Christmas Tree for the Birds

John Wilson

By John Wilson, Extension Educator

First, I hope everyone has (or had) a great Christmas (depending on when you get your paper) and a Happy New Year. Patty and I had some extra days at home over the holidays, so rather than sit around and stare at the TV (or each other), we enjoyed watching the constant stream of birds that come to the feeders and birdbath in our back yard. We have a variety of trees behind our house so there is lots of cover. But here’s an idea if you want to attract birds and don’t have that kind of setting.

Before taking your Christmas tree to the recycling center, consider creating some habitat for birds. To attract birds to your backyard, you must provide their three basic needs: food, water, and cover or shelter. Your old Christmas tree will provide excellent shelter for birds, providing protection from wind and predators. It can also serve as a feeding station, where you provide a buffet of food for our overwintering birds.

Before taking a tree outside, remove all the decorations and lights, including tinsel. To provide the most shelter possible for the birds, place the tree on the south or east side of your house, sheltered from winter’s harsh northwest winds. Securely anchor the tree by setting the stump in a five gallon bucket of damp sand and securing the top of the tree with heavy string or twine to nearby buildings or trees.

Decorate your tree with strings of popcorn, cranberries or raisins. Popcorn will attract cardinals and finches. Cranberries and raisins should attract cedar waxwings, finches and any robins wintering in the area. Apples, oranges, breads, and pine cones covered with peanut butter then dipped in birdseed can also be added. For best results, place these edible ornaments well into the tree.

Suet is especially attractive to insect-eating birds such as woodpeckers and nuthatches and is a good winter energy source. Suet seed balls will also attract chickadees and blue jays.

Press suet into the branches or hang it in mesh bags like those that contain onions or fruit in the grocery store. It is best to keep suet balls in the shade so they don’t melt. Also, keep them high enough in the tree so dogs can’t reach them. Pre-made suet cakes, which include suet, bird seed and a variety of dried fruits, are available at most nurseries, farm supply and hardware stores.

To make your own suet seed balls, purchase suet from your local grocery store. Mix birdseed and a small amount of peanut butter with suet while the suet is warm enough to be molded. Use a birdseed mix that contains sunflower seeds, proso millet and finely cracked corn. Mold the mixture around a wire hook that can be used to hang the suet seed ball in the tree, or fill empty orange rind halves with the suet mixture and attach them to the tree. You can also scatter some of that birdseed mix on the ground or snow around the base of the tree for ground feeding birds such as juncos.

If you decide to start feeding the birds, be consistent with your feeding. Feeding birds in the winter results in their reliance on you for part of their diet. Lack of this food, especially during severe cold or storms, could result in the birds starving to death before they can find another food source.

Even in winter, birds need water to drink and to keep their feathers clean. A birdbath with clean water will attract many birds if the water is not frozen. Commercial immersion heaters will keep the water in birdbaths from freezing. They are available from many nurseries, farm supply or specialty bird supply stores. Providing for the winter needs of birds can result in many hours of entertainment, spent watching these beautiful creatures.

For more information on attracting birds to your back yard, contact your local UNL Extension office.