Wild birds need a helping hand to get through winter
December 1, 2009
If you want to be the wind beneath someone's wings this winter, how about feeding the wild birds?
"For winter resident birds, it's an extremely challenging time," says Sara Dubois, manager of wildlife services for the B.C. Society for the Prevention of Animals. "They no longer have access to the food sources that sustained them all summer and into early fall, and even shelter can become difficult to find."
In warm weather, birds rely heavily on insects for food. But insects are dormant in winter months, when birds need even more calories to keep their bodies warm. If the temperature dips below freezing, water also disappears, giving way to ice.
It's at this time of year, says Dubois, that birds need our help the most.
"High-calorie and high-fat foods like oil sunflowers, suet and peanuts are all excellent options to place in bird feeders," says Dubois.
Dubois cautions well-meaning bird enthusiasts from putting out bread for winter birds. Bread actually hinders avian digestion and if it's fed to birds often enough, it can be fatal. She also says it's essential to clean bird feeders weekly to avoid the buildup of mold and prevent the spread of disease.
For more information, read our full press release.
To help our animal welfare and education programs, please support the BC SPCA Monty Fund for Community Education & Outreach.
The BC SPCA is a non-profit organization funded primarily by public donations. Our mission is to prevent cruelty and to promote the welfare of animals through a wide range of services, including cruelty investigations, emergency rescue and treatment, sheltering and adoption of homeless and abused animals, humane education, advocacy, farm animal welfare, spay/neuter programs, and wildlife rescue and rehabilitation.
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