Life slows down in winter. The days are short, snow covers the fields, and frost nips at your cheeks. Despite this, many bird species do not fly away from Poland. They manage here throughout the winter, using our gardens, parks, and fields. For the nature observer, this is an excellent time to get to know the birds wintering in Poland better and understand their survival strategies.
In Poland, a wide range of bird species spend the winter – from small passerines, through medium-sized birds, to larger aquatic and predatory species. Some of them are typical resident birds, present here all year round, while others arrive specifically for the cold period from the north or east. Thanks to this, the winter landscape is much richer than it might seem at first glance.
House sparrow – a classic inhabitant of human settlements; in winter it stays close to buildings, bird feeders and bushes, making use of human seeds and food scraps.
Mazurek - very similar to a sparrow, but with a chestnut „cap”; winters in flocks, often together with sparrows, in gardens and on field edges.
Coal tit – the largest of the tits; it makes excellent use of feeders, eating both seeds and overwintering insects, as well as lard.
Blue tit – smaller, blue and yellow tit; in winter often in mixed flocks with other tits, very active at feeders.
Sosnówka and chebatek – tits; in winter they mostly stay in coniferous trees, but may visit feeders closer to the forest.
Goldfinch A greenish finch with a strong beak; in winter, it readily feeds on plant seeds and in bird feeders with a seed mix.
Goldfinch – colourfully coloured with a red „snout”; in winter often in flocks on burdock, thistles and in feeders with small seeds.
Kos – the best-known representatives of Turdus in Poland. Some migrate away, but many individuals stay; in winter, they look for fruits (rowan, hawthorn) and invertebrates on thawed patches of lawn.
Starling – a partially migratory species; increasingly overwinters in cities during milder winters, taking advantage of the rich human „larder”.
Robin – some birds fly away, but many overwinter in Poland, sticking to bushes, parks, allotment gardens and areas with exposed leaf litter.
Jay – it gathers acorns and other seeds in autumn; in winter, it is often seen near forests, gardens and feeders with nuts or sunflower seeds.
Shrike – in our region, they are mainly resident; in winter, they hunt small birds and rodents in open areas with bushes.
Magpie – very well adapted to living alongside humans; it hibernates in cities, housing estates, and forest edges, utilising various food scraps.
Carrion crow – present year-round in Poland; in winter, it forms larger groups, foraging in fields, on rubbish dumps and in towns.
Crow – a portion of the population is resident; in winter, it forms large roosts in towns, feeding in fields and on lawns.
Jackdaw – a typically urban crow; winters in breeding colonies and communal roosts, often together with rooks.
Pot – sedentary, territorial; in winter, it is easier to spot in open fields, near carcasses and close to forests.
Feral pigeon – stays with humans all year round; in winter, it benefits from food provided by people and leftovers in urban areas.
Collared dove and Eurasian collared dove – feral pigeons; in winter, they stick to buildings, bird feeders, and orchards.
Woodpeckers and woodland birds
Great spotted woodpecker – all year round in the same forests and parks; in winter, it gets to seeds in cones, feeds on tree bark, and sometimes visits feeders with nuts and lard.
Wren – the smallest woodpecker; resident, harder to spot in winter, but actively forages on thin branches and shrubs.
Treecreeper and garden woodpecker – Small birds that walk on tree trunks; they overwinter, gathering insects from the bark even in frost.
Nuthatch – characteristic „upside-down walker” on tree trunks; in winter it stays in forests and parks, often visiting bird feeders where it feeds on seeds and nuts.
Mallard – very numerous in winter on rivers, ponds and in parks; it benefits from unfrozen water and feeding.
Mute swan – it increasingly overwinters in Poland if it finds ice-free water and easy access to food.
Coot – A waterfowl with a white „shield” on its forehead; in winter it stays mainly on unfrozen waters.
Common buzzard – mostly sedentary; in winter, it is easily spotted on roadside poles, from where it watches out for rodents.
Tawny owl and eagle-owl – typically resident owls; they overwinter in the same forests and parks, hunting on long winter nights.
Bohemian Waxwing – a classic „guest from the north”, it breeds in the taiga and tundra zones, and in winter it flies to us for rowan, mistletoe, or hawthorn berries.
Gil – part of the population breeds in Poland, but in winter many individuals from northern and eastern Europe appear here, which is why you see more of them in winter.
Jer – a finch relative; it nests mainly in Scandinavia and northeastern Europe, and in winter moves south in large numbers, including to Poland, often in large flocks.
Other small birds from the north
Redpoll – a small Larch-bolete from subarctic regions; in winter, it appears here nomadically, especially where there are alders, birches, and larches.
Arctic redpoll A rarer visitor, coming from the far north, appearing mainly in late autumn and winter, some years it may be noticeably more numerous.
Corvids and thrushes
Mavis – part of them nests in Poland, but in winter numerous birds from the north and east join them, which is why in the cold it is easy to encounter large flocks in fields and orchards.
Crow and jackdaw Our populations mix in winter with birds from the north and east; hence the huge winter roosts of these species in cities.
Waterfowl and birds of prey
A mallard, a fridge, some eiders and a merganser – ducks and diving waterbirds that winter in the Baltic and larger unfrozen reservoirs.
Boreal owl, common shelduck and other predatory or fish-eating species – for some of them, Poland is a wintering ground, when their northern nesting sites are frozen over.
The decision of whether to stay or fly away depends mainly on access to food and the ability to survive freezing nights. Species that can find seeds, fruits, larvae under bark, or make use of bird feeders do not need to risk a long journey to warmer countries. Additionally, milder winters in recent years have encouraged an increasing number of birds to remain in Poland.
Statistics show a clear trend: more and more migratory birds are deciding to overwinter in Poland instead of flying away, especially since the 1980s–1990s. This is mainly due to climate warming, milder winters, and the availability of food in cities.
| Period | Estimated wintering number | Data source |
| 1980–1990 | Under 50 | OTOP preliminary data |
| 2000–2010 | 100–200 | Monitoring OTOP |
| 2015–2020 | 250–350 | eBird/OTOP |
| 2021–2025 | 400+ (record 2025) | Winter OTOP Survey |
The increase in the number of wintering birds is driven by global warming (in December 2025, temperatures could reach 16 degrees) and human impact (litter, feeding); white storks are shortening their migration to Africa by thousands of km. It is worth bearing in mind that migratory birds often die during their journey to warmer countries. According to the zoocia.pl website, out of 54 storks fitted with GPS transmitters, 23 died before they even left Europe. Thirty storks lost their lives in Europe. Only one stork made it as far as the Middle East. Storks die on buildings, chimneys, wind turbines and at rubbish tips in their stopover sites (e.g. in Romania or Bulgaria). Wintering reduces stork mortality by 60–75%.
Small birds, such as Tits, robins or House sparrow, are most visible at feeders and in urban gardens. Despite their small size, they can cope very well with frost, increasing their food intake and roosting in dense bushes or nesting boxes. Their mobility, constant search for seeds, and ability to utilise human assistance make them true masters of survival.
In winter, it's also easy to spot medium-sized birds, such as the blackbird, jay, jackdaw, or the middle spotted woodpecker and great spotted woodpecker. These species often forage on trees and lawns, looking for fruits, nuts, acorns, and insects hidden in the bark. In parks and by the water, you can also encounter medium-sized waterfowl – mallards or mute swans, which are increasingly staying with us all winter.
The grey heron is also spending winters in Poland more and more often, taking advantage of unfrozen stretches of rivers, ponds, and urban reservoirs. In such places, it's also possible to spot other water-associated bird species, such as goosanders and mergansers, and locally, cormorants too. The presence of these birds mainly depends on whether they can find open water with access to fish and safe roosting sites.
Birds flying to warmer countries, such as the white stork, swallow, or oriole, are strongly linked to the availability of insects, which are simply absent in Poland during winter. In turn, birds overwintering in Poland can switch to a diet based on seeds, fruits, plant remnants, or small invertebrates, which are available even when there is snow. It is these differences in diet and physiology that determine instinctive migration.
Feeding Feeding small and medium-sized birds that overwinter in Poland can realistically increase their chances of surviving tougher periods. It is worth feeding sunflower seeds, millet, oats, unsalted nuts and fat balls in the feeder, avoiding bread, especially for waterfowl. It is equally important to keep the feeder clean and ensure access to water, which freezes quickly in frosty weather.
Most species of birds that overwinter in Poland are covered by species protection, which means it is forbidden to intentionally disturb, kill, or destroy their nests. These rules stem from, among other things, the EU Birds Directive and Polish nature conservation laws, which regulate how to deal with wild birds. In practice, this means that when helping birds, you should act safely, without interfering with their natural nesting sites.
The most commonly encountered small birds overwintering in Poland include tits, robins, finches, bullfinches, and the house sparrow, which increasingly makes use of food offered in bird feeders.
In winter, medium-sized birds such as blackbirds, jays, jackdaws, middle spotted woodpeckers, and great spotted woodpeckers are often observed, as well as mallard ducks on bodies of water.
No, the grey heron increasingly overwinters in Poland, provided it can find open, unfrozen bodies of water with access to fish.
Birds that fly south for the winter include white storks, swallows, hoopoes, nightingales, and cuckoos, which require an abundance of insects that are only available in warmer climates.
Yes, a well-planned bird feeder with the right food and regular cleaning is a real help for wintering birds, especially during prolonged frosts and blizzards.
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