Autumn and winter in the UK may not bring extreme Arctic conditions, but colder, wetter weather still has a serious impact on our garden birds. Each year, we see a decline in bird survival as temperatures drop and food becomes harder to find.
Birds such as robins, wrens, starlings and wood pigeons are particularly affected during cold spells, when energy demands are high and natural resources are limited.
Why Cold Weather Is So Hard for Birds
Like humans, birds are warm-blooded, meaning they must generate and maintain their own body heat throughout winter. Unlike many mammals, however, birds can’t store large amounts of fat without affecting their ability to fly — which would leave them vulnerable to predators.
Instead, most birds build up small fat reserves each day, just enough to survive the cold overnight. When food is scarce, shelter is wet or exposed, and water sources freeze, birds must work much harder just to stay alive.
How You Can Help Birds in Cold Weather
By offering food, shelter and water, you can greatly improve birds’ chances of surviving — and even thriving — through the colder months.
🏡 Provide Warm, Dry Shelter
The most important way to help birds stay warm is to give them safe places to roost and shelter. Gardens can become vital refuges when natural habitats are exposed or disturbed.
Good shelter options include:
Dense evergreen hedges and shrubs such as yew or holly (which also provide berries)
Deciduous trees like hawthorn and honeysuckle, offering protection even when bare
Evergreen trees, including pines and firs
Climbing plants such as ivy and wisteria
Bird houses, nesting boxes and roosting boxes(You can even try making your own!)
