How to Help Wild Birds in Extreme Winter Weather (A New Year Guide for Canadians)

• Posted on 4 January 2026
• By Bobbi Wright
• Posted in backyard wild birds, best wild bird seed for winter, buy wild bird seed online Canada, extreme cold wild bird care, feeding wild birds in winter, help wild birds in cold weather, premium wild bird seed, The Right Stuff wild bird seed blend, wild bird feeder cleaning, wild bird feeding, wild bird feeding Ontario, wild bird feeding station, wild bird feeding tips, wild bird seed, wild bird seed blend, wild bird seed Canada, wild bird seed delivery Canada, wild bird seed shipped across Canada, wild bird suet, wild bird water in winter, wild bird winter survival, wild birds in winter, winter backyard wild birds, winter food for wild birds, winter wild bird feeders
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Cardinals are year-round favourites in many Canadian backyards — and in deep cold, premium seed and fresh water can give wild birds the energy they need to thrive.

Winter in Canada can be beautiful — but for wild birds, it’s the hardest season of the year. When temperatures drop, winds pick up, and snow covers natural food sources, birds burn huge amounts of energy just to stay warm. The good news? A few simple steps can make your backyard a real winter lifeline.

Offer high-energy food (this matters most in deep cold)

In extreme weather, birds need calories and fat to maintain body heat. This is why premium seed blends and suet become especially valuable in January and February. A consistent food source helps birds conserve energy, and it increases the variety of birds that will visit your yard.

If you want an easy “all-around” winter option, The Right Stuff Birdseed Blend has been a trusted favourite for over 30 years, refined by carefully observing what birds actually ate (and in what proportions). It’s small-batch mixed using prime-sourced, fresh, Non-GMO ingredients, with no additives — making it an ideal choice when birds need clean, reliable fuel. The Right Stuff 20lb Bag

Add a premium suet station for the fat content and voila! Between The Right Stuff and suet, the nutrional needs are covered.

Provide fresh water (even more important than food some days)

In winter, liquid water is often harder for birds to find than food. If you can, offer fresh water daily in a shallow bird bath and keep it from freezing when possible. Even a small unfrozen drinking spot can attract birds quickly. To be clear, birds will eat snow for moisture, but they lose valuable calories warming this up in their bodies. Heated birdbaths or birdbath heaters are a great solution for this. They are thermostatically controlled so it's not a constant drain on hydro and ensure in the coldest of weather that there is a local open source of drinking water. 

Keep feeders clean and food dry

Winter moisture can cause seed to spoil faster, and icy buildup can block ports. Refresh seed regularly, clean feeders, and place them where they’re protected from driving snow and wind.

Why premium seed is better value than box-store blends

A common frustration with cheaper box-store seed mixes is that they often rely on filler ingredients that many birds ignore — meaning more mess under the feeder and fewer repeat visitors. Freshness can also be inconsistent, which matters because stale seed is less appealing and can lead to waste. I had two customers just this last week, who mentioned they had purchased other seed elsewhere in the Christmas holiday busyness. They lost all the birds at their feeders. As in, the birds went elsewhere. These customers were happy to be walking out with The Right Stuff under their arms again. It is worth keeping premium seeds in your feeders.

Why? Premium blends are designed differently: they focus on high-quality seeds birds actually choose, which usually leads to more feeder activity, less leftover seed, and better value per scoop. Not to mention healthier, warmer birds. The Right Stuff was developed specifically to reduce that “uneaten seed” problem by using a recipe birds have proven they prefer. Ultimately birds will shift when their local natural food sources come to an end. This is instinct driven. We only ever subsidize their food sources by 20-25%. Even then, this is substantial and for the sake of health and survival, it is imperative we offer the best we can at our feeders. 

Stay tuned for another blog post about why feeding bread to songbirds is especially wrong. Our grandmothers were sweet in their intentions in doing so in years past, but we know better now. For the sake of keeping this blog efficiently short, please don't add bread to your offerings at your feeders.

5) Yes — we ship seed across Canada

You can stock your winter bird-feeding station from anywhere in the country. We offer shipping for bagged seed across Canada, with the note that The Right Stuff is available in 5lb, 10lb and 20lb bags for shipping but refills for The Right Stuff Bird Seed Blend Refillable buckets are in-store pick-up only.