Offering various kitchen scraps can draw in some of the most fascinating backyard birds. Just be wary about offering any moldy food items or those not suitable for wild birds to eat.
Peanut butter is a favorite food of blackbirds, nuthatches and wood thrushes alike. Porridge oats can also provide sustenance for several species; remember to offer uncooked versions so as not to harden around their beak.
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Fruit
Birds rely heavily on fruits and vegetables as their primary food sources, from windfall or bruised fruit to the seeds from watermelons, pumpkins, honeydew melons or other tropical fruits. Birds enjoy feeding on vegetables like potatoes and carrots – though raw vegetables can be indigestible to them, so they must first be cooked by boiling or steaming first.
Stale bread, biscuits or cake can also be enjoyed, although excessive portions can lead to bird obesity. Fruit should be chopped or cut up before being soaked for safety in water before offering as it might otherwise choke birds when consumed by them.
Cooked eggs provide essential nutrition, while crushed egg shells make an excellent calcium source for nesting birds. Peanut butter can also be fed directly; just be sure to soak it first so it doesn’t turn rancid quickly!
Grains
Many kitchen scraps can provide backyard birds with much-needed protein sources when fruit and insects become scarce. Popular examples include cooked vegetables (thawed first), rice, pasta and breadcrumbs as well as small pieces of non-rancid cheese which provide protein sources.
Nuts are another important food source for birds such as goldfinches, finches and chickadees that regularly partake of seed-eating activities such as seed mixes. Cheaper seed mixtures often contain wheat which finches and titmice will dispose of in favor of more nutritious options; offering stale bread to your birds may be acceptable but in larger amounts than desired, as it offers limited nutrition benefits.
Nuts
Birds enjoy eating all sorts of kitchen treats, from bread to nuts to fruits. Stale biscuits or crackers may be fed to birds safely; however large pieces may pose a choking hazard.
Provide nuts such as peanuts, walnuts, pistachios, or brazil nuts to attract woodland species such as tit and nuthatches, sparrows and goldfinches. Just make sure they’re non-salted and buy from a pet store that sells wild bird food!
Raisins and dried apricots make an excellent food source for birds at feeders, offering more nutrients than less costly commercial fruit blends for hopper and platform bird feeders. Be mindful not to provide damp food or fruits that have become moldy as this could lead to aspergillosis in wild birds.
Pet Food
No matter if you run out of bird seed or simply wish to reduce food waste, there are various kitchen items which you can give birds. But be wary of moldy bread, stale cheese and other potentially toxic substances which could make them sick!
Stale bread, crusts and crumbs can be enjoyed as snacks; just be sure to break up any large pieces that could pose a choking hazard. Mild cheese varieties should be considered; soft varieties should be avoided due to possible rancidity issues. Cooked pasta and rice dishes can be appreciated too – just remember to thoroughly clean them after cooking in order to rid any sauce or salt residue.
Avoid fruits that contain pits or seeds with cyanide-containing pits, including apricots, cherries, pears, peaches and apples. Furthermore, mushrooms have the potential to spread illness to wild birds.
Cereal
Winter offers wild birds extra nourishment through leftover bread, crackers, cookies and similar baked items; unsalted rice is another good choice; dried fruit such as raisins and apples should also be provided, just make sure it does not have sugar coatings!
Cheese can be an enjoyable treat for birds, but make sure it’s low in lactose as some species are lactose intolerant. Try giving grated hard cheeses such as Cheddar or provolone instead of spreadable varieties such as brie or camembert as these could contain too much lactose for their digestive systems to process properly.
Cooked pasta can also provide generalist birds with essential carbohydrates in winter. Just be wary to avoid foods laden with unhealthy spices or heavy sauces that contain unnecessary added substances.
Pasta
Kitchen scraps provide excellent sources of carbohydrates for granivorous birds such as the brown thrasher, gray catbird and Carolina wren. Be mindful not to feed onions or garlic since both contain high concentrations of sulfur compounds which cause stomach discomfort for some species.
Avoid foods high in fat content such as fried foods and anything with heavy sauces that will harm many birds, such as bread. Bread should only be fed occasionally as it offers little nutritional benefit to their feathered visitors; too much bread feeding could even lead to Iron Storage Disease in young birds. Stale, hard cheese is good for grazing birds but should avoid flavors such as jalapeno pepper.
