Why Experts Want You to Dig a Small Patch of Soil In Your Garden This Winter

Is your garden buried in white stuff right now? It might be tempting to stay indoors and stare out the windows at your very own winter wonderland, but many experts advise that you take five minutes to clear a small patch of snow from your garden beds.

Why? Well, winter can be surprisingly challenging for many of our most beloved garden birds, even those species we often associate with spring and summer. Because, while it's easy to assume birds simply migrate or rely on feeders during cold weather, the reality is more complex... especially during periods of heavy snowfall and prolonged freezes.

For ground-feeding wildlife such as American robins, dark-eyed juncos, sparrows, towhees, and thrushes, survival often depends on whether they can access insects, worms, larvae, and fallen fruit buried beneath the soil. Which, no surprises, is incredibly tricky when the ground is frozen or covered in snow.

How Snow and Frozen Ground Affects Birds

Unlike seed-chomping birds, such as finches or chickadees, ground-feeders rely on natural foraging at or just below the soil surface.

Deep snow acts as a physical barrier, preventing these birds from getting at leaf litter and soil where insects overwinter. Frozen ground makes it even trickier, locking away worms and larvae until temperatures rise again. And even berry-producing shrubs may be stripped bare during long winters, leaving garden birds short of reliable nutrition.

All of this means that birds have to use up a lot of their energy searching for scraps. And, during extreme cold snaps, this energy loss can be incredibly dangerous. Thankfully, though, there's a very easy thing we can do to help: dig!

Yes, one of the easiest ways to support ground-feeding birds during snowy weather is by clearing or gently loosening a small patch of ground. And don't worry, you don’t need to dig up your entire yard. In fact, you shouldn’t. Instead, focus on exposing a shovel-sized area of soil or leaf litter in a sheltered spot.

The reasoning for this is simple: clearing snow and lightly turning the top layer of soil can reveal insects, larvae, and other invertebrates hiding beneath the surface. Even briefly exposing these food sources provides a crucial energy boost during cold mornings, when birds are most vulnerable.

It's best to do this near shrubs or hedges that provide cover, along fence lines or garden borders, or in an area that catches winter sun and thaws slightly during the day (just take care to avoid digging deeply or disturbing plant roots). The goal is simply to remove the barrier of snow and ice, not to cultivate the soil. And repeating this small action in the same area each morning helps birds learn where food is consistently available, turning your garden into a dependable wildlife refuge.

Winter Bird Feeding Essentials:

You should also make an effort to provide fresh water, leave leaf litter where possible, offer appropriate food (like soaked raisins, chopped fruit, or mealworms) and plant native shrubs and perennials for long-term winter food and shelter.

Basically, helping garden birds through winter doesn’t require special equipment or major changes: it's more about being aware of the challenges they face, and keeping things consistent. By clearing a small patch of snow or lightly loosening soil during heavy snowfall, gardeners can support ground-feeding birds at a time when natural food is hard to reach – and make more than a few feathered friends in the process.

It's a good reminder that, in the depths of winter, small acts of care can have a big impact. And anything that helps local birds survive and thrive until spring returns in all its glory is surely worth the effort, right?