It’s a Fall Food-gathering Frenzy Out There!

It’s peak autumn, which means epic fall leaves, pumpkin mania, and holiday prep. While you’re sipping pumpkin spice lattes and enjoying the warmth of your cozy home, your backyard bird crew is knee deep in winter prep. Birds might look dainty and delicate, but they’re some of the coolest super survivalists you’ll ever see.

Unfortunately, they can’t fly down to the local supermarket for grub, so they’re busy with their annual food-gathering frenzy. You may have noticed jays, chickadees, nuthatches, and woodpeckers stopping by your feeder and grabbing seeds or nuts to go. They aren’t taking food back to a cozy hideaway for some Nestflix and chill. Nope, they’re busy hiding, or “caching”, their favorite foody finds in hundreds of secret spots. They’re tucking treats into tree bark, under leaves, and sometimes in the ground. When winter hits, food becomes scarce, and birds return to their stockpiles of hidden treats to help them survive. Birds have excellent memories when it comes to hidden snacks. The tiny but mighty chickadee can remember literally hundreds of locations where it’s stored some gourmet grub.

As the weather changes, feathered foodies change their diet from seasonal summer offerings to more energy-dense foods like berries, seeds, and nuts. These high-energy foods help birds stay energetic, warm, and cozy. Some of birds’ favorite power-packed feeder snacks include sunflower seeds, sunflower hearts, safflower seed, and nuts. You can find all these gourmet goodies in COOL BIRDS Nut & Fruit, Safflower, Nuts, & Hearts, and Cardinal & Crew! Winter warriors like cardinals and titmice eat sunflower and safflower seeds while woodpeckers and jays love peanuts.

Fall is the perfect time to witness cool birds in action. As the days grow shorter and the weather turns cooler, you’ll notice your backyard birds becoming more active and more visible. When you look out your window and see effortlessly cool cardinals, chirpy chickadees, or jabbering jays hopping around your feeders, you’re not just watching cool, colorful creatures; you’re witnessing some of the most impressive survivalists in the world!