Are you interested in a natural way to help protect your garden from nasty bugs? Further, would you welcome a solution that will prevent mosquitoes from ruining your enjoyment of the beautiful landscape you’ve worked so hard to create?
We suspect that your answer to both questions will be a resounding “Yes”! Fortunately, you can invite insectivorous birds to your garden by planting flowers or adding structures that naturally attract such bird species.
The result? A sanctuary for birds that will simultaneously result in natural pest control by eating aphids, pill bugs, and other garden pests. But what about mosquitoes? Which types of birds eat mosquitoes?
So, What Birds Eat Mosquitoes?
Research has shown that mosquitoes are more attracted to people with the blood type O when compared to folks with blood type A (though not other blood types). Blood type depends on different sets of particular proteins called antigens on the surface of red blood cells, including A (type A), B (type B), both A and B (type AB), or neither A nor B (type O).
It seems that there may be additional factors that influence whether mosquitoes are drawn to you in particular. However, mosquitoes can quickly become your worst enemy if you have type O blood.
Thankfully, there are a variety of foods that birds consume, so you might quickly come to love these birds:
Birds that migrate include those that build their nests in one area and then move hundreds or thousands of miles away to spend the winter in a warmer climate. The majority of songbirds typically nest in the United States and spend the winter in tropical areas. The following migratory songbirds have been observed to relish mosquitoes as a meal:
The American Robin (Turdus migratorious) is one of the most well-known migratory birds and is commonly considered a prelude to spring. It’s the state bird for three states: Wisconsin, Michigan, and Connecticut. This migratory bird is a member of the thrush bird family, including the Eastern bluebird, the hermit thrush, and the wood thrush.
They consume grapes and berries, such as juneberries and mistletoe berries, in addition to mosquitoes, ants, termites, worms, grasshoppers, and beetles.
The Blackpoll Warbler (Setophaga striata) is a fairly small bird that has one of the lengthiest migrations among the songbirds. The blackpoll warblers breed in northern Canada, winter in northern South America, and then migrate to the eastern and midwestern states.
The males have white cheeks, white wing bars, and a black cap. Their call is unique, consisting of a quick succession of high notes in a single pitch that fluctuate in volume.
Blackpoll warblers hunt for insects concealed among the undersides of tree branches and leaves, and they primarily prefer to eat arthropods like spiders, centipedes, millipedes, and lice. They also consume some fruits and seeds.
Although they do not consume many of these insects on a daily basis, they do contribute to the decrease of mosquito populations because they consume mosquitoes (as well as other flying insects like gnats and flies) while they are in the air.
Barn Swallows (Hirundo rustica) can consume up to 850 insects per day and therefore are among the most effective birds in helping to control the mosquito population. They’re also known for their graceful flight. Unlike many other birds that open their mouths to catch insects along their way, barn swallows dive and swoop to capture their prey.
Insectivorous birds are more likely to visit you if you reside near a body of water. If that’s not the case, though, you can still easily draw them in by including a birdbath or fountain in your garden and making sure it’s always filled with water. You can also regularly leave your sprinkler on.
Given that barn swallows are known to build their nests in birdhouses, you might also want to add birdhouses to your garden. As their name suggests, they also like to perch on wires, clotheslines, and the eaves of barns.
Ruby-throated Hummingbirds are the most common North American hummingbirds. They have a distinctive emerald-green head, wings, back, and tail; a ruby-red throat patch in males (white in females); and underparts that are pearly white.
Planting the flowers that these lovely birds prefer in your garden will help you draw them in. They frequently visit purple, yellow, or blue flowers, though they usually favor long, tubular red or orange flowers.
They collect nectar from more than thirty different types of flowers, such as columbines, phlox, lilies, cardinal flowers, petunias, salvia, nasturtiums, and bee balm (which has the advantage of being disregarded by rabbits and deer).
Additionally, you can draw these hummingbirds by placing specially made feeders filled with clear sugar water in your garden. They also feed on tree sap. Nevertheless, as much as 60% of their diet might consist of insects, such as fruit flies, gnats, mosquitoes, small bees, spiders, and caterpillars. They may not have access to blooming flowers during their winter months in Costa Rica and Mexico, so they have been known to eat only insects.
The Ruby-throated Hummingbird is able to cross open water for hundreds of miles without making any stops. Their wings can beat as quickly as 75 times per second! To maintain their fast metabolism, they need to eat almost continuously.
The number of mosquitoes in your area can be reduced by other migratory songbird species. Nonetheless, some of the largest mosquito-eaters are the ones we’ve mentioned above. Though their presence should significantly reduce the mosquito population, regular songbird visitors won’t totally solve your mosquito problem. These vibrant, lovely guests will also regularly serenade you as a musical gift.
Nighthawks (Chordeiles minor), which are not “true” hawks, are nocturnal birds. They are medium in size with long pointed wings that have distinctive white patches. Nighthawks have a small, flat head; a tiny bill; are short-legged; and are camouflaged in gray, black, and white.
During the day, they are frequently hard to locate because they usually stay still on the ground or branches. Nighthawks catch and consume flying insects as they glide in irregular, looping, bat-like patterns. They mostly consume flying insects such as grasshoppers, moths, beetles, and mosquitoes. Nighthawks feed heavily when encountering termite or winged ant swarms.
Normally solitary birds, nighthawks can form sizable flocks when migrating. They typically make their loud nasal call at dusk.
Ducks and geese are aquatic animals, hence their name “waterfowl,” and they have a reputation for consuming a lot of mosquitoes.
Some species of waterfowl, like the Muscovy and India Runner ducks, are recognized for enjoying mosquitoes as food, both the adult mosquitoes with wings and the larvae. Ducks can access mosquito eggs before they mature into adults because mosquitoes deposit their eggs directly into the water, where they hatch into larvae. It has been observed that ducklings as young as two days old eat them.
The presence of ducks and other waterfowl in your garden may attract other species that feed on mosquitoes. These species include some varieties of dragonflies, toads, turtles, and fish.
According to traditional songs and stories, having Eastern Bluebirds (Sialia sialis) nest on your property will bring you happiness. If you and your garden are plagued by mosquitoes, this could well be true!
Small members of the thrush family, eastern bluebirds typically favor farming, orchards, parks, and wooded areas as their nesting locations. They frequently roost on branches, posts, or utility wires, waiting for insects like grasshoppers, crickets, or katydids to appear in the grass. After that, the bluebirds will descend to gather and consume the insects.
Since bluebirds consume a lot of insects on a daily basis, having a few of them in your yard and at home can help reduce the number of mosquitoes there. Apart from mosquitoes, bluebirds also consume millipedes, earthworms, and occasionally small lizards or frogs, as well as specific types of berries.
These migratory birds nest in Texas, Florida, Bermuda, and Nicaragua during their winter migration from the central region of Mexico. They create their nests in tree cavities, fence and stump holes, and woodpecker holes.
Eastern bluebirds also enjoy residing in bluebird houses, so be sure to put up at least a few bluebird houses (which you can purchase or easily make yourself). You may notice that bluebirds may arrive in pairs to investigate available bluebird houses early to find the one that is most to their liking. For those bluebirds that do migrate, they’ll often return to the same bluebird house for years to come.
Additionally, since Eastern bluebirds prefer moving water, having a fountain in your garden or a small stream on your property can help draw them.
The Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) is a non-migratory songbird whose habitat ranges from Texas to Maine. It’s well-known for its beautifully vibrant red feathers, the plume on its head, and its orange beak.
Cardinals eat mostly grain, but they also enjoy eating mosquitoes. Cardinals can also eat larger insects like grasshoppers and cicadas because of their size. Nevertheless, juvenile cardinals are fed smaller insects, such as mosquitoes, and they do not acquire the ability to eat grain until they are adults.
Northern cardinals live in parks, suburban gardens, forest clearings, and places with lots of bushes for nesting in the East. They may build their nests in tall brush or streamside thickets in the Southwest.
1. Provide fresh water. Birds will always flock to fresh water sources. Keep a bird bath, fountain, or better yet a bubbling water source in your yard. It will be sure to attract them and keep them coming back for more during the hot summer months.
7. Practice patience. You may not see birds right away. Give them a few weeks instead so they can locate your food sources and bird houses. Once a few people understand, the others will quickly come around. Have patience; word will spread once you’ve made your yard bird-friendly!
When the proper conditions are met, these birds—which are excellent at devouring mosquitoes—such as barn swallows, purple martins, robins, nuthatches, and chickadees—will flock to your yard. See the seven methods listed below to draw in mosquito-eating birds so you can enjoy more birds and fewer insects!
Bringing in mosquito-eating birds can be an excellent way to combat mosquitoes in your yard. The truth is that many birds enjoy eating mosquitoes and can consume up to dozens of them each day, which will help lower the number of biting insects on your property!
5. Put out plenty of housing options. Invest in a few bird houses and place them in various spots of the yard. Like your feeders, you want to spread them out to cover a fast area. This way birds won’t stay in one spot of the yard but spread out and provide more coverage.
Attracting Mosquito Eating Birds
There are several steps you can take to attract these birds to your garden and yard. Leverage any of the following tools when trying to attract birds, to help them become welcome residents of your home garden.
Fresh water sources should always be present in your yard. Examples of these include having a fountain, birdbath, or bubbling water source. When it’s hot outside, the birds will be drawn to the water and return.
Crucially, though, make sure there isn’t any standing water in your yard because that will attract even more mosquitoes. Usually, standing, stagnant water and moist debris—such as soil in pots or containers for plants that don’t drain—as well as gutter leaves are where mosquitoes lay their eggs. Use mosquito pellets, move the water constantly, or add fish to the water to stop the growth of mosquito larvae.
During the winter, take the appropriate precautions to keep the water from freezing for non-migratory birds. To keep the water in birdbaths fresh and avoid freezing, often refill it. Better yet, if you can, put in a heated birdbath for the winter months. These should keep the water from freezing even in the most extreme cold.
In the winter months, you don’t have to worry about mosquitoes, but you also don’t want to deter non-migratory birds from coming back to your area. If not, you might not be able to get them back when you need them in the warmer months.
Other non-migrating, mosquito-eating birds that aren’t interested in feeders might be drawn to your heated birdbath, which could lead to an increase in avian visitors in the summer who can help with your mosquito problem.
There are two major types of heated bird baths:
- A built-in heater in fully integrated baths is as easy as plugging it in. Even in the coldest weather, the water will stay liquid because of the heating element in the basin.
- You can buy an immersion heater if the birdbath you currently have isn’t heated. To keep part of the water liquid in the birdbath, you will plug in the heater and immerse the heating element in the water. While fully integrated birdbaths are more effective and efficient than immersion heaters, both will guarantee that your non-migratory guests have access to some liquid water.
To draw in different kinds of birds, try using a broad range of bird seeds, such as blends, suet, safflower seed, and sunflower seed. To reduce the number of mosquitoes in your area, you can enhance the likelihood of drawing a diverse range of birds by using different types of bird seed.
Invest in some bird feeders that are made especially to draw in particular kinds of birds, like hummingbird feeders.
Another example: as a medium-sized bird, cardinals have certain preferences, such that they won’t use particular feeders, even those that offer their favorite foods. Therefore, use hoppers rather than small tube feeders, since they won’t be able to move freely enough to access the feed. Hopper feeders enable cardinals to access the feed through a wide trough at the bottom and are rectangular. Further, the pegs on tube feeders may not provide them with sufficient support.
Additionally, to give cardinals more room to feed, make sure to place a mesh net, platform, or tray underneath hanging feeders. A tray placed beneath a tube feeder will make it easier for cardinals to land and eat.
Be sure to purchase feeders with squirrel-proof technology. If you reside in a place where animals, such as squirrels, are known to “steal seeds,” you don’t want your guests to become irritated when they keep coming home to an empty feeder. All they’ll do is stop coming, which will help your yard’s mosquito population.
Rather, think about purchasing a feeder that comes with a spring-loaded perch. When an animal heavier than most birds tries to access the birdseed, the feeder will automatically close the seed port. If you’ve already purchased a feeder that doesn’t have a spring-loaded perch, consider buying squirrel baffles that will keep squirrels from landing on the feeder from above or climbing the pole from below.
Certain types of mosquito-eating birds, such as cardinals, may also enjoy ground feeding. Be sure to provide plenty of ground-feeding opportunities. This may give them a stronger sense of security, particularly if there are low shrubs or bushes close by. (For more, see below.) In addition, if seeds remain on the ground for a couple of days, this could encourage more mosquito-eating birds to visit.
Take care not to place every bird feeder in one location. Otherwise, the birds will tend to congregate in one area. Instead, you want them to explore every area of your yard and garden because mosquitoes will be present there. Install your feeders throughout your yard and garden, at various elevations, including high and low points.
FAQ
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