Guide: birds in winter
What to buy
- Food for overwintering birds: Ready-made food for the feeder, for overwintering birds.
- Doypack garden treat for birds 2 kg: A mix in a larger pack for regular feeding.
- sunflower for birds: The basic winter food for the feeder, eaten by tits, house sparrows and greenfinches, among others.
In brief
- OTOP advises starting to feed birds when snow falls and frost sets in, while Prof. Piotr Tryjanowski would personally wait until the beginning of December.
- GDOŚ and National Geographic Polska recommend feeding birds until the end of winter, while OTOP gives no end date.
- Regular feeding in frosts and snow helps most, and in a mild winter, according to OTOP, birds cope on their own1.
In this article
When should you start feeding birds?
When winter genuinely makes it hard for birds to find food, not according to the calendar. The Polish Society for the Protection of Birds (OTOP) advises feeding from late autumn through the winter, and starting when "snow falls and frost sets in"1. The General Directorate for Environmental Protection (GDOŚ) says to act when snow cover prevents animals from foraging, and not to start too early3.
"let us feed birds when the weather does not favour looking for food: when snow falls and frost sets in."
OTOP, "What to feed and how?"
Prof. Piotr Tryjanowski of the Poznań University of Life Sciences told Radio Kielce that an exact date cannot be given, but he would personally wait until the beginning of December4. In his view, feeding too early can delay the departure of some species, because there is still plenty of food in nature4.
The most cautious is the archived OTOP educational material: start feeding "only during the period of the severest cold"6. The current OTOP site puts it more mildly, speaking of snow and frost1.
There is no single calendar date: the weather decides when to start feeding. Feeder you can hang up earlier, and put out the food only when snow and frost arrive.
There is no single calendar date: the weather decides when to start feeding.
At domowypupil.pl
-
For wild birds
Food for overwintering birds
from 10,33 zł incl. VAT Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page -
For wild birds
Megi Winter standard bird food
from 8,69 zł Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
When should you stop feeding birds?
Towards the end of winter, but none of the official sources gives a calendar date. OTOP does not state an end date on its pages1,2. GDOŚ, in a photo caption to its material, advises feeding until the end of winter3.
National Geographic Polska, citing OTOP and WWF, writes that birds must be fed right to the end of winter, because its last weeks are the hardest for birds5. The archived OTOP material speaks of putting out food throughout the period of the severest cold6.
| Source | When to start | When to finish |
|---|---|---|
| OTOP, "What to feed and how?"1 | from late autumn, when snow falls and frost sets in | the source gives no date |
| OTOP, archived educational material6 | only during the period of the severest cold | food throughout the period of the severest cold; in a mild winter not at all |
| GDOŚ3 | when snow prevents foraging, not too early | until the end of winter (photo caption, not the main text) |
| Prof. Piotr Tryjanowski, Radio Kielce4 | would personally wait until the beginning of December | the statement concerns only the start |
The table lists only what the sources say directly. End dates from unofficial guides are omitted.
Should you feed birds in a mild winter?
Probably not. According to OTOP, in a mild winter birds cope on their own, and feeding makes sense mainly when snow and frost make it hard to find food1. GDOŚ also indicates that in mild conditions birds will manage without help3.
. The archived OTOP educational material goes further: "In mild winters give up feeding altogether"6. If winter starts mildly and frost comes later, start only then.
Can birds be fed outside winter?
The most important thing is feeding in winter, when snow and frost make foraging difficult1,3. OTOP states that in spring, summer and autumn birds cope on their own1. GDOŚ draws attention to waterbirds: for swans and ducks, feeding all year round can weaken the migration instinct3.
For winter, choose food with a high energy value, e.g. Megi winter food or fatty winter food. You will find more in the category food for overwintering birds.
In winter, regular, fresh food in the feeder helps birds most.
How do you feed regularly, and how do you stop?
Once you have started feeding, carry on regularly, because birds get used to the feeder1,3,5. According to GDOŚ, it is regularity that makes the difference, and the help may last even several weeks3. National Geographic Polska advises feeding systematically, ideally at set times of day5.
When feeding regularly, a larger pack of mix is convenient, e.g. Garden treat for birds 2 kg.
Give little and often. OTOP advises putting out only as much as the birds will eat straight away, and GDOŚ advises putting only a little food in the feeder so that it does not spoil1,3. We describe what to give in the guides what to feed birds in winter and sunflower for birds.
How to stop feeding
Once the snow has melted and the weather has settled, reduce portions gradually instead of cutting off feeding from one day to the next. This is our practical summary of the tips above, not a recommendation from any specific source. Cut back suet in above-zero temperatures or take it down, because according to OTOP it quickly goes rancid1.
Key points
- There is no single calendar date: the weather decides when to start feeding.
- Regular feeding in frosts and snow helps most.
- Once you have started feeding, carry on regularly, because birds get used to the feeder.
- Reduce portions gradually instead of cutting off feeding from one day to the next.
Frequently asked questions
Should you feed birds in November?
Only if snow is already lying and frost is holding. Prof. Piotr Tryjanowski would personally wait until the beginning of December, because feeding too early can delay the departure of some species.
Until when should you feed birds?
Until the end of winter, according to GDOŚ and National Geographic Polska. Neither of these sources gives a calendar date, and OTOP does not state an end date.
Can you feed birds in summer?
Feeding in winter matters most. According to OTOP, in spring, summer and autumn birds cope on their own, and GDOŚ points out that for waterfowl such as swans and ducks, year-round feeding can weaken the migration instinct.
Can you stop feeding in the middle of winter?
The sources advise feeding regularly, because birds get used to the feeder. If you start, carry on feeding until the end of winter and finish gradually.
Sources
- OTOP, "What and how to feed?", by Monika Klimowicz-Kominowska, otop.org.pl
- OTOP, "Dokarmianie ptaków", otop.org.pl
- GDOŚ, "#PoPierwszeNieSzkodzić: feeding birds" (21.11.2022), gov.pl
- Radio Kielce (IAR), statement by Prof. Piotr Tryjanowski, Poznań University of Life Sciences (2 November 2024), radiokielce.pl
- National Geographic Polska, "Jak prawidłowo dokarmiać ptaki" (25 November 2025), Magdalena Rudzka, citing OTOP and WWF, national-geographic.pl
- OTOP, educational material "Czy dokarmiać ptaki? Ptaki miesiąca: sikory i łuszczaki" (PDF, archived material), otop.org.pl
Photos: Photo: Blackerking, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0, crop changed; Photo: Estormiz, Wikimedia Commons, CC0; Photo: Noel Reynolds, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0, crop changed.
Prepared by the domowypupil.pl editorial team on the basis of the sources listed above. The article is for information only and does not replace the advice of a vet.
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