4 Simple Ways to Create Winter Feeding Shelters for Wildlife

Winter feeding shelters can offer much-needed support to birds and small mammals during the coldest months of the year. This means providing natural areas for shelter and healthy food sources for wildlife during harsh winter conditions. Learn about four simple ways you can help birds and small mammals continue to thrive when freezing temperatures arrive.

Make Natural Bird Feeders Using Pinecones

To help birds find healthy food sources during the winter, don’t put out bread or crackers, which provide no nutrition. Instead, make your own natural DIY winter bird feeders using pinecones, natural peanut butter, and black oil sunflower seeds.

• Tie a cotton string around the tops of the pinecones (to hang on the branches of trees).

• Use a rubber spatula or wooden craft stick to spread all-natural peanut butter on the pinecones.

• Roll the peanut butter covered pinecones in a tray of the black-oil sunflower seeds.

From there, just hang the pinecone feeders in a quiet area of your yard, away from human traffic and near plenty of native trees or shrubs. Birds like cardinals, finches, and chickadees are likely to be frequent visitors since they love black-oil sunflower seeds. In fact, the best winter bird food mixes will contain black-oil sunflower seeds because they are a great source of energy.

Create Wildlife Feeding Shelters for Small Mammals

You can create wildlife feeding shelters for small mammals by collecting branches and leaves to build a brush pile or by planting native evergreen trees or shrubs in your yard. Brush piles and evergreens can help create shelter for wildlife by reducing cold winds and retaining snow, which acts as insulation.

When considering winter feeding for rabbits and raccoons, certain types of native shrubs and trees will retain fruit that they can feed on from fall through winter. Check to find out which types of trees and shrubs are native to your area, then be proactive about planting them during the spring or fall.

• Northern Bayberry

• Viburnum

• Sumac

• American Crabapple

• Winterberry

If you aren’t sure which types of native trees or food sources are best, just check with your state wildlife agency or ask a wildlife habitat manager. They will appreciate you taking the time to ask.

Skip Trimming Perennials Until Spring

Forget any trimming chores associated with a well-manicured garden until spring arrives. The seedheads of perennial plants can provide winter feeding for backyard birds like finches, chickadees, and sparrows. In addition, the standing stems and stalks provide extra cover for wildlife and gives native bees shelter through the winter.

Provide a Source of Clean Water

Accessible sources of drinking water can often become scarce for wildlife during the winter months too. Small ponds or natural waterways are ideal because you can just gently break the ice each morning so that wild birds and small mammals can take a drink. If there are no ponds or natural waterways near you, leave a shallow, wide dish filled with fresh water outdoors away from high-traffic areas or make sure wildlife have access to a rain.

When development leads to a loss of habitat and fewer natural areas, wildlife may be forced to relocate. When you create winter feeding shelters for wildlife during the coldest months of the year, you are helping to create healthier habitats and added in your local area.