Food offered to wild birds at home can have a dramatic impact on their wellbeing, with certain items potentially making them sick, while others could cause them to choke and die.
Junk foods like pretzels and potato chips contain excessive salt, which can alter birds’ electrolyte and fluid balance and lead to dehydration and illness in birds. When feeding birds, try to steer clear of such food sources.
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Nuts
Nut-eating birds like woodpeckers, jays, robins, chickadees, and nuthatches are frequent visitors to backyard bird feeders. Though most bird species will eat nuts in general, specific varieties require specific species.
Natural, unroasted nuts are safe for birds to eat. Roasted or salted nuts contain high concentrations of salt that could harm wildlife.
Peanuts can be enjoyed as both raw or roasted peanuts when mixed with premium birdseed or alone as snacks for wildlife. Avoid adding salt, seasonings or candy coatings as this could be harmful for birds. Instead, plant trees and bushes with nuts-bearing trees in your yard to provide wildlife with healthy nuts. Nuts provide essential nutrition during winter migrations!
Seeds
As the old saying goes, “you get what you pay for.” Unfortunately, budget mixtures often contain high concentrations of seeds that birds won’t eat and which actually repel them; such as sorghum (milo), flax seed, oats, and wheat are used as cheap fillers in bird feeders but they often spoil easily due to moisture absorption and potential mold infections.
Opt for a seed mix that contains black oil sunflower seeds, nyjer thistle seeds, safflower seeds and/or peanuts instead. These nutritious options contain high amounts of fats, proteins, calcium and iron; plus they’ll deter squirrels, chipmunks and raccoons from nesting nearby!
Fruits
Fruit and vegetables offer wild birds essential nutrients. But these should only serve as treats, not the main course. Snacks like fruit should be offered alongside their regular seed diet like that found in Lafeber’s Popcorn Nutri-Berrie Treats which provide a nutritionally balanced blend to mimic what wild birds find naturally.
Common household ingredients make delicious snacks for wild birds, such as berries and grapes (though avoid apples as their high sugar content can harm them), porridge oats (often readily available in home gardens) and porridge oats are all delicious treats that provide energy boosts necessary for songbirds to survive in nature. Bread often attracts insects or mold, while these treats give birds energy boosts they need.
Vegetables
Birds eat a wide range of natural and processed foods. Seed is only one component of their diet; pellets provide another alternative as they contain more protein, vitamins, and minerals than seeds do.
Vegetables can add variety to a bird feeder in addition to peanuts, seeds and suet. Peppers, carrots, squash and pumpkins should be offered. It is wise to avoid avocados, garlic onions mushrooms which could pose health concerns to the birds and dried beans that harbor mold that lead to Aspergillosis.
Mangoes can be enjoyed safely by birds, though caution must be exercised due to its high sugar content. They provide essential vitamins such as A, C, K and folate. Raisins should also be offered, though warmed or soaked first to reduce gastrointestinal distress.
Water
As a general guideline, anything safe for human consumption should also be suitable for birds to drink – this includes tap, filtered and spring water. Sugar may help attract new species; just don’t put out too much as it will quickly go rancid or moldy!
Wild birds require regular water consumption to remain hydrated in hot climates. Furthermore, they take baths daily in order to preen their feathers and maintain good condition.
Assure multiple drinking and bathing areas exist in your yard to accommodate various species. Regularly clean all water containers and feeders before refilling with fresh water. Also avoid feeding birds foods high in salt as this could disturb their electrolyte and fluid balance resulting in dehydration.
