what do birds eat in the winter

Birds eat high‑energy seeds, nuts, berries, insects, and fat‑rich foods in winter, depending on the species and what’s available in their habitat.

Quick Scoop: What do birds eat in the winter?

In winter, most wild birds shift to foods that pack a lot of calories into a small bite to help them stay warm.

Natural foods birds find themselves

• Seeds from grasses and garden plants that were left to go to seed (meadows, prairie plants, ornamental grasses).

• Seeds from tree cones, like pines and other conifers, which are especially important for finches and other seed‑eaters.

• Berries left on shrubs and trees (winterberry holly, crabapple, wild grape, chokeberry, mountain ash), which many thrushes, waxwings, and cardinals depend on.

• Insects and other invertebrates (spiders, beetles, aphids, worms) hiding in bark, leaves, or under snow, eaten by birds like nuthatches, creepers, and some woodpeckers.

• Tree sap from species like maples, which sapsuckers and small songbirds may lap up when it’s not frozen.

Foods people put out that help birds

If you’re thinking of backyard birds, these are classic winter “power foods”:

• Black oil sunflower seeds: soft‑shelled, high‑fat seeds that attract many species and are often ranked the best single winter seed.

• Suet and fat cakes: animal fat blocks or homemade mixes with seeds and nuts that give birds a quick energy boost in freezing weather.

• Peanuts (unsalted, plain): rich in fat and protein for tits, nuthatches, woodpeckers, and jays.

• Nyjer (thistle) seed: oil‑rich seed favored by finches and other small birds.

• Mixed seeds and grains: millet, cracked corn, and other small seeds for ground‑feeding birds like sparrows and doves.

• Safe kitchen scraps in moderation: breadcrumbs, grated cheese, plain cooked rice, and some cereals can help, as long as they’re unsalted and not moldy.

How winter diets vary by bird

• Seed specialists (finches, sparrows, larks) may get 80–100% of their winter diet from seeds and grains.

• Insect‑gleaners (nuthatches, creepers, woodpeckers) still eat a lot of insects and spiders hidden in bark and crevices, topping up with seeds.

• Berry eaters (robins, waxwings, cardinals) rely heavily on lingering fruits and shrubs planted in gardens and hedgerows.

Simple story‑style example

Imagine a small backyard on a snowy January morning. A chickadee hops onto a feeder stuffed with black oil sunflower seeds and grabs one, then flits to a nearby branch to crack it open and eat the kernel—pure, quick energy in the cold air. A woodpecker lands on a suet block, chiseling out fatty morsels, while a robin below searches through ivy and holly for the last bright berries that survived the frost, each berry helping it get through another freezing night.

TL;DR: In winter, birds survive on energy‑rich seeds from grasses and trees, hardy berries, hidden insects, and any high‑fat, high‑calorie foods people provide, like sunflower seeds and suet.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.