People find great pleasure in watching wild birds such as ducks, geese and seagulls. Unfortunately, feeding these creatures bread is never recommended.
Bread is simply junk food for waterfowl and does not supply them with all of the vital nutrients they require for survival. Birds who consume too much bread may become malnourished and lose their instinctive foraging instincts.
Contents
Millet
Millets are nutritious whole grains packed with B-vitamin, calcium, iron, zinc and potassium – not to mention they’re gluten-free! Millets make for a popular alternative to rice in South Indian cuisine such as idlis.
Millet is a favorite seed among ground-feeding birds such as quail, sparrows, juncos and towhees, often used alone or mixed into mixes to attract these species to garden feeders or low tray birdfeeders. Goldfinches and pine siskins also love millet!
Always select hulled millet for year-round feeding as unhulled millet can create a messy feeder environment. Also, white proso millet may attract more ground feeding birds compared to red millet or niger seeds; red millet and other fillers like these may attract cowbirds or blackbirds that you wish to discourage from your yard.
Nuts
Nuts provide wild birds with energy they need for flying, surviving cold temperatures and performing daily activities such as foraging for food on their own. A diet rich in nuts also teaches young birds essential foraging skills needed to survive on their own.
But when birds consume too many nuts, they can develop Angel Wing Syndrome, which reduces its ability to fly and leads them down a path toward starvation. Furthermore, an overly full stomach of nuts can clog the digestive system leading to dehydration and diarrheal diseases – further leading to their eventual demise.
Providing birds with additional sources of nuts should only include fresh, unsalted varieties. When breaking them up into small pieces for consumption by birds such as woodpeckers, nuthatches and chickadees, be sure to do it quickly as nut products that contain added sugar or salt may be harmful for them; alternatively stale bread crumbles are an acceptable snack alternative in small quantities as an alternate food source for hungry birds. Furthermore, consider planting trees and shrubs bearing nuts as sustainable food sources in your yard for birds to feed off.
Seeds
Many people add seeds to their birdfeeder as a great way of attracting a wide range of species, such as house sparrows, dunnocks, finches, reed buntings and woodpeckers. Unfortunately, store-bought seed mixes frequently contain subpar ingredients – milo is an ineffective filler which offers no nourishment and may choke baby chicks while rapeseed contains polyunsaturates which may lead to fatty liver disease in birds.
Instead, choose high-quality wild bird food such as black oil sunflower seeds or white proso millet with high nutritional value that’s free from salt, seasonings and sugar. Mealworms, nuts and fruits may add energy and variety. When providing bread treats to birds, make sure not to do it too frequently as too much bread will fill them up too quickly and prevent them from eating the other necessary foods they require for survival.
Fruit
People often enjoy watching wild birds and have found that sharing the crumbs or crusts of their lunch has helped them connect with nature. But it’s important to keep in mind that human foods may actually be harmful for birds’ wellbeing; excessive bread consumption can lead to malnutrition and illness in birds.
Bread does not offer much in terms of nutritional value and should only be provided occasionally, especially during autumn and winter when birds are raising young and need energy-rich food to stay warm. Other sources can provide more varied nutrition to attract birds to feed upon.
Dried fruits such as raisins, sultanas and currants are enjoyed by blackbirds, dunnocks, song thrushes and robins alike. Mild grated cheese can also be offered to these species as treats; however, mushrooms contain cyanide which could potentially poison birds; also avoid placing uncooked beans out as these contain toxins which could interfere with their digestive or liver functions.
