what kind of nuts do birds eat

Filling Feeders With Nuts and Berries

It’s easy to add these healthy, natural foods to feeders. You can add berries and nuts to tray or open dish feeders. These larger foods can also be added to broad wire mesh feeders or hopper or tube feeders with wide feeding ports.

Although larger berries could be crushed or chopped to make them easier for smaller bills to handle, berries can be served whole. Sprigs of berries can also be added to feeders. Birds will happily pluck the treats off each branch.

An additional choice are dried berries like currants, cranberries, and raisins. But be careful not to serve an excessive amount of berries at once, as they will quickly rot and ferment if not consumed right away.

Because they are more durable, nuts will last longer in larger feeders. You can provide birds with whole, shelled, or chopped nuts in tray, dish, or mesh feeders. Nut butters are also excellent for birds; you can spread them on tree trunks so that sly birds can nibble on them. However, nuts can also mold, so it’s best to keep them as dry as possible to reduce waste and spoiling.

Wild Birds Go Nuts for Nuts

Birds can benefit from any kind of nut, but the ones that birds are most accustomed to eating in the wild are the best. Depending on the size and hardness of the nut in relation to the size of the bird’s mouth and bill, different bird species have different nut preferences. However, any bird that enjoys nuts can try any nuts that are suitable. The best nuts to offer birds include….

Acorns
Almonds
Beechnuts
Hazelnuts
Hickory nuts
Peanuts
Pecans
Pine nuts
Walnuts

Why Nuts Are Great for Birds

Nuts are a quick and simple food to add to backyard feeders because they are long-lasting, easy to store, clean, and low-mess. However, nuts are an even better choice for backyard birds than they are for backyard birdwatchers.

Nuts have a lot of fat and calories, which makes them a superior source of energy, especially for birds migrating or in the fall and winter when the temperature drops and they have to burn more energy to stay warm.
Because whole nuts—either in their shells or already shelled—are sturdy and simple for birds to store, winter residents can build up wholesome food stocks that they can return to when other food sources become scarce.
When native trees and bushes are buried by birds, the nuts naturally reseed and have a higher chance of germinating and growing if the birds do not visit that particular food cache again. This restores habitat and provides additional food for future birds.

FAQ

Can I leave peanuts out for birds?

There are many options for offering peanuts to hungry backyard birds. Whole, in-shell nuts are ideal for larger birds such as jays, crows, grackles, and larger woodpeckers. Smaller birds such as chickadees and titmice will prefer peanut hearts or chips that are already broken up.

Can wild birds eat pecans?

The birds most likely to dine on pecans are woodpeckers (red-bellied, downy, red-headed), Carolina chickadees, blue jays, nuthatches (brown-headed, white-breasted), cardinals, American goldfinches, sparrows (chipping, song, white-throated), warblers (pine, yellow-rumped), eastern towhees, northern mockingbirds, eastern …

Can wild birds eat cashews?

No, cashews are not toxic to birds; however, they should be fed sparingly due to high fat and protein content. How Often Should Birds Eat Cashews? Birds should have cashews only as an occasional treat, not a regular part of their diet, to prevent health issues.