What do sparrows prefer to eat in summer / winter?

With its brown plumage, the sparrow does not stand out in terms of color, but it is one of the most famous native wild birds. You can find out here which food the sparrows, which live in Germany all year round, eat.

Characteristics

The bird known colloquially as the sparrow is more correctly called the house sparrow (Passer domesticus). With a size of up to 15 centimeters and a maximum weight of ten grams, it is one of the smallest native wild birds. In order to provide species-appropriate feed, it is therefore necessary to know and take into account the different eating habits.

Basically, adult sparrows eat vegetarian food, with the Fledglings are additionally fed insects by their parent animals.

Lining for the summer

The selection of food suitable for sparrows is immense, especially in summer. In a natural garden, the house sparrow can generally take care of itself with all kinds of fruits and seeds. In rock gardens or in low-maintenance monocultures, however, this is almost impossible. The one-sided planting results in Wild birds and their young only a few locations for adequate feeding. In order to create a sparrow-friendly garden, it is advisable to provide suitable feed. These include:

• Grain seeds such as hemp, millet and wheat
• Sunflower seeds
• Raisins
• oatmeal
• Corn
• (Dried herbs
• Berry

Tip: For the care of the young birds, it is also advisable to add mealworms or Insect larvae.

Forage for the winter

During the cold season of the year, the foraging for food is much more difficult for the sparrows, even in natural gardens. The animals need sufficient energy in order not to freeze to death, particularly when the cold is persistent. A supplementary feeding with particularly high-energy foods such as fatty seeds and nuts is therefore recommended.

Suitable food supplements for the winter are:

• Hazelnuts
• peanuts
• Walnuts
• Alder seeds
• soy

Production of our own winter fat feed

The selection of ready-made feed mixes for wild birds is huge, although due to their composition not all varieties are suitable as food for sparrows. However, a balanced and species-appropriate fatty food can also be found at home in just a few simple steps produce. The basis of the feed is vegetable fat, which is enriched with various seeds and nuts.

The manufacturing process is as follows:

• Heat 200 milliliters of vegetable fat
• Add 100 grams of the selected seeds and stir well
• Let the mixture cool for a few minutes
• Shape balls and work in a thread for hanging
• Let the food balls cool down for several days

The composition can be made individually, whereby the mixing ratio for a solid consistency should be 2 to 1.

Tip: With a ratio of six parts fat to one part seeds, a significantly more fluid consistency is achieved. The resulting pulp can then also be distributed on tree bark and branches or served in bowls.

Feeding options

The bird feeder is one of the best-known ways of offering food to birds. The problem with this method, however, is that the animals are in constant contact with the food and contamination by faeces and bacteria is almost inevitable. It also offers a Bird house Hardly any protection from the weather, so that the diet may grow mold from rain and snow.

In comparison, a preserved Feed silo the food in it from both the eating animals and the weather. While the food is filled in from above, the animals can only take it from below.

Note: Despite the airtight seal, the feed silo should be cleaned at least every six months.

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