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Feed the birds this winter

Jennifer Houssian, owner of Wild Birds Unlimited, recommends putting suet into feeders
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A Varied Thrush, a common winter garden bird, searches for food in the snow. (John Gordon/Special to the Langley Advance Times)

With snow blanketing Langley and the ground frozen solid, birds are having a tougher time finding food.

Jennifer Houssain, owner of Wild Birds Unlimited, recommends putting suet, a raw, hard animal fat in feeders for the winter, if someone wants to help them nab a meal to stay warm.

“Suet has high fats and proteins which is good for birds because grubs and bugs aren’t easily accessible through the winter,” she said. “Peanuts are also another high fat option that can go into feeders.”

READ MORE: VIDEO: Drier weather produces larger numbers for 120th annual bird count in Langley

Houssain said there are many winter birds that hang around Langley for the colder months of the year, including Hummingbirds, which may have trouble accessing nectar from their feeders.

To help, Houssain recommended specialized heaters for the feeders so the mechanism doesn’t freeze.

“It’s better to keep everything hanging because if it’s closer to the ground, it might get covered by snow and then birds can’t get at it,” Houssain added.

For more tips and information on products such as suet, people can visit langley.wbu.com.

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Email: ryan.uytdewilligen@langleyadvancetimes.com

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