Feed the Birds This Winter to Feed Your Soul

Feed the Birds This Winter to Feed Your Soul
Majestic Lawn Care and Landscape ~ Proudly Serving Rockland County, NY & Bergen County, NJ for 25 Years
Do you want natural color in your winter landscape? Then set up a birdfeeder or two this winter and watch what happens. Not only will you get gorgeous color—but you’ll also be entertained with each species’ antics and songs every time they visit your backyard feeders.
15 Types of Birds & the Food They Love to Eat
Rockland County, NY and Bergen County, NJ get a lot of different birds throughout the year. For your winter backyard, you want the traditional birds to visit your birdfeeders and find shelter in your evergreens.
Here are the top 15 birds to feed this winter:

1. Blue jays: Enjoy hulled and whole sunflower seeds, cracked corn, fruit, mealworms, millet, peanuts and peanut hearts, safflower and suet.
2. Brown creepers: Enjoy hulled sunflower seeds, peanut hearts and suet.
3. Cardinals: Enjoy black oil sunflower seeds, hulled sunflower seeds, cracked corn, millet, milo, peanut hearts and safflower.
4. Chickadees: Will eat black oil and hulled sunflower seeds, mealworms, nyjer, peanuts and peanut hearts, safflower seeds and suet.
5. Chipping sparrows: Love to eat cracked corn, hulled sunflower seeds, millet, milo and nyjer.
6. Eastern bluebirds: Love to eat fruit, mealworms, peanut hearts and suet.
7. Goldfinches: Will eat black oil and hulled sunflower seeds and nyjer.
8. House sparrows: Prefer black oil and hulled sunflower seeds, cracked corn, millet, milo and peanut hearts.
9. Juncos: Enjoy black oil and hulled sunflower seeds, cracked corn, millet, milo, nyjer, oats, peanut hearts and safflower seeds.
10. Mockingbirds: Eat fruit, hulled sunflower seeds, peanut hearts and suet.
11. Mourning doves: Enjoy black oil and hulled sunflower seeds, cracked corn, millet, milo, nyjer, oats, peanut hearts and safflower seeds.
12. Nuthatches: Love black oil and hulled sunflower seeds, mealworms, peanuts and peanut hearts as well as suet.
13. Pine siskins: Will eat black oil and hulled sunflower seeds as well as nyjer.
14. Ruby crowned kinglets: Eat hulled sunflower seeds, mealworms, peanut hearts and suet.
15. Woodpeckers: Prefer black and hulled sunflowers, mealworms, peanuts and peanut hearts, safflower seeds and suet.

Remember, native plants as well as berry bearing trees and shrubs also provide food for your feathered friends. Consider adding fruit bearing plants to your landscape next spring. You can buy the bird food at your local garden center, hardware store or big box store.
To learn more about how to feed your favorite winter birds this year, visit FeederWatch.org.
Prepare Your Property for Winter
Is your lawn and landscape ready for winter? Here are three beneficial blog posts to help you protect your plants and property this winter:

1. Keep deer out of your yard with these ideas.
2. Read more about protecting your trees and shrubs this winter with horticultural oil.
3. Keep your residential or commercial driveways, sidewalks and parking lots clear from snow and ice this winter with Majestic Lawn Care and Landscape’s snow plowing services.

If you’re ready to plan your next landscape design for spring 2017 or you need snow plow services this winter, call us today at (845) 708-2988 or fill out our contact form.
Sources:
The Cornell Lab of Ornithology, “Bird-Friendly Winter Gardens,” Bird Sleuth K-12.
Ibid, “Food and Feeder Preferences of Common Feeder Birds,” Project Feeder Watch.