Help Migratory Birds by Clearing Some Snow from your Yard, Says Wildlife Expert

Tuesday, March 28th, 2023 -- 2:01 PM

(Raymond Neupert, WRN) A wildlife expert says you should clear a patch of your yard to help birds returning to Wisconsin.

A wildlife expert says you should clear a patch of your yard to help birds returning to Wisconsin.  Raptor Education Group director Marge Gibson says that while birdseed might help a number of bird species, some of them eat bugs and insects.

"When the sun comes out, it melts it just a little bit. And they have access to some of the insects that are starting to come up and other invertebrates that show up in the ground. And that really is a good start for them. "

f you want to help the robins returning to Wisconsin, you should clear a patch of snow from your yard, stated Gibson. "Robins and many of the insectivores don't show up at feeders however, and it's hard to provide a high protein [food] at a feeder."

Gibson says that while some birds are just fine with birdfeeders, others need to pick bugs out of the dirt. "They're running out of calories. They're running out of energy. It's been a long winter, and they normally would start to be able to find their natural food now."

That includes Wisconsin's state bird, the robin. Gibson says clearing the snow warms up the turf, helping birds get at those bugs.

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