Christian and I used to watch the birds in our yard. He had several books with pictures of birds and a pair of binoculars he used whenever he wanted a closer look. Cardinals, blackcap chickadees, and tufted titmouse were his favorites. A wonderful thing about these birds is that they do not fly south for the winter, so they help brighten up the snow-covered terrain. He had a keen ear and could recognize the birds by their calls.
When I look out my windows it is a great comfort to see and hear these winter birds. So far, we’ve had a minimal amount of snow and freezing weather, but once the colder temperatures arrive, these birds will struggle to find food, water, and shelter.
There are steps we all can take to make our backyards more bird friendly without upsetting the ecological balance of nature.
Feeding birds in the winter - The best winter foods for birds are suet, fruit, millet, salt crystals, peanut butter, peanuts, seed mixes, Nyjer (thistle seed) and black oil sunflower seeds.
Water – Birds can usually access fresh water, but in the coldest part of winter, a heated bird bath will bring them to your yard. Just be sure to replenish the water and keep the bath clean to prevent the spread of illnesses. Add rocks to the bird bath, so the birds can drink without getting wet which could be fatal for them.
Shelter – Bird roost boxes are different from bird feeders. They offer smaller birds shelter from the elements and protection from predators. Make sure feral cats can’t reach the roost and it is not accessible to hawks.
Salt – Many birds crave salt and will be attracted to road salt which can be deadly for them. Only offer salt in minimal amounts. You can add salt crystals to your bird feeder or make a strong saltwater solution and let it evaporate in a shallow dish to make larger salt crystals.
Collisions with Windows – It’s estimated that over a billion birds die each year from collisions with windows. To make your home safer for birds follow these suggestions, https://abcbirds.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Save-birds-2017.pdf
Common Winter birds and where they spend their winter months
American Robin – the Continental United States
Northern Cardinal – Southern Canada, Northeastern, Midwest, Eastern United States, Mexico, and parts of Central America
Blue Jays – Southern Canada, Eastern and Central United States
American Goldfinch – Southern Canada, Eastern United States down to Mexico
House Finch – Northern United States and Western United States
Red-breasted Nuthatch – Canada, Alaska, northeastern and western United States
Tufted Titmouse – Ohio and the Mississippi river basin to the Northwest into Southern Canada
Dark-eyed Junco – temperate North America
Downy Woodpecker – Southern Canada and the continental United States
Snow Bunting - Southern Canada and Northern United States
Black-capped Chickadee - Northern United States
Southeastern Carolina Chickadee - Southeastern United States
Mountain Chickadee - Mountain regions in the Western United States
California Quail - Western regions of the United States and especially the Pacific Northwest
Pine Siskin - Southern Canada and the extreme Northern United States
House Sparrow - Southern Canada, United States, and Mexico
https://www.thespruce.com/winter-bird-photo-gallery-4122079
https://www.thespruce.com/attracting-birds-in-winter-386397
https://abcbirds.org/blog21/winter-birds/