Cranmer Earth Design
In Season
indexIn SeasonProductsInformationshopContact
Attracting Birds to your yard with bird feed

Bird Food - The Diet Of Birds

It is not surprising different birds are attracted to different types of bird feed. Not all birds eat seed, many birds eat insects exclusively. These birds are difficult to attract to your yard by food if bird seed is provided. These birds can be drawn to your yard by providing meal worms, water and/or a nesting cavity, such as a birdhouse. Birds also have different energy requirements at different life stages, and therefore require different types of food. A chickadee will feed insects to its young, but feed primarily on seed throughout its adult life. A wren alternatively, is an insectivore its entire life.

Robin eating a worm from the lawn
Robin eating an earthworm
It is important to obtain quality food that is not spoiled and is as fresh as possible. Pests and pathogens may deter birds from eating the seed altogether and may negatively affect the bird's health. In temperate climates birdseed is harvested when plants reach maturity near the end of the summer. Once the seed is harvested it starts losing its oil content as it dries out. If blackbirds, grackles, starlings or squirrels are eating the majority of your food, safflower seed might deter them and allow other birds to enjoy the feeder.

The table below shows different types of feed available and the birds they commonly attract.

Favourite Foods of Backyard Birds

Food

Preferred By

Relative Cost

Corn (Cracked)   Blue Jays
Cardinals
Doves
Grackles
Quail
Sparrow
Starlings
Low
Corn (Whole)   Ducks
Geese
Turkeys
Low
Mealworms
(Tenebrio molitor)
  Bluebirds
Chickadees
Robins
Titmice
Warblers
Woodpeckers
Wrens
Very High
Millet   Mourning Doves
Juncos
Sparrows
Medium
Nyjer
(Guizotia abyssinica)
American Goldfinch
Pine Siskin
Redpole
High
Oats   Doves
Quail
Low
Oranges   Catbirds
Mockingbirds
Orioles
Robins
Waxwings
High
Peanuts   Blue Jays
Chickadees
Titmice
Woodpeckers
High
Peanut Hearts   Blue Jays
Chickadees
Nuthatches
Titmice
High
Safflower   Cardinals
Chickadees
House Finches
Tufted Titmice
Medium
Suet Fat   Chickadees
Flickers
Nuthatches
Orioles
Woodpeckers
High
Sunflower Seeds (Oil)   Cardinals
Chickadees
Finches
Tufted Titmice
High - Medium
Sunflower Seeds (Striped) Blue Jays
Cardinals
Chickadees
Finches
Red-Bellied Woodpecker
Tufted Titmice
Medium

There are exceptions to the above table. If you'd like to add or edit part of the table above please e-mail cranmer.earthdesign@gmail.com.


Return to the table of contents
Continue reading
Bird Resources and Information
Attracting Birds with Water


Sitemap | In Season | Products | Information | Store | Contact Us

© Cranmer Earth Design