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Tips to Prepare Your Yard for Fall Migration 🍂
As summer turns to fall, many backyard birds begin their incredible migration journeys. Some will travel thousands of kilometres, while others will simply shift to new winter feeding areas. By preparing your yard now, you can provide food, water, and shelter to help these feathered travellers along the way — and enjoy more bird activity right outside your window.
1. Understand Fall Migration
In summer, birds focus on nesting and raising young. By autumn, these family territories break down, and birds form flocks to forage and watch for predators together. Some even join mixed-species groups, learning each other’s alarm calls and foraging techniques. Creating a welcoming habitat in fall makes your yard a regular stopover for these travellers.
2. Keep Your Landscape Bird-Friendly
A tidy yard may look nice to us, but birds benefit from a bit of natural variety:
Leave seed-bearing plants for finches, sparrows, and juncos.
Create small brush piles for shelter, resting, and predator protection.
Offer millet-type seed blends in ground feeders or tray feeders for species that prefer feeding low.
3. Refresh Your Feeding Stations
Fall is the perfect time to:
Clean and repair feeders before winter weather sets in.
Move feeders closer to the house — easier to refill in the cold, and healthier for birds when stations are rotated regularly.
Keep food fresh now — even small amounts will encourage birds to return when the weather gets colder.
4. Offer High-Energy Foods
Migrating birds need high-fat, high-protein foods for fuel. Great options include:
Wild Birds Unlimited Seed Blends — fresh, high-quality, and energy-rich.
Bark Butter® and Bark Butter Bits® — enjoyed by over 150 species!
Dried Mealworms — excellent protein source for insect-eating migrants.
5. Provide Moving Water
A moving water source is one of the most effective ways to attract migrants. Birds are drawn to the sound and sight of splashing water for drinking and bathing. Consider a Water Wiggler® or heated bird bath to keep water fresh and open.
6. Make Windows Safe for Birds
Sadly, window collisions kill 16–42 million birds every year in Canada. You can prevent these strikes with simple, effective solutions:
Feather Friendly® Window Decals
Window Gems® Static-Cling Decals
Creating an autumn bird habitat is rewarding for you and life-saving for birds.
Visit us and we’ll help you choose the right foods, feeders, and accessories to make your yard a safe stopover this migration season.
Shop Local, Support Canadian
At Wild Birds Unlimited, we take great pride in supporting Canadian businesses and sourcing locally whenever possible.
Many of our bird seed blends, feeders and unique nature products come from trusted suppliers right here in Canada, helping us provide fresh, high-quality options for backyard bird enthusiasts. We understand that sourcing can be complex and while some of our products are made in the U.S., they come from small, family-run businesses that share our commitment to providing high-quality bird food and products designed specifically for our local birds.
As a family run, locally owned and operated business, we recognize the challenges that both customers and small businesses are navigating. Our goal is to continue offering the very best products for you and your birds while supporting as many Canadian suppliers as possible. We encourage you to take time to enjoy the sights and sounds of the birds you attract, finding joy in their visits and the connection to nature they bring.
Thank you for choosing to shop local with us! If you have any questions, we're always happy to help - stop by the store or reach out anytime.
Suet Stackables: Mix & Match for More Birds
Create a Food Combo that Includes Suet
►Long-lasting and easy to use, our Seed and No-Melt Suet Stackables™ allow you to offer more than one food at a time and cater to the preferences of the birds visiting your yard.
►With several unique flavors of Seed and No-Melt Suet Stackables™ to mix and match, you can have fun creating various combinations that will attract different birds to your backyard.
►Avoid the mess of melted suet. Offer No-Melt Suet when seasonal temperatures are above 95º F (35C) and traditional Suet when temperatures are below 95ºF.(35C) No-Melt Suet is rendered and refined to remove impurities that cause spoilage, and it's designed to withstand temperatures up to 130° F. (50 C)