7 Tips for Better Winter Birdwatching

Although many people associate birds with spring and summer months, winter birdwatching can be a fantastic experience. The glistening snow, delicate ice and crisp winter air create a beautiful and serene setting for birdwatching. Winter also provides the opportunity to view rare birds and species that may not be around any other time of the year.

If you're new to birdwatching or want to get the most out of the activity, the following winter birdwatching tips will help you draw more birds to your yard and see more birds when you're out and about.

Providing fresh water is one of the easiest ways to draw birds to your backyard in the winter. Water is essential for a bird's survival, but colder weather makes staying hydrated more difficult. Shallow water sources, such as puddles and ditches, freeze over quickly and larger water sources are rife with potential predators.

Eating snow is an option for birds, but it isn't ideal since their tiny bodies use a lot of energy to melt the snow. Birds also need water to bathe — even in winter. Clean feathers provide better insulation than dirty, matted feathers.

The best way to provide water for birds in the winter is with a shallow bath made from materials that can withstand frigid temperatures. Granite, metal and sturdy plastic are all good options. Place the bath in a sunny location if possible and use minimal water. One inch of water is sufficient and helps to ensure that smaller birds like wrens, kinglets and chickadees don't accidentally drown. Adding stones or branches to the bath isn't necessary, but it can give the birds something to stand on and allow them to drink without getting wet.

The water in a bird bath will freeze quickly in some climates. Avoid breaking ice, tapping the bath on the ground or adding boiling water; all of these things could damage the bath. You should also avoid adding salt, chemicals and other additives that could make birds sick. Instead, change the water daily when or before it freezes. You can also consider getting a heated birdbath or adding an aluminum "de-icer" with a built-in thermostat to a non-heated birdbath. Both options will regulate the water temperature and keep it open and ice-free.

Many birds need extra food in the winter to regulate body temperatures and fuel their foraging activities. But getting enough to eat can be tricky when natural food sources are limited or buried under layers of snow and ice.

Providing bird feeders with high-fat, high-calorie foods can help draw birds to your backyard and give them the sustenance they need to survive the cold and prepare for northern migration or a successful breeding season. Some of the best foods to offer include shelled peanuts, suet and sunflower seeds.

Tube feeders work well for peanuts and sunflower seeds, which are a favorite of many birds, including cardinals, woodpeckers, jays, chickadees, titmice and nuthatches. Suet feeders attract woodpeckers, wrens, titmice, nuthatches, chickadees, creepers and some warblers. Squirrel-proof feeders and mess-free seed options are available if you want to avoid feeding or drawing unwanted critters into your yard.

Frigid temperatures can make birdwatching outdoors less fun. You can keep an eye on your feathered friends and stay cozy inside by placing birdbaths and feeders in view of your favorite window. Then, you can set up a birdwatching station indoors with a comfy chair, a pair of binoculars and a warm drink.

When placing feeders outdoors, try putting them at least thirty feet from the window or within three feet of the window. The longer distance will keep birds away from the window, and the shorter distance will prevent them from picking up too much speed and increase their chances of survival if they do collide with the window. Affixing the feeder to the window or creating patterns on reflective glass surfaces two to four inches apart, installing window screens and moving interior plants away from windows can also reduce collisions.  

Birds want to be noticed in the breeding season but not in the winter. Flashy colors attract unwanted attention from predators and competitors. A drab look makes it easier to blend in and is much more practical as birds molt and get ready to replace old feathers with new ones. The muted feathers are sometimes called eclipse plumage because the drab colors "eclipse" the brighter, bolder summer colors.

A few examples of songbirds that change their appearance between summer and winter include American goldfinches, indigo buntings, scarlet tanagers, chipping sparrows and yellow-rumped warblers. Male waterfowl, including mallards, wood ducks and some teal, can also adopt more muted colors for weeks or even months at a time, making them look more like their female counterparts.

Learning to recognize winter disguises for the most common birds in your area will make it easier to identify them in your yard and when you're out and about. You can find pictures of different plumages in many field guides and online through websites like the Macaulay Library, a free scientific archive of natural history audio, video and photographs.  

The colder months are the perfect time to see waterfowl. Many ducks, geese, swans and grebes come to the lower 48 states to overwinter in marshes, ponds, lakes, rivers and coastal bays. You can find wintering waterfowl in almost any waterbody that contains food and doesn't freeze over, but the best spots to see them are places along North America's flyways.

Flyways are the ancient migratory pathways birds use to travel to and from breeding grounds and wintering areas. The four North American flyways are the Atlantic Flyway, Mississippi Flyway, Central Flyway and Pacific Flyway.

The Atlantic Flyway contains the entire North American Atlantic Coast from Florida to Greenland. The Mississippi Flyway follows the Mississippi, Missouri and Ohio Rivers from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico. The Central Flyway is located on the east side of the Rocky Mountains. It starts in Canada and runs through states like Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Colorado, Kansas and Texas. It also includes the Prairie Pothole Region, an area so rich with waterfowl that it is known as the "Duck Factory." The Pacific Flyway is on the west side of the Rocky Mountains. It runs from Alaska to Patagonia along the North American and South American Pacific Coast.

There are hundreds of birdwatching hotspots along these flyways. You can locate them on eBird.org, a free online database with up-to-date waterfowl observations from scientists and everyday birdwatchers. Talking to duck hunters and exploring resources offered through Ducks Unlimited, a volunteer-based organization that conserves habitats for North America's waterfowl, can also help you find the best winter birdwatching spots in your area.

Winter is a great time to birdwatch in parks and forested areas. Walking trails have less foot traffic, and the leafless trees make it much easier to see birds. To top it off, winter is the only time to see certain bird species in some parts of the United States. Some of these birds come yearly, and others are sporadic visitors that only appear when there are regional food shortages.

The types of birds you can see will depend on your location, but a few winter birds to look for include dark-eyed juncos (also known as "snowbirds"), Lapland longspurs, rosy finches, common redpolls, snow buntings, yellow-bellied sapsuckers, kinglets, white-throated sparrows, red and white-winged crossbills, pine grosbeaks, evening grosbeaks, bohemian waxwings, northern goshawk and snowy owls.

If you want to see some of these birds but can't get outdoors to birdwatch, check out the Cornell Lab's free Ontario FeederWatch cam, which allows you to take a virtual birding trip from the comfort of your living room. 

Birdwatching outdoors in the winter can be an exhilarating experience. It can also be quite chilly, so checking the weather before your outing and dressing appropriately is essential. Layers are always the best option. A moisture-wicking base layer will keep you dry, a middle insulating layer will keep you warm and a waterproof outer layer will protect you from wind and precipitation.

Additional accessories like thermal socks, gloves, hats and scarves will also help make winter birdwatching a more comfortable experience.