Birds need proper nutrition during the nesting season to ensure they can adequately provide for their young. The best foods to offer nesting birds are high in protein, calcium, and antioxidants. In the opening paragraphs, I’ll provide quick answers to common questions about feeding nesting birds before diving deeper into nutritional recommendations in the subheadings below.
What do baby birds eat?
Baby birds rely entirely on their parents to provide food in the nest. The diet of nestling birds varies by species but often consists of regurgitated insects, worms, seeds, berries, nectar, and small pieces of meat. It is important not to interfere with the natural feeding process by attempting to hand-feed baby birds.
What do parent birds feed their babies?
Parent birds work tirelessly to provide high-protein foods to their chicks during nesting season. Some common foods fed to babies include:
- Worms
- Crickets
- Grasshoppers
- Moths
- Caterpillars
- Spiders
- Aphids
- Ants
- Flies
- Mosquitos
- Berries
- Seeds
- Nectar
- Pollen
- Suet
- Chopped nuts
- Scraps of meat
- Dog or cat food
- Bits of eggs
- Mealworms
Insects and spiders provide protein for growth. Berries, nectar, seeds, and nuts offer carbohydrates. Suet, meat scraps, eggs, and commercial bird foods add fat and protein. Parent birds work from dawn to dusk gathering the right balance of nutrients to raise their chicks.
What human foods can birds eat?
Many backyard birders enjoy supplementing birds’ diets with safe, nutritious human foods. Some good options include:
- Chopped fruit like apples, berries, melons, and citrus
- Cooked rice, pasta, oats
- Chopped veggies like broccoli, carrots, leafy greens
- Cooked beans, peas, lentils
- Whole nuts and shelled sunflower seeds
- Cheese, yogurt, hardboiled eggs
- Crickets, mealworms, earthworms
- Small amounts of lean meat
Avoid offering birds salty, spicy, or sugary human food as well as avocado, chocolate, caffeine, alcohol, and raw dried beans which can be toxic. Stick to wholesome natural foods and moderation.
What to avoid feeding nesting birds
While nesting birds appreciate supplemental feeding, some foods can do more harm than good. Avoid the following:
- Moldy, rotten, or spoiled food
- Salty and sugary junk food like chips, cookies, and candy
- Avocado
- Chocolate
- Caffeine
- Alcohol
- Raw dried beans
- Greasy, fried foods
- Heavily seasoned foods
- Lawn or garden chemicals
Sticking to natural, nutritious whole foods will provide nesting birds with the energy and nutrients they need without risking harmful contamination or illness.
Best foods to feed nesting birds
Here are some of the top foods to offer nesting birds:
Insects
High in protein, insects are a natural food source relished by many species of nesting birds. Purchase live crickets, mealworms, or fly larvae from bait shops or pet stores. You can also attract insects by planting pollinator-friendly native plants.
Suet
Suet is rendered beef fat processed into nutritious high-calorie cakes. Offer suet in specialized suet feeders. Suet provides birds energy and heat during cold weather.
Nuts
Whole peanuts, almonds, walnuts, and other nuts give birds protein and healthy fats. Offer finely chopped nuts in mesh bags or wire nut feeders.
Seed
Black oil sunflower seeds are a favorite of seed-eating birds. Striped sunflower seeds have less fat. Offer a seed blend in tube feeders, platform feeders, or scattered on the ground.
Fruit
Chopped apples, berries, melons, and oranges are great for fruit-eating birds like orioles, blue jays, and mockingbirds. Skewer cut fruit on sticks or serve on platform feeders.
Mealworms
Dried mealworms are an excellent source of protein for nestlings. Offer mealworms in small mesh bags or platform feeders to attract insect-loving birds.
Oats
Uncooked oatmeal or oat groats provide carbohydrates and fiber. Scatter on the ground or platform feeders. Avoid flavored, sugary instant oatmeal.
Peanut butter
All-natural no-salt-added peanut butter can be smeared into pinecones, stuffed into suet cages, or served with fruit and seed mixes. Chickadees, titmice, woodpeckers and nuthatches enjoy peanut butter.
Food | Key Nutrients | Best for… |
---|---|---|
Insects | Protein | Insect-eating birds like wrens, swallows, flycatchers |
Suet | Fat, calories | Woodpeckers, nuthatches, chickadees |
Nuts | Fat, protein | Jays, nuthatches, titmice, woodpeckers |
Seeds | Fat, carbohydrates | Finches, sparrows, buntings, juncos |
Fruit | Carbs, vitamins | Mockingbirds, robins, orioles, thrushes |
Mealworms | Protein | Bluebirds, robins, wrens, thrushes |
Oats | Carbs, fiber | Doves, quail, pheasants, grouse |
Peanut butter | Fat, protein | Woodpeckers, chickadees, titmice, nuthatches |
Foods to attract specific birds
You can cater to certain backyard birds by offering their favorite foods:
Hummingbirds
Nectar, sugar water – Use specialized hummingbird feeders filled with sugar water mixed at a 4:1 ratio. Do not add red food coloring. Clean feeders regularly.
Orioles
Orange halves, grape jelly – Skewer orange slices and serve with jelly in an oriole feeder. Orioles also like nectar.
Woodpeckers
Suet, peanuts – Offer suet cakes in specialized woodpecker feeders. Also try whole peanuts in mesh bags.
Chickadees
Black oil sunflower seeds, suet – Chickadees favor oil-rich small black sunflower seeds. They also readily eat from suet feeders.
Warblers
Mealworms, suet – Ground-feeding warblers appreciate live mealworms scattered in ground feeders. They will also eat suet for added calories.
Tanagers
Fruit – To attract colorful tanagers, offer cut oranges, berries, grapes, bananas, and other fruits.
Sparrows
Millet, oats, sunflower seeds – Fill feeders with millet, oats, and black oil sunflower seeds to bring in various sparrows.
Jays
Peanuts, sunflower seeds – Jays are attracted to whole peanuts and sunflower seeds in platform feeders or mesh bags.
Wrens
Suet, mealworms – Offer live mealworms in ground feeders and insect-enriched suet cakes for wrens.
Finches
Nyjer seed, niger seed – Use special nyjer or niger seed feeders to attract finches like goldfinches, purple finches, and pine siskins.
Consult field guides or resources like the Cornell Lab of Ornithology to learn the preferred foods of specific birds you hope to attract.
How to serve foods for nesting birds
The right bird feeders and techniques help ensure nesting birds find and consume supplemental foods:
- Tube feeders for seeds, nuts, dried fruit
- Platform feeders for suet, fruit, mealworms
- Hopper or house feeders for seeds, grains
- Mesh bags or wire feeders for nuts, shells
- Ground feeding trays or tubes for mealworms
- Suet cages for suet cakes
- Nectar feeders for sugar water (hummingbirds)
- Oriole feeders for jelly and fruit
- Finch feeders for nyjer seed
Use feeders tailored to birds’ size, behavior, and food type. Clean and disinfect feeders regularly to prevent disease. Offer fresh food daily and discard soggy or spoiled foods.
Also consider providing water for bathing and drinking. Use a bird bath, fountain, or shallow dishes, changing water daily to avoid mosquito breeding. Water is especially critical for birds feeding high-protein foods like insects or suet.
When to feed nesting birds
Birds require extra nutrition during nesting season as they work to feed their young. In most regions, peak nesting occurs between spring and mid-summer. Some tips for timing:
- Begin feeding in early spring before breeding season starts
- Continue feeding throughout nesting which may last 1-2 months per clutch
- Offer foods into mid to late summer when fledglings are weaning
- Provide foods year-round in cold climates when birds struggle to find insects and seeds
- Feed often, replenishing foods every 1-2 days as they will be eaten quickly
Look for signals like courtship, nest building, eggs in nests, and extended parental care to understand nesting timeframes in your area. Support birds through the energy-intensive process by offering nutritious foods daily.
Where to place feeders for nesting birds
Locate bird feeders thoughtfully to support nesting birds:
- Within flight distance of shrubs, trees, or structures housing nests
- Close enough for parents to easily collect food for young
- Far enough not to disturb nests, ideally 10+ feet away
- Hidden or protected from predators like cats
- In spots with good visibility for birds to watch for danger
- Near overhangs, porches, or cover to stay dry in rain and snow
- Out of direct sun to prevent food from spoiling
Set up multiple feeders around your yard to provide options. Birds will alert you to ideal spots by congregating in areas they feel safest.
How much to feed nesting birds
Parent birds work tirelessly to bring food back to the nest. The amount of food you offer will depend on factors like:
- Number and type of birds in your yard
- Time of season
- Size of young birds’ appetites as they grow
- How readily available natural food sources are
As a general rule of thumb:
- Replenish feeders when volume drops to about 25%
- Aim to offer 2-4 lbs of seed mix per week for smaller birds
- Offer 1-2 lbs of nut mixes and suet cakes per week
- Provide pieces of fruit daily, more for fruit-loving species
- Supply live mealworms daily, around 1/4 cup per small feeder
Observe activity at your feeders and increase amounts if food is eaten quickly. Providing plenty of feed will support nesting birds and their growing broods.
Transitioning birds from nest to independence
As baby birds grow, they will need to transition from parental feedings to self-sufficiency. You can support fledglings during this process:
- Continue ample feedings as young birds learn to forage
- Offer live mealworms, softened suet, and fruit to help weaning
- Provide seed and nut feeders at appropriate heights for smaller birds
- Include more millet and nyjer which fledglings can manage more easily
- Place feeders near shrubs or cover so young birds feel protected
- Reduce feed gradually through late summer and early fall
- Clean feeders regularly to prevent disease spread
The supplemental foods you offer can make the difference between life and death for inexperienced juvenile birds. With attentive feeding and monitoring, you can help your backyard birds thrive.
Conclusion
Feeding nutritious foods tailored to birds’ needs is crucial during nesting season and can improve the chances of fledglings’ survival. Offer energy-rich options like insects, seed, suet, fruit, and nuts daily in clean feeders placed thoughtfully. Pay attention to birds’ activity and adjust amounts and offerings accordingly. With proper nutrition, nesting birds can successfully raise happy, healthy young.