Peanut butter is an energy-packed treat that bird feeders can offer to birds. It’s especially helpful during cold winter months when birds like nuthatches, chickadees and woodpeckers require extra calories to stay warm.
However, not all peanut butter on the market is created equal. It’s essential to select a high-quality product free from artificial preservatives, flavorings and additives.
Contents
Nutrients
Peanut butter is an ideal and nutritious treat for wild birds, providing healthy sources of protein and fat. It’s especially helpful in wintertime when these creatures require extra energy to stay warm and maintain body heat.
Birds also benefit from a variety of other nutrients, such as fiber and calcium. Therefore, providing your bird with an array of foods is important to ensure they maintain a balanced diet.
For instance, fresh vegetables and fruits should be included in a daily diet for wild birds. These foods provide essential vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients that support their wellbeing.
Aside from a basic diet of vegetables and fruits, wild birds should also be provided with other nutritious foods like nuts and seeds. Furthermore, providing them with fun-to-eat snacks helps prevent boredom in the birds, making them more likely to try new things.
Energy
Wild birds rely heavily on fats as their primary energy source when undertaking endurance exercises such as long flights. Unfortunately, these fats are highly vulnerable to oxidative damage (Skrip and McWilliams, 2016).
To maximize this “energy savings – oxidative cost” trade-off, migratory birds may select foods high in essential omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids during migration periods when energy demands and fat catabolism are highest. They then switch to diets composed of less essential omega-6 PUFA during non-migration times when energy costs are low and oxidative stress is reduced.
This dietary decision can have a major effect on the health and lifespan of migratory birds, who are frequently exposed to toxic and inflammatory processes associated with wind power generation. Researchers are working towards creating a nationwide repository of dead birds and bats killed at renewable energy facilities so scientists can extract their DNA or run toxicology tests on them.
Treats
Birds adore peanut butter because it supplies them with an ample source of fat and energy to stay active. This is especially helpful during the wintertime when insects are scarce and high-energy foods must be provided to stay alive.
Peanut butter can be used on trees and posts, or used as a dollop in bird seed feeders. It also works well when stuffed into holes of log-type feeders.
However, you should always ensure the peanut butter you use is fresh and wholesome. Peanut butter that has gone bad can become a breeding ground for mold and bacteria, potentially leading to health issues in wild birds.
When making peanut butter treats for wild birds, opt for natural, organic peanut butter with no added salts or sugars. Doing this will give you peace of mind knowing your birds aren’t exposed to unnecessary chemicals.
Prevention
Peanuts are a favorite food source for many wild birds, such as titmice, finches, nuthatches and woodpeckers. Not only do these nuts provide high amounts of calories and fat but they are also an abundant natural source of energy for these feathered friends.
However, if you use commercial peanut butter for your bird feeding stations, be aware that some brands contain aflatoxins which can damage or kill birds. To reduce this risk, only offer peanut butter when there’s time to check it regularly and discard if it has started spoiling or growing mold.
Peanut butter can separate into solids and oils that can stick to a nesting bird’s feathers and transfer onto eggs, plugging their pores. Therefore, it’s best to avoid providing peanut butter mixtures that become soft or oily. Instead, mix peanut butter with cornmeal for increased grit, making it easier for birds to break apart.
