How and what to feed birds in winter - three main rules and other useful tips. What to feed birds (tits, sparrows) in winter

Let's talk about what sparrows eat. You can recognize these birds by their lively fuss on city streets. These active and cheerful birds survive even in severe frosts, because they do not neglect the food that catches their eye. Sparrows are characterized by such traits as cunning, agility and courage. From this article you will learn about the seasonal food preferences of birds, as well as how to fatten a sparrow that comes into your hands at home.

Sparrows are omnivorous birds. They got their name for their arrogant, thieving character. No wonder the peasants drove away the annoying gluttons with the words: “Beat the thief!” After all, it is known that a flock of these birds is capable of destroying an entire field of grain in just a few days.

However, these voracious birds also have benefits. They prey on harmful insects, whose populations, if uncontrolled, cause even more damage to agriculture than the sparrows themselves.

History remembers a case from the last century when, after the mass extermination of sparrows in China, crops were completely destroyed by beetles and caterpillars. After this, the Chinese were forced to artificially breed sparrows, purchasing them from neighboring countries.

This suggests that small, voracious sparrows are an indispensable cog in the ecosystem that performs important work in it.

Field and brownies

In nature, there are two types of sparrows: house sparrows and field sparrows.

Tree sparrows external signs resemble adult brownie males. Their physique has a more graceful shape, and the length of the body is 12-14 cm.

Main distinctive feature between species lies in the different color of the plumage on the top of the head. U tree sparrow it is bright brown, while the brownie's is dark brown. In the area of the neck and head of tree sparrows there are dark inclusions in the form of spots, and the “collar” is painted white. House birds have one light stripe on their wings, while field birds have two.

As for gastronomic preferences, these varieties completely coincide.

Sparrow feeding in spring

The mating season and nesting of birds begins with the onset of the first heat. By this time, buds are already appearing on the trees. They become the main nutritious food for sparrows.

While the female incubates the eggs, her partner gets food for both of them. Earthworms, flies, caterpillars and other living creatures that crawl out into the sun after wintering act as spring food for sparrows. The same food is suitable for newly born chicks.

IN spring months The benefits of sparrows are most noticeable, since they catch harmful insects not only for themselves, but also for their offspring. Statistics show that during this period one pair destroys up to three kilograms of pests per month.

At the same time, sparrows do not stop raiding garden trees and other crops, eating their buds and seeds.

Subsistence in the summer

During the hot season there is plenty of food for birds. Here's what sparrows eat in summer:

beetles;
larvae;
caterpillars;
locusts;
butterflies;
cereals (wheat, oats, millet);
seeds;
berries;
fruits;
food waste.

Sparrows in the city and rural areas meet at every step. There are a lot of them in parks, squares, vegetable gardens, fields, as well as nearby cafes and near trash cans. In summer, birds become especially harmful. They not only destroy crops, but also spoil the harvest of fruits ripening on the trees. In addition, the birds peck at grapes and other berries that are ripe by that time.

Due to this Agriculture is engaged in controlling the number of sparrows. This maintains a balance that does not allow both birds and insect pests to actively reproduce.

Feeding sparrows in winter

The sparrow begins in winter serious problems with the search for food. Trees and soil are left without fruit, insects completely disappear. This significantly narrows the search for food. Birds often die from starvation.

The remaining food sources for sparrows are city dumps, winter berries, cereal processing plants, public catering establishments.

Fortunately, in winter, humans come to the aid of sparrows by setting up feeders and filling them with bread, grains, sausage, cheese, pieces of lard and other bird delicacies.

Features of feeding

To save sparrows starving in winter, you need to build a feeder suitable specifically for them.

To avoid proximity to large birds, build a small structure for sparrows. Any available item is suitable for this, in particular, plastic bottle or box. Make a hole in it through which only small birds can easily penetrate.

As nutritious food for sparrows winter months a mix of cereals, leftover food from our table, including bread and protein products, nuts, cereals, seeds. It is recommended to string the meat pieces on a thick thread and hang them on top of the feeder.

Refill your feeder regularly as sparrows will stop visiting if it sits empty for a long time.

Feeding a sparrow chick at home

If you find a baby sparrow that has fallen from its nest and want to save it from starvation, take care of proper nutrition chick. IN wildlife its diet consists mainly of insects.

It is not easy to get such food, so give your little sparrow boiled lean meat, pureed in half with oatmeal, or chopped boiled egg. You can feed your baby bread no more than once every three days, after soaking a piece in milk.

The vegetable diet of a sparrow chick is boiled and grated beets, carrots and grated cucumber. Drain excess juice from vegetables first. The chick will receive calcium by including crushed chalk in the menu.

Do not add salt to cooked foods.

If the baby refuses food, gently push it down the throat, holding the open beak with tweezers. Give the sparrow water using a pipette.

The little sparrow is fed every two hours.

If you feel that you cannot handle all this, do not pick up the dropped chicks.

Principles of caring for a sick sparrow

It happens that an adult sparrow with a physical defect or illness falls into the hands of a person. A balanced diet will help you get rid of it.

The basis of the menu should be protein. Insects (worms and larvae) can be purchased at a fishing store or pet store. If getting them is problematic, give preference to parrot food, berries, boiled or raw meat, grated boiled carrots, chicken eggs and fresh clean water. If there is a lack of vitamins, introduce a special mixture into the diet, which the veterinarian will recommend.

If the bird is able to eat on its own, place a feeder with food and water in front of it. Otherwise, use tweezers and a pipette.

Foods prohibited for sparrows

Exclude rye and baked goods that contain it from the sparrow's homemade diet. This cereal reduces stomach acidity, which leads to upset stomach digestive system birds.

Also remove smoked and salty foods from the bird's diet. Sunflower or pumpkin seeds are only suitable when eaten raw. Anything fried, including seeds, causes disturbances in the functioning of the body.

Be careful with legumes too. They are rich in protein, but interfere with the complete absorption of food.

Of course, in the wild, sparrows do not disdain these products, since we're talking about about survival. But if you don’t want the bird to stain your home with numerous feces and die from inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract, listen to our advice.

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In the spring, when all the birds begin to have offspring, you can sometimes see chicks falling out of their nests. small ones, not fully fledged, yellow-mouthed babies look so defenseless and abandoned that it is simply impossible to pass by. Therefore, many people rush to take them with them in order to save the poor birds, warm them and feed them. What to feed a sparrow.

If you found a sparrow chick and brought it home to go out, first you need to find a place for it to stay. For this, a small box may be suitable, at the bottom of which you need to lay a cloth made of soft material. Place the foundling there and make sure it can't jump out. Very young chicks may need additional heating. To do this, it is recommended to use a heating pad or a bottle filled with warm water.

So, you picked up a sparrow chick, brought it to your house, equipped it temporary shelter and are going to feed the bird. The main thing to remember is that chicks insectivorous birds per day they eat food that is 3/4 of their weight. What do sparrows eat? The basis of their diet in nature consists of small flies, worms, caterpillars, beetles and various larvae. Of course, it is advisable to feed the baby these insects, but, unfortunately, it will be quite difficult to get them.

You need to know exactly what you can feed a sparrow. For example, under no circumstances should you feed your bird bread. You can give it very little, after soaking it in milk, no more than once every 2-3 days. You can offer the chick some boiled meat, which should be finely chopped and add oatmeal or grains of some cereal.

The sparrow chick will also eat vegetables- cucumbers, carrots, beets. Before feeding, they must be finely ground and the excess juice squeezed out. You can also feed your baby boiled egg and cottage cheese. It is very important to take into account that food for him should be unsalted, since salt should not be given to birds under any circumstances. You can supplement the diet by adding crushed chalk or coal; the chick will eat this supplement with pleasure.

When you try to feed the bird, you need to try to do it in such a way that the baby eats on his own. But if this is not possible, he should be given food after opening his beak with tweezers. This must be done very carefully so as not to damage the chick. If you are not sure that you can handle this task, it is better to ask someone else.

You need to feed your baby very often, once every 2 hours. Of course, this is very difficult and complicated, but if you want, you can cope, because you won’t allow the newly-made pet you have chosen to die of hunger? And also do not forget that, in addition to food, there should always be fresh water near the bird.

Is it worth picking up a sparrow chick?

Lifestyle of sparrows

Sparrows- small and agile birds, their cheerful chirping can always be heard on the street. Unlike their feathered counterparts, they wake up not at dawn, but rather late in the morning. Birds love to gather in noisy groups. When spring comes and it’s time to reproduce, the males fight for a long time for best places for nests. When the house for future babies is ready, the female lays 4 to 6 eggs. When the chicks are born, parents begin to worry about their food.

The sparrow chick is considered strong if he opens his beak wide when feeding. It is very rare, but there are cases where parents consider cubs that do not eat well to be weak and throw them out of their house. But such an action on the part of these birds - big exception.

In most cases, chicks fall out of the nests and begin to learn to fly. The first attempts may be unsuccessful, but later the kids gain strength and everything works out for them.

If you find a chick

Before you take it home little chick sparrow, it’s worth seriously thinking about, maybe it’s still worth leaving him where he was? Most likely, a “fledgling” fell out of the nest - a baby who has begun to learn to fly and is making his first attempts at this. And the bird’s parents are nearby at this moment, they control it and will always be able to bring food to their child while he is on the ground and gets stronger.

Caring for such a baby at home is quite problematic, and many chicks may simply die if not properly cared for or fed. If there are no dogs or cats nearby, it is better to bring and place a feeder with food where the fallen cub is located. And also do not forget that birds that grew up in captivity can quickly die after they are released to live outside.

If you find a nest, full of small and yellow-faced babies, and you are absolutely sure that their parents will not come again, and you really want to help the poor orphans, you can try to feed these chicks. If you wish, feeding such birds is a completely solvable task; you just need to first learn more about such babies so as not to inadvertently harm them.

Feeding instructions

First of all, you will definitely need:

pipette;
tweezers;
disposable syringes;
birdseed.

Now you can start feeding. To do this you need to do:

You already know that if you accidentally see chicks in the spring, it is better not to pick them up. But it may happen that you accidentally discover, say, a very small sparrow whose leg is broken, or has some other damage, and he is completely helpless, then, of course, he will definitely need help and care.

If the chick has not yet fully fledged, it needs to be heated. You need to place the baby in a warm and small bag. To do this, use an old mitten or wool sock. Make sure he is always warm. After this, you can try to feed the foundling.

Sequence of feeding a sparrow chick

You will need:

insects (flies, beetles);
tweezers.

The following steps will go like this:

Such a baby needs to be fed every hour using tweezers with a variety of insects; flies, spiders, worms, and small beetles are suitable. You can try to buy some at a pet store, for example, mealworm larvae. You will need quite a lot of food, so try giving a boiled egg as well. chopped meat;
when the sparrow opens its beak wide, use tweezers to place an insect into the bird's mouth, which it will subsequently swallow;
If the baby is not yet eating on his own, he does not need to be given water, as this is dangerous and he may choke. Feed him mushy food using a dropper. When he gets a little stronger and begins to eat on his own, place water in a drinking bowl next to him so that the sparrow chick can drink at will;
There is no need to worry about overfeeding your small pet, since birds have a very fast metabolism and require a lot of food. It is recommended to feed the babies little and often, and if the chick eats big amount food, but rarely, this will have a very negative impact on his health.

First, find a place for him. A small box with a soft cloth on the bottom will do. Make sure that the chick will not jump out of it. Very tiny ones need heating. To do this, you can use a heating pad or just a bottle of warm water.

What can you feed a sparrow chick?

First of all, it should be remembered that the chicks of insectivorous small birds - larks, tits - eat food equal to 3/4 of their weight in one day. It is best for the bird’s diet to consist of familiar insects: worms, flies, grasshoppers, beetles, and larvae. However, of course, getting them is not so easy.

For some reason, in books, fairy tales, and films, sparrows are usually fed. But this is under no circumstances possible. Give to the chick bakery products it is possible no more than once every 2 days, and even then only in the form of a crumb soaked in milk. In addition, you can gradually give finely chopped boiled or raw meat, ground in a mortar and steamed cereal seeds or oatmeal.

Vegetables - beets, cucumbers, carrots - are also suitable for feeding. They need to be grated and squeezed out of excess juice. You can also feed the sparrow chick with boiled eggs or cottage cheese. The main thing is that this food is unsalted. It is advisable to add a little coal or crushed chalk to the food - the chick will be happy with this seasoning. In turn, giving salt to birds is strictly prohibited.

Try to let the chick eat on its own, however, if this does not work, you can give it food by unclenching its beak with tweezers. Since she is still small, she needs to be fed often - at least once every 2 hours. This is quite a difficult task, and therefore it is considered difficult to feed the chicks of small birds. In addition, do not forget that in addition to food, the bird should have free access to pure water.

Before the sparrow chick comes out, think

Before releasing a sparrow chick, think: perhaps it would be better to leave it where you found it? In most cases, fledglings fall out of the nests. This is the name given to chicks that do not yet know how to fly, but have made their first attempt to try it. Their adult parents then try to feed their offspring already on earth.

If the area does not have large quantity And

Important!!! Never pick up sparrow fledglings, never feed them. Because each such feathered lump, seemingly lonely, unhappy and abandoned, is strictly controlled by its parents [online] and feeds them strictly by the hour. Except in very rare cases.

Important!!! If you nevertheless picked up a chick and artificially fed it, then you can no longer release it into the wild. Such a sparrow, fed by a person, will not be adapted for a free life, even if a flock of sparrows accepts it. Practice shows that a sparrow released into the wild dies within 3-5 days.

So, if you already have a sparrow, get ready to get up with the first rays of the sun for several weeks, take it with you to work, and go to bed late in the evening. All in order to feed the bird every hour. Birds in general, and chicks in particular, must eat frequently. Remember, you need to feed the chick strictly every hour, preferably every half hour, until satiated. If the feeding process is interrupted for more than two hours, the chick is likely to die. This is due to the specific digestive system and is very quick exchange substances. You can sleep peacefully at night, because at night the metabolism of birds naturally and slows down significantly.

For the right choice feeding regime, you need to try to determine the approximate age of the chick.

1. the chick in the photo is approximately 2-3 days old;
2. the chick in the photo is about 7 days old;
3. about 12 days;
4. about 15-20 days (already trying to fly).

Since the sparrow is a grain- and insectivorous bird, consider it an omnivore, it is easy to feed it. Typically, sparrows and similar birds are fed a mash composed of the following components in the indicated proportions:

One boiled chicken egg (or three quail);
Boiled millet 2 teaspoons;
Finely grated carrots 1 teaspoon (squeeze out the juice);
Chopped lettuce leaves or chickweed herbs (stellaria media) 1/2 teaspoon;
Dry daphnia 1 teaspoon (sold in pet stores) or 1 teaspoon finely chopped boiled beef;
One pharmaceutical calcium tablet.

The components are thoroughly mixed, preferably in a blender, until the consistency of medium-thick sour cream. The mixture is stored in the freezer, naturally frozen. Before feeding, I break off part of the mixture, thaw it and put it into a syringe. It is convenient to take an insulin syringe, which has a gently pressing piston.

We take the sparrow in our fist, but do not squeeze it too hard, so as not to damage it, but also so that it does not break out. Next, tap the nose of the syringe on the beak. The chick must open its beak itself. If the chick is not yet fledged and naked, then it itself will, in any case, open its mouth when the syringe approaches. If the chick is already a fledgling, then it will not open its beak on its own. In this case, you will have to unclench the beak with your nails.

Give the mixture little by little. You should try not to put the mash in the beak, but push it a little further so that the food gets into the crop and not into the beak. After each serving, give the chick a drop of water. Feed one at a time until satiated, until the beak stops opening. A remarkable feature: when the sparrow has had enough, it begins to weakly vibrate its entire body in the palm of its hand. I don’t know what this is connected with, maybe with a feeling of pleasure, but the sensations are unforgettable.

If the chick does not open its mouth fundamentally, then it will have to be force-fed. After some time, the chick gets used to the syringe and begins to open its mouth, however, not always.

When feeding a sparrow, it is very important to monitor the bird's droppings. The droppings should not be completely covered with white film. The presence of film indicates an incorrect feeding regime.

Starting from the third week, the sparrow should already try to peck the seeds (not sunflowers). But since his beak is still soft, it is difficult for him to crack the seeds. Therefore, it should be given to the sparrow along with the seeds. rice porridge or boiled millet, millet, which the sparrow, by the way, happily eats from its finger.

As soon as the sparrow began to eat the porridge itself, you no longer need to give the mash from the syringe. When the sparrow begins to eat the seeds on its own, you can also give up the porridge. Of the available bird foods, a grain mixture for finches or canaries is excellent. You can also try giving grain mixture to parrots, but it contains a lot of oats, and sparrows do not eat it very well.

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Published September 13, 2014 12:56
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Our tradition of feeding birds in winter came from our grandmother - she always laid out millet and crumbs for the birds on the windowsill, and in the morning they saw her fussing around in the kitchen and flew in and pecked at the glass.

We feed the birds with crumbled fat - what remains after cutting meat, millet grains rich in microelements, bread crumbs from the table, porridge left after lunch, etc.

I don’t know how useful this food is for them, but they fly in to eat every day.

We also always leave rowan and viburnum on the trees; by spring they peck them clean. We ourselves like to watch this process - plump bullfinches jump on branches, and in last years Crossbills have become more frequent - so we are studying bird species.

The bread is not very good healthy food for birds, so it’s better not to feed the birds bread, there’s just not much choice, so they peck it off. Is it better to feed with seeds? different plants: sunflower, pumpkin, melon, watermelon, corn, hemp, quinoa, string, as well as wheat, oats, millet, millet can be used. Herb seeds then need to be prepared in advance, just like the seeds of melons, watermelons, etc. You can have lard, but it must be unsalted. The most universal food is sunflower seeds, just not fried or salted. I regularly buy these seeds for birds (we sell substandard ones especially for birds - a little trashy, small). Nuts are also suitable for both birds and squirrels.

Birds in winter will be grateful to you for any food that you put in the feeder.

If you pour millet, millet, oats, rice into the feeder, you will attract birds such as tits, sparrows, goldfinches, pigeons and others.

Tits, woodpeckers, and pigeons are very fond of sunflower seeds.

Everyone probably knows that tits love lard. You can tie a piece of bacon to a rope and hang it on a tree branch.

But crossbills and woodpeckers will like the nuts.

In general, you can pour any cereal that you have in the house into the feeder.

In winter, and at any other time of the year, you can feed birds (sparrows, tits, pigeons and others) with sunflower, pumpkin, melon, and watermelon seeds. Give them cereals, lard, bread or bread crumbs, grain. You can give them specialized commercial bird food. It is better to prepare food in the summer; I also recommend making you a convenient bird feeder.

In winter, the birds need our help, because the insects are hibernating, there is no grass, the berries have fallen, but the birds want to eat.

Tits can survive without our help; they can rarely be found in the city; they live more often in forests. But sparrows are city residents. But there is one BUT. If we feed, we give a chance to survive to the weak, who will give birth in the spring, the numbers will increase and there will not be enough food for everyone.

It is necessary to feed the birds in winter, not to feed them. If there is always an abundance of seeds and lard in the feeders, then the birds will stop looking for their own food, and these are larvae, berries, and seeds.

If there is a choice of food in the feeder, then the sparrows will choose seeds, since they are the most nutritious, and too much fat will lead to liver disease.

You need to establish a feeding ration, fill the feeder once or twice a day and not in large portions.

You should not give salted, fried seeds, millet, salted lard, or black bread.

You can give sparrows wheat, white bread, pearl barley, oatmeal, and barley.

For tits - low-fat cottage cheese in small quantities, boiled eggs, seeds, lard, beef, butter.

For tits and sparrows, place dried sunflower, pumpkin, watermelon, and melon seeds in the feeder. You can also treat the birds with millet, stale white bread, pieces of apple and boiled egg. It will be very useful for these birds to peck on grain cottage cheese, a piece of lard or boiled meat, and butter. You should not give birds salted, fried or spoiled foods, because they poison the birds’ bodies with toxins. As a result, the birds may get sick and die.

We feed titmice, sparrows, bullfinches and other small birds with grain and bread. You can also hang lard on a string, for example, they also love to feast on it, the main thing is that it is not salty, and in general, as far as I know, birds should not be given anything salty.

Every winter I make a feeder for tits, bullfinches, and many other small birds; I put millet, bread, small corn, and also millet in the feeder. I hang the lard on a small wire, the tits prefer lard, and then they collect grain and bread.

Feeding birds in winter is sometimes very difficult, since the feeders are often literally covered with snow, but this is still a fixable matter, the main thing is to put in your efforts and a piece of your soul. You can feed any grain, for example millet, and also don’t forget about regular bread, and even simple sunflower seeds. When you look at such birds, it’s even nice that they feed with your help.

And this is clearly a question from an animal lover! Yes, feeding our little brothers in winter is desirable and very necessary, especially if there is a lot of snow. When there is no snow, they themselves are able to find food for themselves in the form of grains, herbs, waste and other things. But you can’t dig it up under the snow. So it’s easy and simple to make such a feeder and throw grain into it: millet, millet, wheat, seeds.

Tits especially love lard, as other authors have said. But if you don’t have grain in your house, then they will be grateful to you for bread.

By the way, here interesting option bird feeders. The highlight is that there are not just windows, but separate perches that are convenient to sit on