For the Birds
Author's posts
Oct 17 2026
How to Identify Bird Feeding Signs in Fresh Snow
Fresh snow can reveal a surprising amount about the birds living around your yard, garden, or nearby woods. Even when the birds themselves have disappeared into the trees, they often leave evidence of where they’ve been searching for food. You might discover tiny footprints surrounding a patch of disturbed snow, scattered seed husks beneath a …
Oct 17 2026
Why Do Birds Leave Wing Prints in Snow?
Fresh snow can reveal some remarkable signs of bird activity. Most people are familiar with finding small footprints beneath bird feeders or webbed tracks along the edge of a frozen pond, but occasionally the snow holds something far more unusual: the unmistakable outline of a bird’s wings. These impressions sometimes resemble miniature snow angels, with …
Oct 17 2026
How to Identify Duck and Goose Tracks
A fresh snowfall can reveal just how much activity takes place around a pond, lake, or wetland when nobody is watching. Along the shoreline, you might discover a trail of broad, webbed footprints crossing the snow, winding through frozen grass, or disappearing at the water’s edge. These tracks may have been left by ducks or …
Oct 17 2026
How to Identify Crow and Raven Tracks
A fresh layer of snow can reveal just how active birds have been around your yard, garden, or favorite walking trail. Among the most interesting footprints you might discover are those left by crows and ravens, two large, intelligent birds that spend considerable time exploring the ground in search of food. At first glance, crow …
Oct 17 2026
How to Identify Bird Tracks in Snow
Fresh snow can reveal an entirely different side of the birds living around you. Even when your backyard looks quiet and empty, a closer inspection may uncover tiny footprints beneath the bird feeder, a trail crossing the garden, or a series of large tracks leading toward the woods. Every set of footprints tells part of …
Oct 16 2026
Where Should You Place a Winter Roosting Box?
When temperatures drop and winter winds begin to blow, backyard birds need safe places to shelter from the cold. While dense evergreens, tree cavities, and thick shrubs provide natural protection, a winter roosting box can offer an additional sheltered place for certain birds to spend the night. Chickadees, nuthatches, bluebirds, titmice, and some woodpeckers are …
Oct 16 2026
How to Clean a Birdhouse Between Nesting Seasons
Birdhouses provide valuable nesting spaces for cavity-nesting birds such as bluebirds, chickadees, wrens, and Tree Swallows. During the breeding season, these small shelters become busy nurseries where adult birds raise their young, bringing food to hungry nestlings and protecting them until they are ready to leave. Once the nesting season ends, however, a birdhouse may …
Oct 16 2026
Should You Leave Birdhouses Up in Winter? What Backyard Birdwatchers Should Know
As autumn gives way to winter, many backyard birdwatchers begin cleaning feeders, putting away garden tools, and preparing their outdoor spaces for colder weather. If you have birdhouses in your yard, you might wonder whether they should come down for the season or remain outside until spring. The good news is that you can leave …
Oct 16 2026
Birdhouse vs. Roosting Box: What’s the Difference?
Birdhouses and roosting boxes may look almost identical at first glance. Both provide enclosed spaces where birds can find shelter, and both can be wonderful additions to a bird-friendly backyard. However, these two structures are designed for different purposes, and their construction reflects the different needs of birds throughout the year. A traditional birdhouse, also …
Oct 16 2026
Do Birds Use Birdhouses in Winter? How to Provide Safe Winter Shelter
When the weather turns cold and the nesting season comes to an end, you might wonder whether the birdhouses in your backyard are still being used. After all, birds need somewhere to sleep during freezing winter nights, and an enclosed wooden house seems like a much better option than an exposed branch covered in snow. …
