We earn a commission for products purchased through some links in this article.
Blackbird Friday: Everything you need to help your garden birds survive the winter
From bird food (seeds, fat balls, peanut butter), to bird tables, baths and feeders
We've rounded up everything you need to help your garden birds in winter, from bird food (seeds, fat balls, peanut butter), to bird tables, bird baths and bird feeders. There's even some bird guides in there so you can better get to know which species are visiting your garden and what/how they like to eat.
It's that time of year when everything seems to be about shopping, as we prepare for Christmas and beyond. But spare a thought for our garden birds this Black Friday (which, for the sake of this feature, we have jovially renamed Blackbird Friday) and consider putting your pennies to work helping them through the winter.
As we know, winter is a tough season for many birds. With fewer berries on the hedgerows, drinking water likely to freeze and plummeting temperatures, they can do with a helping hand.
So, as some people might be perusing deals on winter coats to keep us humans warm, let's do our bit to make sure our feathered friends benefit from the sales too.
Some of the below birdie buys are on offer right now but some are worthy investments the birds will thank you for for months and years to come.
Peckish Extra Goodness Balls for Wild Birds - 50 Tub
A tub of 50 fat balls will go a long way in feeding your garden birds this winter. Birds that particularly love to eat fat balls include great tits, sparrows, starlings, blackbirds and black caps.
Windrush Wooden Bird Table FSC® by Rowlinson®
This tall bird table is made from FSC certified wood and brings a natural, rustic look to your garden. Pop a few fat balls on the platform and watch the birds flit in and out.
Peckish Wild Bird Feeding Stations with 4 Feeders
This bird feeding station allows for five feeders to hang from it. It's great for providing a range of snacks for your garden birds and catering for different species' tastes and preferences.
With 100% recyclable packaging and seeds from British farms, this bag of bird feed is a good sustainable option.
Sunflower seeds are loved by many garden birds including blue tits, sparrows, dunnocks, collared doves and finches.
Coniston Aged Stone Finish Bird Bath
It's just as important to provide water for garden birds as it is food, especially in winter when shallow water sources are likely to be frozen. Top up this bird bath with fresh water they can drink and bathe in.
Collins British Birds: A photographic guide to every common species (Collins Complete Guide)
Collins British Birds: A photographic guide to every common species (Collins Complete Guide)
The more you know about the birds that visit your garden, the better you can cater for their needs. This Collins Complete Guide will teach you everything you need to know.
Sunflower hearts are particular favourites of goldfinches and tits. Softbills such as robins and blackbirds also find them easier to eat than the seeds.
For a bit of fun, this post box peanut feeder means you can fulfill your daily delivery of birdie goodness.
Bronze original dining station
Another bird feeding station, this one also includes shallow dishes which can be used for more seeds or water.
Bloomsbury Wildlife RSPB Pocket Guide to British Birds: Second edition
This pocket guide is perfect for reading at home or taking out on a walk with you to learn more about your local birds.
Flutter butter pod triple pack original
Peanut butter is loved by tits, wrens, nuthatches and woodpeckers.
Bird feeder branch hook - two sizes
Got a bird feeder but not sure how to suspend it close to where your birds flock? This hook will do the trick.
Garden birds most likely to take up residence in a nest box are blue tits or coal tits, but you may also welcome sparrows, nuthatches, robins, woodpeckers and wrens.
Simple and stylish, this apple bird feeder will cater for larger birds, like crows, who can get through the tougher skin. Smaller birds can then enjoy the soft flesh.
Emma-Louise Pritchard is the Membership Director for Country Living UK & House Beautiful UK, previously Executive Digital Editor for Country Living UK. Emma-Louise is a digital expert specialising in content strategy, social media and newsletters. Her topics include sustainability, homes and interiors, gardening, health and wellbeing, pets, travel and countryside news. She has previously written for Good Housekeeping and Cosmopolitan and has won several awards, from AOP Digital Editor of the Year 2019 to PPA 30 Under 30. Emma-Louise studied at Cardiff University where she completed an MA in Magazine Journalism.
RSPB warning not to use bird tables
RSPB's Big Garden Birdwatch 2024: The results
9 kitchen scraps that are safe to feed birds
Autumn birdwatching: Where to go and what to spot
