If you’re a wildlife enthusiast or simply want to help the birds in your neighborhood, there are various foods that you can feed them.
Sunflower seeds are a popular option due to their convenience – they can be bought in bulk and provide birds with essential protein sources. Unfortunately, birds may get messy when cracking open the shells to access the delicious inside treats.
Contents
Sunflower
Sunflower seeds are an incredibly popular and high-energy wild bird food choice. They provide plenty of protein which is essential for proper body growth and development.
Bird seed contains essential fats and oils for energy absorption. Furthermore, they’re an important source of vitamins and minerals such as vitamin A, iron, calcium.
Sunflower heads make excellent natural birdfeeders and can be hung on fences or tree branches for wild birds to feast upon. Simply drill two holes near the top of each sunflower head and thread florist wire through them for easy attachment.
Millet
Millet is an economical seed that attracts many types of wild birds. It’s especially popular among ground-feeding species like juncos, doves, towhees and sparrows.
Seed mixtures and suet blocks can also be made with it; however, be sure not to feed it to cowbirds or House Sparrows.
This small grain, similar in size and texture to bread, provides a good source of protein, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and dietary fiber. It has become especially popular for birds – particularly smaller ones who have difficulty eating larger seeds.
Peanuts
Peanuts are a favourite food of wild birds as they provide them with essential protein and essential fats for healthy development. In winter months when natural sources of energy may be scarcer, peanuts make for an excellent alternative source of sustenance.
Garden birds love them, and you can also feed other wildlife like hedgehogs and foxes with ease if fed in moderation – just be sure not to overfeed!
Peanuts are an annual herbaceous plant that grows to about two feet high. Harvest takes place in two steps: After flowering, the stalk bends over and pushes out a pod which swells and matures. Once lifted and turned upside down, these pods can be dried for three or four days to lose up to two-thirds of their moisture content.
Seed mixtures
For serious birders, investing in a high quality wild birdseed mix is worth the money. Cheaper mixes often contain filler ingredients which birds don’t enjoy.
For instance, some inexpensive seed mixtures include milo (sorghum), which is a popular filler but has no nutritional value for birds. Instead of being fed to wild birds and wasted, this wasteful crop is simply left behind by those in the know.
Fruit
Fruit, which is the ripened reproductive structure (ovaries) of a plant, is an important source of sustenance for many wild birds. They can range in complexity from simple fruits derived from one ovary to complex fruits made up of multiple ovaries from one flower.
Fruits are an ideal way to add variety to your bird feeding stations and attract more visitors. Brushed apples and bananas, slightly old berries or other fruits with juicy bits on the rind can easily be cut into small pieces before being placed on a feeder and offered as food to birds.
Fruits can be fed in hanging or platform feeders, on wire mesh feeders or suet cages. Orange slices, grapes and other diced fresh fruits as well as dried fruits such as raisins or currants make excellent choices for snacking.
Vegetables
Wild birds can benefit greatly from the bounty in your garden. Popular items include fruits, vegetables, nuts and grains that you provide them.
Fruits are a favorite among birds, particularly pine grosbeaks, bluebirds, robins and cedar waxwings.
Vegetables make excellent bird food, as they can be fed raw or cooked.
Some vegetables, like potatoes and tomatoes, may be difficult for birds to digest due to protease – an enzyme that makes it hard for birds to break down nutrients in their food.
