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The winter months can be tough for our wild birds. Those who don’t fly south are left with finding food in sparse supply to get them through the cold season. Hanging a bird feeder outside is a great way to let our birds know where they can come for food when it is hardest to find.

Aside from purchasing your seed at a local store, there are many ingredients you often have at home that can be used to feed our feathered friends.

Making homemade bird food and suet cakes are great projects that you can do and even simple enough for kids to help with too. Depending on the type of bird you would like to attract there are many items you can combine to achieve this result.

The following are two easy to prepare recipes that will help get our wild birds to spring.

 Suet Cakes – Great for Blue Jays 

• 1 cup Crisco
• 1 cup crunchy peanut butter
• 1 cup of yellow cornmeal
• 3 cups Quaker oats
• 1 cup sugar

In a microwave safe bowl melt Crisco and peanut butter together for one minute. Stir after 30 seconds. Mix until blended. In a large bowl, mix the dry ingredients, except for the oatmeal. Then, pour in the melted Crisco and peanut butter. Next, start adding the oatmeal 1 cup at a time. The “suet” should be thick. Add extra oats if it is not thick enough, or until it is too stiff to stir.

Pour the mixture into a greased 13×9 pan, cool in the refrigerator and cut or spoon into the proper shape for your feeder. If you do not use it up quickly it can be frozen until needed. You can also add extra chopped peanuts, chopped raisins or chopped sunflower hearts. This recipe is great for Blue Jays.

Recipe courtesy of Sialis.org.

Bird Food – Great for Sparrows

• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons molasses
• 1 tablespoon cooking oil
• (optional) any fruits or nuts you may have on hand, just be sure to chop them into small pieces

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8×8 glass for aluminum pan. Mix all of the ingredients together very well. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and bake for about 30 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool and then scoop out the cake.  Don’t worry about keeping it in one piece.  You want to crumble the cake into small, nickel or dime size pieces.  Place the pieces into your feeder. This recipe is great for House Sparrows.

Recipe courtesy of MakeYourOwnBirdFood.com.