Boston Sunday Globe

How winter can be for the birds

- Don Lyman can be reached at donlymanna­ture@gmail.com.

As we move into winter, some people put bird feeders in their yards to supplement our avian neighbors’ food supply. Some birds are common feeder visitors, while others are conspicuou­s by their absence, having migrated to warmer areas like the Southern United States, Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean.

Wayne Petersen, director of the Massachuse­tts Important Bird Areas program for Mass Audubon, said some of the more common species you’re likely to see during the winter in suburban Boston include blue jays, blackcappe­d chickadees, tufted titmice, northern cardinals, house sparrows, juncos, American goldfinche­s, whitebreas­ted nuthatches, and downy woodpecker­s.

Pigeons and crows also are common year-round residents in the Boston area. Pigeons — which are found mostly in urban areas — tend to be too large to land on most feeders, Peterson said. “As for crows, they’re usually too wary to feed at most feeder operations, even if food is only placed on the ground.”

Petersen said birds that head south for the winter include warblers, swallows, Baltimore orioles, eastern phoebes and other flycatcher­s, wood thrushes, catbirds, and robins.

Robins come with an asterisk though, as Petersen noted that while most robins migrate, thousands now overwinter in Massachuse­tts. Although robins are commonly seen hopping around on suburban lawns looking for worms and insects in summer, the winter holdovers feed on things like planted crab apples and cherries that retain their fruit through the winter, or on wild fruit in woods and swamps.

Ruby-throated hummingbir­ds are another common species that heads south for the winter.

There’s also been a trend for some Southern species to move northward in the past 50 years or more, Petersen said, noting that a few now-familiar birds in suburban Boston — including the northern mockingbir­d, the tufted titmouse, and the northern cardinal — used to be primarily Southern species.

Increased food availabili­ty, including more people feeding birds in winter, could contribute to this northward shift. The MassAudubo­n webpage, “Bird Feeding Best Practices,” said about 25 percent of birds’ food supply comes from people feeding them in winter.

To attract birds to your yard, there are several different types of feeders and bird foods that will do the trick.

“Pole-mounted feeders are common,” said Petersen. “But squirrels are very creative and can get to practicall­y anything by jumping, crossing wires, et cetera.”

He recommende­d using baffles — collars that go around the pole — to prevent squirrels from getting into your pole feeder.

“Use two baffles, separated by 10 inches or so,” Petersen recommende­d. “Squirrels can’t make it from one and then the other.”

Lucite tube feeders are good for dispensing sunflower seeds and thistle, said Petersen. Window feeders are a wonderful way for people to get a look at birds close-up.

“Flying squirrels will sometimes visit feeders at night,” said Petersen. “They’re a fun thing to have at your feeder.”

Flat tray feeders also are good, Petersen said, but can be dominated by blue jays, which can clean you out in a hurry, because they like to cache food.

At the top of the list of wild bird foods are sunflower seeds, especially black oil sunflower seeds, according to Mass Audubon.

“Sunflower seeds are almost a universal favorite,” said Petersen. “A lot of birds like them.”

Mixed batches containing small seeds like millet are less expensive, but some of the seed is wasted when birds kick the smaller seeds onto the ground as they search for sunflower seeds.

Nyjer thistle seeds are popular with house finches and purple finches, Petersen said. Suet cakes — a type of hard beef fat — can be hung in small wire cages, and attract birds like woodpecker­s, nuthatches, and chickadees, which cling to the wire cages while they feed.

Cracked corn can be sprinkled on the ground, said Petersen, where it attracts birds like blue jays and wild turkeys. But food that is thrown on the ground or falls from bird feeders can attract other animals, like rats, mice, squirrels, opossums, and raccoons.

Petersen said in Central and Western Massachuse­tts — where black bears are common — it is recommende­d to take feeders down by March, when the bears become active.

“Bears can bend poll feeders and shake the feeder to get sunflower seeds,” said Petersen.

Hawks and other predators will occasional­ly go after birds, but are not typically a major problem, said Petersen.

Petersen said feeders should be cleaned and disinfecte­d periodical­ly to get rid of mold, bird droppings, and other debris.

Another way to attract birds is to plant native fruitbeari­ng trees and shrubs, like crab apples, viburnum, dogwood, and cherries, said Petersen. Audubon has a webpage that recommends which native trees and shrubs to plant.

 ?? JESSICA RINALDI/GLOBE STAFF ?? A group of birds circle a feeder of suet during a cold February day last winter in Beacon Hill.
JESSICA RINALDI/GLOBE STAFF A group of birds circle a feeder of suet during a cold February day last winter in Beacon Hill.

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