The mealworms supply protein. Goldfinches, pine siskins and crossbills are among birds that move into Wichita in the winter, Roy Beckemeyer says. He thinks that some birds, notably Carolina wrens, stick around only because they do get a regular meal from a human being. Water is as important to have around in the winter as food is, Roy Beckemeyer says. In addition to heated baths, he and his wife have two ponds.
Shelter is another requirement for birds.
You can buy roosting boxes for them. But plants do the job too. No matter how sad some of the shrubs in the yard looked this summer, none of that matters now as their bare branches provide perching places. The backs of patio chairs, in their first winter in the back yard, are proving popular too. The Christmas tree, when it's ready to give up the ornaments, will be added to the back yard for the same purpose.