How to Help Winter Birds with Colorado Yards & Gardens

Winter birds bring a special sense of life and movement to our Colorado landscapes. Even when our gardens feel quiet and still in the colder months, the fluttering presence of chickadees, finches, juncos, nuthatches, and many other year-round birds brings movement and color to the season. These birds rely on the natural resources around them, especially during periods of snow, high winds, and freezing temperatures when food and shelter become more difficult to find.

By designing your garden with winter habitat in mind, you can play a meaningful role in supporting birds through the harshest parts of the year. Bath Garden Center & Nursery carries a wide variety of shrubs, evergreens, and perennials that thrive in Northern Colorado. With thoughtful plant choices and small habitat-friendly practices, your yard can support biodiversity, enhance resilience, and invite nature to stay active and present all year long.

Winter Birds in Colorado Need Reliable Food Sources

During winter, natural food sources begin to diminish. Insects become dormant, many plants die back, and snowfall can bury seeds and berries. Birds must work harder to find the calories they need to keep their bodies warm. One of the most effective ways to help is to plant trees, shrubs, and perennials that offer natural food throughout the cold months.

Serviceberry is a wonderful shrub to consider. It produces small, sweet berries that birds love, and many species hold onto their fruit well into late fall and early winter, providing nourishment long after other food sources have disappeared. Serviceberry is well-adapted to Colorado’s climate. Once established, it tolerates drought and thrives in hardiness zones 4 to 7, making it a dependable, bird-supporting choice for Northern Colorado landscapes. Another excellent option is Cotoneaster Hedge, which provides berries, cover and structure that birds rely on during snow and harsh winds.

Even herbaceous perennials play a role. Plants like Echinacea and Black-Eyed Susan form seed heads that remain valuable food sources through winter. Instead of cutting back your garden in the fall, consider leaving seed heads and stems standing until spring. They provide both texture in the winter landscape and an essential source of energy for birds when snow is on the ground.

What Do Birds Eat in the Winter in Colorado?

Bird feeders can be a helpful supplement in winter, but most of a bird’s nourishment still comes directly from the landscape itself. Many winter birds rely on berries left on shrubs, seeds from dormant perennials and grasses, and insects overwintering in bark, soil, and leaf litter. In this way, a bird-friendly yard is not necessarily one with many feeders, but one that grows its own winter food.

You can support natural foraging by leaving leaf litter in garden beds, where insects shelter through the cold months, and by avoiding excessive pruning so that seed heads, stems, and protective cover remain in place. Choosing native and drought-tolerant plants suited to zones 5 to 6 ensures that your landscape continues to provide habitat even in dormancy. Often, a healthy winter garden is one that looks a little less “perfect”. A landscape with a touch of wildness is far more generous to the birds that depend on it.

How Do Birds Stay Warm in the Winter Cold?

Colorado winters can be windy, dry, and extremely cold. Birds conserve heat by fluffing their feathers to trap warm air, tucking their beaks into their shoulders, and reducing nighttime activity. However, they also depend heavily on sheltered spaces to stay warm. Your landscape can help create this shelter.

Here are a few ideas to get started:

• Coniferous trees, such as Norway Spruce, act as winter windbreaks, offering dense cover that protects birds from harsh gusts and snowfall.

• Evergreen shrubs, like Moonglow Juniper and Mugo Pine, maintain foliage year-round, providing reliable hiding spaces and thermal protection.

• Consider layered plantings: by combining trees, shrubs, and groundcover, you can mimic natural woodland structure, giving birds multiple tiers of refuge.

Even a simple brush pile can create valuable microhabitats. Rather than clearing every branch or tidying every corner, consider leaving a small area “wild.” These sheltered pockets can be lifesaving during storms.

Find Winter Bird Supplies at Bath Garden Center

If you're interested in refreshing your landscape to better support birds throughout the winter, Bath Garden Center & Nursery is here to help. We carry a wide selection of evergreen shrubs, native and regionally adapted perennials, and winter-tolerant trees suitable for Northern Colorado’s unique climate.

Visit us online to explore winter-friendly plants, ask questions, and find inspiration. If you’re in the Fort Collins area, stop by the Bath Garden Center in person. Our team can help you select plants that provide food, shelter, and beauty throughout the winter months. With a few thoughtful choices, your landscape can support local birds, strengthen ecological resilience, and bring color and life to the garden, even in the quietest months of the year.