorite of jays, doves, pigeons, and quail. Cracked corn is preferred by smaller birds like finches and sparrows. But be aware of what you’re serving: Corn can contain toxins that are dangerous to birds. Avoid buying corn in plastic bags and don’t let it get wet. You’ll need to dish it out sparingly and regularly clean up old kernels.
• Nyjer, a pricier seed than most, is a delicacy for goldfinches, siskins, and redpolls (but a special feeder is needed for these fine, thistle-like seeds.)
• Safflower is much loved by cardinals. This seed’s very thick shell is difficult for some birds to crack. 
• White millet is a mainstay for ground-feeding birds like sparrows, doves, and cardinals. 

Pump Up the Protein: You can give chickadees, nuthatches, and woodpeckers a boost with unsalted peanut butter and suet (beef fat) served in a wire cage feeder that allows birds to perch while they’re pecking at food. If you’re not squeamish, offer live mealworms in a shallow bowl or dish. Freeze-dried mealworms are also available. These protein-packed, squirmy (if live) delicacies are especially beloved by bluebirds.

Fresh Fruit for the Win: Fruit can be another healthy source of nutrients for birds like American Robins and other thrushes. Sliced apples, oranges, bananas, and grapes, or raisins soaked in water, offered at your feeder or in a small dish can give birds a healthy boost of energy. 

What to Leave Off the Menu: While many birds are scrappy generalists willing to eat a wide variety of foods, there are some things you should never give even to the most adventurous birds:

• Bread and other processed “people foods” like donuts and potato chips are not only unhealthy for birds, but can bring unwanted rodents to your feeders. 
• Old birdseed can get moldy and be harmful, or even fatal, for birds to ingest. 
• Domestic pet food (e.g. cat and dog food) isn’t nutritious for birds. Cats are also predators of birds, so it’s best to keep them and their food inside. 
• Certain foods are always toxic to birds and should never be offered. Leave honey, chocolate, dry beans, dairy products, and avocados off the menu.
• Foods with dyes, additives, and preservatives are a no-go. This includes red dye in hummingbird food (either commercial or homemade) and jellies with high-fructose corn syrup (although natural jellies made with minimal ingredients are safe to offer in shallow dishes in the spring for birds like orioles.)

Other hungry wildlife might swing by your feeders for an easy bite. If you’re concerned about unwelcome guests like deer and squirrels, carefully consider your feeder placement and the type of feeder you’re using. 

Hopper feeders, which usually resemble a house, are filled with birdseed from the top and have an opening along the bottom and a perch for access to seeds. Hang it from a free-standing shepherd’s crook, an overhanging branch, or a hook secured to a wall. Tube feeders, great for smaller seeds, are hung in a similar manner and are likely to attract birds like chickadees. Platform or tray feeders are used by a wide variety of birds and can be affixed to posts and mounted on railings. Place them lower to the ground for doves, sparrows, and other ground-feeding birds. 

As a general rule, try to place feeders several feet from a safe space where birds can hunker down (like trees, shrubs, or even brush piles), and downwind from trees.

Putting out feeders brings birds closer to your home, and closer to windows. When it comes to bird feeders, there’s no distance from windows that can truly be considered safe. Treating your windows with collision deterrents should go hand-in-hand with feeding birds. Read on to learn more.

One overlooked but important part of your winter backyard feeder setup is a reliable source of water that isn’t frozen.

Bird baths don’t need to be elaborate — they just need to be no deeper than 3 inches and have a surface that birds can stand on without slipping. Terra cotta or plastic dishes, the kind used under potted plants, work well if you don’t want to spring for a brand-new bath. Place rocks in the water so birds can perch without getting feathers wet — though birds can and do bathe even in cold temperatures. 

Like feeders, try to place your water sources near the spots birds use for cover. Keep them clean and refill them regularly. Consider getting a deicing device to prevent water from freezing, available at a range of prices. Winter-ready bird baths with built-in deicing capabilities are another good option. 

Winter is harsh. On top of dealing with a scarcity of food and water, birds also have to contend with threats from predators and the environment around them. Domestic cats pose a serious risk to birds, killing an estimated 2.4 billion each year in the United States alone. The easiest way to keep birds (and cats) safe is to keep cats indoors. If your cat seems drawn to the outdoors despite the chilly weather, consider giving them access to a catio, training with a leash and harness, or taking them on adventures in a stroller or specially designed backpack. 

When it comes to windows, there’s no safe distance between glass and a feeder, but treating windows can reduce the threat they pose to birds. Birds don’t see windows the way people do. They see habitat reflected in or visible through windows. More than one billion birds are killed in the U.S. every year from collisions with windows, but this is a problem you can help solve. 

Breaking up the reflection helps birds “see” the window as an object they can’t fly through. Explore our database of techniques and products you can use to treat your windows, ranging from a simple pattern with tempera paint to custom-etched glass.

Native plants are gifts to birds that keep giving, providing nesting material and safe nesting sites in the spring. They also — unlike non-native plants — host a large variety of caterpillars, moths, spiders, and other invertebrates that feed young nestlings and fuel birds preparing for migration in the summer and fall. In the winter months, birds that don’t head south dine on the fruit some plants retain even in cold weather, and seek shelter in their branches and leaves. 

Once you’ve brought the bugs and plants to your yard, keep them there! It may be tempting to use chemical pesticides to rid your lawn of unwelcome insects, plants, fungi, and even critters, but doing so can spell trouble for birds. Chemical pesticides can cause direct harm to birds, but they can also deplete the resources (like moths and other insects) birds need to survive. 

If you can’t plant, no problem. Create a brush pile for birds to shelter in, leave snags in dead trees where birds can perch, or reserve some part of your yard as a “rake-free zone” in the fall — those leaves keep invertebrates safe over the winter and make your soil richer when they decompose.

Want to learn more ways to help birds all year long? Find out how ABC’s staff take action for birds during spring and fall migration and get more tips for leading a bird-friendly life.