Springtime brings wild birds back from their wintering grounds and they have a lot of tasks to accomplish in a short amount of time, such as marking territory, mating and breeding.
Birds require a healthy spring diet in order to successfully make it through the season. To ensure these birds have enough food during spring, make sure your garden provides ample options.
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Fresh Fruit
Wild birds in winter require a high caloric intake to stay warm. Suet, nuts and grains are ideal foods for this purpose; however in springtime they require something more energy-packed for energy replenishment.
Many birds enjoy fresh fruit, particularly orange slices, grapes and apple chunks. These make great additions to feeders or suet cages for orioles, northern cardinals, gray catbirds, summer tanagers and other colorful species.
When feeding fresh fruit to birds, be aware that it spoils quickly; empty feeders regularly and remove any moldy or spoiled produce before the birds consume it. Furthermore, be wary of ants and wasps which may be attracted to your produce.
Dried Mealworms
Dried mealworms offer a high-protein source that helps wild birds stay active and healthy. This nutrient-rich food makes an ideal addition to your bird feeders in the springtime.
Dried worms provide calcium to many native birds, such as chickadees, woodpeckers and nuthatches. This mineral helps nesting birds produce eggshells and pass it along to their young.
Dried worms are easy to store and can last for several months in a sealed bag or container without air circulation. For optimal preservation, they should be kept in your refrigerator.
Sunflower Hearts
Sunflower hearts make a nutritious springtime food for wild birds. Not only are they easy to digest and break down for smaller birds, but their seeds provide essential nutrition that larger ones can benefit from as well.
Birds don’t need to remove the husk when eating sunflower hearts, so they consume the whole seed without wasting energy. This allows birds to eat faster and reduce waste (in the form of discarded husks).
Sunflower hearts are an invaluable food source for small bird species such as Dunnocks and Blackbirds, especially during fledging season when they can help parents feed their chicks without using up too much energy.
Nuts
Wild birds depend on a diverse diet for energy and nutrition as they migrate, claim territory, attract mates, nest and raise young. Their menu consists of seeds, nuts, fruits and insects from which they draw sustenance.
Nuts, particularly peanuts, are a go-to spring food for many backyard birds. Not only do they provide them with protein-rich energy sources but also calcium to support strong eggshells that can withstand being moved around during nesting season.
When offering nuts to wildlife, be sure to crack them open and carefully discard their shells so that small birds do not become choking hazards. Furthermore, avoid offering nuts that have been roasted or coated with salt as these can be toxic for wild birds.
Seed Mixes
Seed mixes are an effective way to attract wild birds in the springtime. They typically include a variety of bird-friendly seeds, nuts and fruit.
Safflower, hulled sunflower and sunflower chips are beloved treats for chickadees, doves, grosbeaks, cardinals, nuthatches and titmice – as well as being an appealing treat to squirrels.
Unfortunately, sunflower chips do not last very long without their shells; thus they become vulnerable to spoilage and bacteria growth.
Nyjer is another bird-friendly food for spring that comes from imported African daisies not thistles. Common Redpolls, Dark-eyed Juncos, doves, finches and goldfinches enjoy it as well as indigo buntings and pine siskins. Nyjer typically comes from thistle feeders designed to disperse small pieces of seed; larger “bully” birds like grackles or starlings tend to avoid it.
