What food can you give to wild birds?

Question

I know bread so don't tell me that. I'm just wondering the type of left overs you can give that they would eat.
Like some1 told me they eat eggshells but I found they don't.
So just wondering because I love feeding the birds in my area.

Answer 1

Besides the usual bird seed and bread, you can offer fruit such as sliced oranges, apples, and berries. Some tropical species can be attracted with the oranges and lemon, but make sure to discard the fruit at the end of the day or it attracts bugs.

Veggies you can offer include cooked corn on the cob, cucumbers and squash. Some species will even eat sprouted bean seeds! Oriels and humming birds will appreciate sugar water (found at some pet stores), though that needs to be cleaned out and washed regularly as the sugar water goes bad pretty fast.

Overall it's up to your imagination. Different foods will attract different species, as does the shape of the feeder. larger birds such as crows, magpies and pigeons are happy with a flat box feeder. Swinging feeders are better for the small perching birds as the larger birds can't stay on them long enough (in theory anyways) to get to their seed.

Hope that helps :-)

Answer 2

Many stores carry birdseed/bird feed. For starters, get a bag of the mixed birdseed. I've found walmart to have the most choices and the cheapest, but you can also find it a grocer and feed and grain stores and plant nurseries. Start with the mixed type and soon you will see what the birds in your area prefer. Then you can adjust your choice of seeds. It's interesting that the smaller birds, wrens, chicks, etc seem to like the larger sunflower seeds best while the larger birds like doves prefer the smaller grains. Birds also like plain bread, cereals, canned corn and other such "leftovers". If you want a real treat, get yourself a cheap bird feeder and hang it just outside your window. You'll love seeing the birds enjoy the meal you provided for them. Eventually you may experience the ultimate thrill of having them greet you and even land on you when you go out to feed them. Good luck and God bless.

Answer 3

It matters what type of birds you are going to feed, if they are cockatoos or parrots, try and feed them sunflower seeds, they are cheep and readily available. If you are planning to feed nectar eaters, either by some powder that makes a liquid or plant some mectar shrubs. If they eat insects plant more citrus. Remember, if you are feeding these birds, they become quite demading and if you do not feed them regularly they WILL destroy your house,( this has happened to my neighbour). By feeding them, the birds do get lazy so rememer, only provide a little sunflower seed or they will get too greedy.!! PS the reason some one might have told you egg shells is because in occasions, birds lack calcium and they recieve it from egg sheels, it isn't a good idea to feed them this, but if you can try feeding them shell grit.

Answer 4

I love feeding birds in my area too, so I always throw them some left over bread, or expired. Because for them, expired bread is like regular. l think they'll love it if you give them bread, because the birds that come here do. You can also try giving them cooked rice, maybe if nobody's going to eat it or its expired or something.

Answer 5

you can feed tehm anything. i personnaly feed them bread, left over famster foof, leftover crackers from my soup, animal crackers, organic popcorn, cheerios, rice krispies, oteh cereal, and sometime with teh correct birds oatmeal

Answer 6

Cereal...like cheerios. Crackers.....Bird seed....popcorn

Answer 7

Just buy a big cheap bag of birdseed. They will be so happy...

Answer 8

Black oil sunflower seeds are the best for most species.

Answer 9

Not completely sure about this one