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Pet Care

5 Vital Types Of Bird Food

If you want to attract a variety of birds to your backyard bird feeders, it’s important to offer them the right kind of food. There are several types of seeds, fruit and non-seed foods that birds eat.

Sunflower seeds are one of the most popular choices for bird feeders because they are rich in protein, fatty acids and fiber. These seeds are also a great source of energy for birds during the winter.

Sunflower Seed

Sunflower seeds are an excellent bird food because they are packed with fat and protein. This is essential for birds to maintain a healthy weight, especially in winter when they need extra energy.

They also contain vitamins and minerals that are vital for a healthy body and a happy life. These include vitamin E, zinc and folate.

These seeds are a favorite of many songbirds and can be used to make a variety of different bird foods. The type of sunflower seed you feed depends on the species of birds you want to attract or keep at your feeders.

Suet

Suet is a leather-like material that can be made from lamb, goat, deer and pig. However, the type of animal used has an effect on the finish of the leather.

For instance, thicker hides from older animals tend to have a napped texture that isn’t as smooth and light as lighter skins.

Birds eat suet as a source of fat and calories. It also provides essential fatty acids to help keep them warm in cold climates.

There are several types of suet to choose from, including cakes, balls, and chunks. Balls and chunks will usually fit in most standard suet feeders, while the larger cakes can be used in more specialized feeders.

Nuts

Nuts are a staple food for a variety of birds, especially in the fall and winter when they provide extra fat for birds to survive cold weather. During this time of year nuts also provide protein and calcium to support strong bones and thicker eggshells.

Peanuts are the most popular nut to feed bird species in the wild, but other types of nuts are available for use in bird feeders as well. These include macadamia nuts, hickory nuts, pecans, brazil nuts and walnuts.

If you’re looking to use other types of nuts for your backyard birds, be aware that they may have been salted, roasted or coated in some way. These ingredients can be toxic to wild birds, so make sure any nuts you offer don’t have any of these added to them.

Fruit

Fruit is a staple of many bird diets and provides essential energy during summer, fall, and winter. Thrushes (including robins and bluebirds), tanagers, thrashers, orioles, jays, mockingbirds, woodpeckers and other birds will visit feeders for a variety of fruits.

In addition to fresh fruit, dried berries and grapes are also popular with birds. These can be offered in a suet cage, on a platform feeder or sprinkled onto the ground for birds to peck.

Fruit is also an excellent source of vitamin A, which is crucial for healthy feathers, skin, eyesight, and a strong immune system. Dark-colored fruits and vegetables are better sources of vitamin A than their pale counterparts because they have higher levels of beta carotene.

Kitchen Scraps

Kitchen scraps are a great way to provide backyard birds with an extra source of food. These items are often high in fat and protein that can help birds stay healthy during nesting season or wintertime.

Some of these foods include: poultry trimmings, egg shells, beef fat trimmings, and stale cheese. These are good sources of protein and can be a welcome treat for a wide variety of backyard birds, including brown thrashers, wrens, and catbirds.

While kitchen scraps are a useful way to reduce your waste, they can also attract pests such as mice and rats. You should place these scraps on a platform feeder, and avoid putting them on the ground.