While technically you don't have to take them down, there are a few ways you can utilize your birdfeeders to help feathered friends in the winter.

My New Favorite Hobby

Back in the spring, I purchased a bird feeder, because I had always wanted one.  I quickly learned that purchasing one bird feeder was actually a gateway bird feeder because now I have three bird feeders, a note in my phone with all the different types of birds I've seen so far in my yard, and a "See Rock City" barn birdhouse hanging in my tree.  What started as a "hey I'll put some food in here and see if I get any birds in my yard". has turned into a full-blown obsession.  I love sitting and watching my bird feeders, and seeing what guests stop by each day.    If you had told me a year ago that I would turn into a low-level bird watcher, I'd have laughed in your face.    But here we are. Below is a photo from my yard, but I have since added a couple more bird feeders.  I know, I have a problem.

Anyway, since we are going into the fall season, it had me wondering if I should put. my bird feeders up for the wintertime.  It turns out, I don't have to (and that makes me happy) but there's a ton of great information on bird feeding on the internet, so let's dive into a few tips and tricks to help our feathered friends out the most this winter.

Do You Need to Take Down Your Bird Feeder in Winter?

The short answer is, no.   The long answer is a little bit more complicated than that.  According to the Purdue Extension of Forestry and Natural Resources, feeding birds throughout the winter time can help our feathered friends out, particularly during a harsh cold snap.

When the temperatures drop and the snow falls, we often turn our attention to what we can do to help the wildlife which calls our yards home. In most cases, professional wildlife biologists don’t recommend the feeding of wildlife.  We instead focus on providing structural elements that provide food, water and cover to provide the necessary wildlife habitat. However, bird feeding, and particularly winter bird feeding, is an exception. It should not replace providing other elements of wildlife habitat in your backyard.

Purdue also recommends feeding high-quality foods that will attract a variety of birds.  They recommend black-oil sunflower, suet, and suet cakes as great options with little to no filler. Besides making sure to keep water near and quality food in the feeders, they also recommend keeping the bird feeders in sight where you can observe them.

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And Don't Forget to Clean Your Feeders

As you can imagine a communal feeding area for different species of birds can get pretty dirty, so it's recommended to make sure you keep your bird. feeders clean to help prevent the spread of diseases throughout bird populations.

The Humane Society recommends cleaning bird feeders every couple of weeks with 9-part water and 1-part bleach solution.

To prevent the spread of disease, wash your feeder with a mixture of nine parts water to one part bleach every two weeks. Be sure to let it dry completely and scrub off any caked-on debris before re-hanging.