As the colder months approach, what can you do to encourage birds to visit your garden?
Vita Molyneux Travel reporter
14:12, 24 Aug 2025
Birds will keep coming back to your garden(Image: nitrub via Getty Images)
If you’re keen to make your garden a haven for birds during the autumn and winter months, it’s time to start preparing.
As the colder weather sets in, food becomes scarcer and birds may struggle to find the energy they need to survive.
Adrian Thomas, a wildlife gardening expert from the RSPB, has shared his top tips with the Royal Horticultural Society on how to keep our feathered friends happy and healthy throughout the cooler months.
His first piece of advice is to ensure there’s a fresh water source in your garden. As the seasons turns, it’s crucial to prevent any water you provide, such as in a bird bath, from freezing over.
Bird baths are a great way to help birds survive the upcoming seasons(Image: Michael Lee via Getty Images)
Installing nesting boxes can also be beneficial, providing birds with a refuge from the cold. This can particularly help declining species like starlings and swifts.
Adrian’s third tip is to ensure your garden is abundant with food – either natural or provided.
To naturally provide food, consider planting berry-rich hedges and shrubs. Hawthorn, crabapple and rowan are all excellent choices that will keep birds returning.
You can also assist birds in finding natural food sources by not raking up all the leaves that fall during autumn.
Leaving some piles under bushes allows birds to sift through them in search of insects and worms, helping birds to flock to your garden.
If you’re supplementing their diet, sunflower hearts, seeds, or mealworms (fresh or dried) are ideal for peckish birds.
Birds need our help to survive during the colder months(Image: David Fairclough via Getty Images)
Just remember, if you’re using bird feeders, it’s important to keep them clean. This is crucial throughout the year, but particularly in the colder months.
This is due to the fact that during winter, there’s an increase in the number of birds visiting the feeders, which heightens the risk of disease spreading amongst them.
Encouraging birds to flock to your gardenProvide fresh waterNesting boxesProvide foodDon’t clear up all fallen leavesKeep bird feeders clean
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