Overview
- Resident birds conserve heat by fluffing feathers, sheltering in dense cover or nest boxes, forming communal roosts, and keeping their feet just above freezing through counter‑current heat exchange.
- Offer species‑appropriate, energy‑rich food: seeds such as sunflower, hemp and peanut pieces for finches and sparrows, fat balls or rings for tits without plastic nets, and fruits, raisins or oats for thrushes and robins.
- Provide a shallow, ice‑free water source refreshed daily, using warm water or a moving surface to prevent freezing, and bring bowls indoors overnight during hard frost.
- Maintain strict hygiene to reduce disease: remove old food, clean feeders with hot water regularly, use separate tools and gloves, and keep feed dry under a protective roof.
- Protect small birds by using silo feeders with small openings, spreading several feeding sites to avoid crowding, placing stations about two meters from cover to deter cats, and marking windows to prevent collisions.