EN 
DE Many of our native songbirds are migratory. Nightingales and black redstarts, for example, leave for warmer climes at the onset of winter. Others stay here. The robin has even become a classic Christmas motif on the British Isles. There, "Robin" is almost as symbolic of Christmas as St Nicholas is here.
Like other songbirds that spend the winter here, robins like to come to feeders in gardens and by houses. Watching the birds at the feeders is fun and also brings city dwellers a little closer to the local nature. "You only protect what you know!". Bird food of all kinds can be bought in all supermarkets and garden centres. So is winter feeding a good thing all round?
There are a few tips you should bear in mind to avoid doing more harm than good.
Above all, the feed must be offered as clean and dry as possible. Feed silos in which the food slides down and cannot get dirty are therefore particularly suitable. Open feeders, where the birds can walk around, get dirty more quickly. Like traditional feeders, they should be covered and should be emptied and cleaned daily for reasons of hygiene. So it's better to feed small portions!
Tits, finches, sparrows and other granivores love sunflower seeds and nuts, which they pick almost artistically from bells and cups. By the way, did you know that the blue tits that breed here in summer migrate further south in autumn? The blue tits that we feed in winter are their Scandinavian relatives that flee from the Nordic winter to our warmer regions.
Tit dumplings should not be offered in plastic netting, but without netting in reusable wire baskets or similar. The birds can get caught in the plastic net and the empty nets do not rot. If you pour your own tit food, it is best to use beef tallow or coconut oil. Both harden sufficiently and are readily eaten.
For "soft eaters" such as robins and the like, food consisting of grain, flakes, insects and sultanas is suitable. Fruit or seeds rolled in fat are also popular. Good feed mixes contain these ingredients. The same applies to bird food: it is better to offer less, but high-quality food.
For blackbirds, robins, dunnocks and wrens, feeding places near the ground are also suitable - but make sure they are open so that cats cannot sneak up on them unnoticed.
Feed in winter and enjoy the pretty guests at the feeding station, but: winter feeding is not a nature conservation measure! A flower-rich garden (or balcony box) without pesticides and with lots of wild herbs that form seeds and attract insects is of most benefit to native birds.
Like other native songbirds, robins like to come to feeders in the garden and on balconies. Watching the birds at the feeders is fun and also brings city dwellers a little closer to the local nature.
There are a few tips to bear in mind to avoid doing more harm than good:
Above all, the feed must be offered clean and dry. Feed silos in which the food slides down and cannot get dirty are particularly suitable. Open feeders, where the birds can walk around, should be covered like the classic feeder and should be emptied and cleaned regularly for reasons of hygiene. So it's better to feed small portions!
Grain-eaters love sunflower seeds and nuts, which titmice in particular peck almost artistically from bells and cups. Please do not hang tit dumplings in plastic netting. The birds can get caught in the plastic net and the empty nets do not rot. Wire baskets or similar are better.
For "soft eaters" such as robins and the like, (fatty) food consisting of seeds, flakes, fruit and insects is suitable. Good feed mixes contain these ingredients. Feed in winter and enjoy the pretty guests at the feeding station, but: Winter feeding is not a nature conservation measure! A flower-rich garden (or balcony box) without pesticides and with lots of wild herbs that form seeds and attract insects is best for native birds.
