Winter is the perfect time to get into bird feeding. As natural food sources like insects, berries, and seeds dwindle, our garden birds become more reliant on supplemental food to get through the season. Providing high-energy foods not only helps birds maintain their energy and health during the colder months but also gives you the best opportunity to attract a wide variety of species to your garden. From familiar visitors to more unusual species, winter feeding can bring the beauty of birdlife right to your doorstep.

Here are the top five best bird foods to feed in winter that can make a big difference for your feathered visitors during the cold months:

1. Suet Treats

3 blue tits perching on bird feeder eating yellow suet balls in winter

Benefits: Suet is a winter essential for birds and the best bird food to put out because of its high-fat content, which offers a dense, energy-packed meal that's easy for birds to digest and metabolise. Ivel Valley's Suet Treats come in different flavours and are easy to place in feeders or directly on the ground.

Birds It Attracts: Suet is loved by tits, woodpeckers, house sparrows and robins.

Why It's Perfect for Winter: Suet treats provide birds with the fat they need to survive cold nights and maintain their body temperature. They are an instant source of energy and nutrients, perfect for the winter season.

2. Winter Feast Seed Mix

winter feast bird mix in wooden bucket on frosty ground

Benefits: Specially designed for the colder months, the Winter Feast Seed Mix is packed with high-energy seeds, including sunflower hearts, berry suet pellets, and cranberries, which is a festive seasonal touch that is naturally rich in antioxidants and vitamins. This blend provides the right combination of fats, proteins, and nutrients.

Birds It Attracts: Winter Feast Seed Mix appeals to all garden birds, including sparrows, finches, tits, robins, and more! The rich seed, suet and berry variety makes it ideal for both ground feeders and perching birds.

Why It's Perfect for Winter: With ingredients chosen to boost energy and warmth, this seed mix helps birds maintain their energy levels. It's ideal for supporting your garden's birds through long, cold nights.

3. Sunflower Hearts

blue tit perching sunflower heart feeder in winter

Benefits: Sunflower hearts are a favourite among all garden birds due to their high oil and fat content. With no shells to crack, birds can quickly consume these nutrient-dense seeds, which is particularly helpful during winter when conserving energy is crucial.

Birds It Attracts: Sunflower hearts are loved by almost all garden birds, from finches and tits to robins and sparrows. They are especially beneficial for finches, which don't typically eat suet or peanuts.

Why It's Perfect for Winter: Providing sunflower hearts in your feeders ensures that all bird species in your garden have a food option they enjoy. With their high-energy content, sunflower hearts are the perfect winter treat for birds big and small.

4. Peanuts for Birds

great-spotted woodpecker perching on peanut feeder in winter

Benefits: Peanuts are packed with fat and protein, making them an ideal winter food. Their high-calorie content helps birds maintain their energy and build up essential body reserves.

Birds It Attracts: Peanuts are popular with blue tits, great tits, and even woodpeckers. They provide the fat and protein birds need for energy without the mess of smaller seeds.

Why It's Perfect for Winter: Unlike many other seeds, peanuts have a particularly high-fat content, offering a concentrated energy source to help birds get through the coldest days. Just be sure to use unsalted peanuts that are Aflatoxin-tested.

5. Ground & Table Mix

ground and table bird mix in wooden bucket on frosty ground

Benefits: During winter, ground-feeding birds, like robins and blackbirds, often struggle as frozen ground makes worms and insects inaccessible. Ivel Valley's Ground & Table Mix is a fantastic alternative, offering a well-rounded mix of seeds and grains that mimic their natural diet.

Birds It Attracts: Robins, blackbirds, wrens, and other ground-feeding birds will find this mix especially appealing. It's also suitable for table feeders, giving birds multiple feeding options.

Why It's Perfect for Winter: This mix is an excellent supplement for ground feeders that rely on insects and worms but can't reach them due to frozen ground. It offers essential nutrients and makes it easier for them to access food, even in harsh weather.

Winter: The Best Season to Begin Bird Feeding

Winter offers a special opportunity to start or expand your bird-feeding routine. With fewer natural food sources, birds will flock to your garden in search of nutrition, giving you a chance to observe and support a range of species. Offering these five types of food will not only help birds survive the cold but will also bring the joy of watching the UK’s diverse birdlife closer to home.

Explore Ivel Valley Bird Food for these winter bird foods and make a difference for your local wildlife this season!