While shopping for the holidays, don’t forget about the feathered friends in your backyard. Help songbirds survive the winter by adding birdfeeders, nest boxes and birdbaths. Black-oiled sunflower seed is a favorite for many seed-eating birds, and insect eaters like suet cakes.

If squirrels become a nuisance at your feeders, try using a squirrel-proof feeder or less tasty safflower seeds.

Birdhouses used for nesting in the spring also provide shelter from the cold in the winter. Don’t forget that birds need water, too! To keep water available even when temperatures drop below freezing, consider buying a heated birdbath. The songbirds will thank you!