Some birds such as blue jays, tufted titmouses and brown thrashers enjoy eating peanuts. You can also offer them roasted nuts without added salt and spice flavorings to give them something tasty to snack on.
An assortment of seeds is best to attract various species. Try providing black oil sunflower seeds, nyjer and peanuts individually or combined together as part of an offering.
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Apples
Apples are one of the most beloved fruits, providing nutrition to various birds. Not only can they provide energy sources but they are rich in fiber for easier digestion. Furthermore, apples contain an abundance of Vitamin C.
Many of us have excess fruit in our kitchens that could benefit birds – why not offer it up to them instead? Apples are particularly attractive to cedar waxwings, eastern bluebirds and American robins!
Vegetables: Frozen corn or peas, leftover cooked vegetables that have been frozen over, scraps from canned soups and any food with bacteria-related illnesses for the birds should all make up healthy feeder foods for birds. Avoid offering rancid or moldy food to your flock of feathered friends to reduce illness risk.
Bananas
Birds primarily consume fruit, seeds and grains as well as nuts; insects and berries also play an essential part of their diets.
Stale bread without added sugars or marshmallows provides low-cost food sources for wild birds. Cereals such as bran flakes, toasted oats and plain Cheerios are particularly well-liked by them; cooked porridge oats should be avoided however as these can harden around their beaks and be dangerous to some bird species.
Tiny black nyjer seed — commonly referred to as thistle seed — is an ideal food source for smaller songbirds like American goldfinches, titmice and sparrows. Wagner’s Nyjer Seed Premium Wild Bird Food attracts these species as well as finches, buntings, juncos and woodpeckers, making this food available through feeders designed specifically to dispense it without larger birds hogging all of it at once.
Sunflower kernels are an excellent way to attract finches, songbirds, doves, pigeons and cardinals. Lyric Supreme Wild Bird Mix offers a comprehensive solution that includes twelve premium ingredients – no wheat filler or husks that could choke birds! Plus it’s vitamin-enriched to support strong bones and robust egg production!
Roasted Nuts
Roasted nuts make an appetizing treat and are loved by wild birds alike, offering an attractive alternative to purchasing packaged bird seed and can easily be prepared using everyday kitchen appliances.
Raw, unsalted nuts contain an abundance of vital vitamins and minerals for good health, such as magnesium, phosphorus and antioxidants, but can become degraded during roasting due to heat sensitivity.
Food scraps from your kitchen that can attract backyard birds include stale bread, pasta and rice (although heavy sauces, strong spices or cheese should be avoided). Dry cereal such as porridge can also attract birds; just beware that cooking it could harden around their beak.
Stale cheese provides another source of protein for wild birds. Unfortunately, though, too much lactose-free cheese may not be as palatable to these creatures; baby birds should not consume milk-based products because this could confuse their crop sac for its contents and aspirate it directly into their lungs, possibly leading them to asphyxiate themselves and die.
Raisins
raisins are a nutritious food source for titmice and other hummingbirds, from those who nest to migratory migrants such as swallows. Sprinkle some into homemade granola or mix into oatmeal as an easy breakfast-on-the-go option! Also perfect as part of poultry stuffing and providing an on-the-go snack, be sure to wash raisins first in order to prevent mold growth before offering to babies!
Stale pieces of bread can provide sustenance for robins, wrens, and dunnocks that feed from bird feeders. Milk should never be fed to birds as this can cause severe stomach upsets and possibly death.
Baby birds need a healthy diet of fruits and vegetables to thrive; however, there are certain foods they should not eat due to toxins or harmful substances found within them. Fruit pits and seeds should be avoided due to their potential cyanide poisoning properties; similarly uncooked beans should always be cooked prior to offering to birds; salt should also be kept to a minimum because it may lead to dehydration and other serious health complications.
