Fruits you should be feeding backyard birds

You're missing out if you simply feed birds birdseed, suet, and nectar. Several lovely summer birds do not consume seeds and do not typically visit your feeders. Providing fruit at your feeder will attract them to your backyard. You could be amazed at what other birds you can attract by serving fruits throughout the year. Fruit is inexpensive to feed to birds. We will show you how to feed low-cost fruit to birds.

What kinds of birds consume fruit?

Fruit-eating birds include thrushes, tanagers, thrashers, orioles, jays, mockingbirds, woodpeckers, and others. Fruit will be enjoyed by some seed-eating birds as well.

In this article

• What kinds of backyard birds eat fruit?

• Kinds of fruit that birds eat

• How to feed fruit to birds

• Other factors to consider

What kinds of backyard birds eat fruit?

Frugivorous birds are those that eat mostly fruit. To supplement their protein intake, such birds are likely to devour insects. For example, most frugivorous birds feed their nestlings predominantly insects.

A less prevalent term is baccivorous, which refers to any animal that consumes berries exclusively. In North America, berries usually occur for a short time in the summer or fall. For the remainder of the year, birds who eat berries in the summer and fall will eat insects, grubs, and other invertebrates. Insectivorous birds are those that predominantly eat insects.

Other birds are omnivorous, consuming insects, grain, small animals, seeds, berries, and fruit, among other things. Some omnivorous birds (jays, crows, starlings, and grackles) are unsuitable as backyard birds because they can be hostile, consume other birds' eggs or nestlings, and quickly deplete bird feeder supplies.

Fruit is unlikely to be eaten by carnivorous birds such as hawks and owls.

When fruit is available, granivorous birds, such as finches, devour it. House Finches occasionally consume apricots, nectarines, peaches, plums, and cherries, among other orchard fruit crops.

The majority of flycatchers are true insectivorous birds. Surprisingly, they eat fruit and berries as well, though they are unlikely to do so at feeders. Sparrows, buntings, cardinals, and grosbeaks, consume largely seeds, feed insects to their young, and might also eat fruit occasionally. Although we think of them as seed-eaters, they eat a variety of foods.

Tanagers eat insects, as well as fruit and berries. They, too, consume oranges. Insects, fruit, and nectar are eaten by Orioles and o ranges are their favourite fruit! Insects, fruit, and berries are eaten by thrushes, which include bluebirds and American robins. The American Robin consumes approximately 40% invertebrates including worms, caterpillars, and grasshoppers, and approximately 60% fruit.

Mockingbirds, thrashers, and catbirds are omnivores who eat insects and fruit. Fruit and berries make up up to half of the Gray Catbird's diet. Waxwings feed on insects as well as berries. They devour cherries and other fruits.

Along with their usual diet of insects and nuts, woodpeckers eat fruit and berries. Red-bellied Woodpeckers visit feeders for fruit. In the winter, sapsuckers come orchards to consume the old apples that are still hanging on the trees.

Berries and fruit are eaten by warblers. In the winter, Yellow-rumped Warblers, which spend their winters farther north than others, eat berries and fruit.  Berries are eaten by quails, turkeys, and pheasants. These birds may visit your property if you live on the outskirts of farmland.

Kinds of fruit that birds eat

These are the fruits that are commonly eaten by birds. This is not a complete list.

1. Apples

Apples are eaten by what sorts of birds?

Buntings, cardinals, grosbeaks, mockingbirds, thrashers, waxwings, and wrens are among the birds that consume apples. Eastern Bluebird, Gray Catbird, American Crow, House Finch, Purple Finch, Blue Jay, American Robin, Red-breasted Sapsucker, European Starling, Eastern Towhee, Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, Red-bellied Woodpecker, and Red-headed Woodpecker are some of the other birds that consume apples.

The crabapple is the only apple native to North America. However, you can establish apple trees and leave some fruit for the birds in the winter. Older rotten apples can be eaten by birds, but ripe apples can be sliced and placed on your feeder.

2. Oranges

What kinds of birds eat oranges?

Bluebirds, catbirds, grosbeaks, mockingbirds, orioles, robins, tanagers, towhees, waxwings, and woodpeckers are among the birds that consume oranges.

Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Baltimore Oriole, Bullock's Oriole, Hooded Oriole, Orchard Oriole, Scarlet Tanager, Western Tanager, Brown Thrasher, and Red-bellied Woodpecker are some of the other birds that consume oranges.

Oranges can be eaten by a variety of birds. They can be served as half-oranges or sliced oranges.

3. Purple grapes

What kinds of birds eat grapes?

Bluebirds, catbirds, grosbeaks, mockingbirds, robins, tanagers, towhees, waxwings, and woodpeckers are among the birds that consume grapes. Northern Cardinal, Northern Flicker, Baltimore Oriole, Scarlet Tanager, Veery, Red-eye Vireo, Downy Woodpecker, Pileated Woodpecker, and Red-bellied Woodpecker are some of the other birds that consume grapes.

Wild grapes can be seen growing wild in many places. These can be used in your landscaping. Grapes may be eaten right off the vine by birds! To make it easier for the birds to eat the grapes, cut them in half.

4. Grape jelly

What kinds of birds eat grape jelly?

Catbirds and orioles are among the birds that eat grape jelly.

5. Raisins

What kinds of birds eat raisins?

Bluebirds, catbirds, mockingbirds, orioles, robins, and waxwings are among the birds that consume raisins.

6. Blueberries

What kinds of birds eat blueberries?

Bluebirds, catbirds, mockingbirds, and waxwings are among the birds that consume blueberries.

7. Cranberries

What kinds of birds eat cranberries?

Bluebirds, catbirds, mockingbirds, and waxwings are among the birds that eat cranberries.

8. Cherries

What kinds of birds eat cherries?

Bluebirds, catbirds, finches, mockingbirds, and waxwings are among the birds that consume cherries.

This is not a complete list. What other fruits and nuts are available in your local markets? Birds will eat them if you eat them. Plums, pears, mangoes, watermelons, pumpkins, squashes, cantaloupes, strawberries, huckleberries, bananas, and grapefruits are just some of the fruits and vegetables available. Surely you can think of more!

You can also plant a variety of berry-producing trees and plants to attract birds. Mulberries, elderberries, holly, Oregon grape, and juniper are among plants not often eaten by people. Many hedge shrubs yield fruit that birds like to eat. You should look for natural shrubs that will grow in your area and that local birds are already accustomed to eating at your local nursery.

How to prepare and feed fruit to birds?

Cutting fresh or dried fruit into pieces is the simplest way to prepare it for birds. To check if any birds prefer one size over another, try both larger and smaller pieces of fruit.

Sections of oranges could be served. They are, however, frequently given by slicing them in half crosswise. Peeling is not recommended. Apples can also be served sliced into slices or cut in half lengthwise. Do not peel or core the fruit.  Before giving raisins or dried fruits like cranberries to birds, soak them in water overnight.

How to offer fruit to birds?

Fruit can be placed directly on the ground or on the platform bird feeder's tray. Better yet, cut-up portions can be placed in a tiny glass bowl.  However, there is always the possibility that a jay or crow will come by and steal all of the fruit. As a result, it may be necessary to restrict or restrain the fruit. How?

Fruit can be stored in mesh "onion bags." Individual pieces will be pulled through by birds. It is too hot to feed suet in the summer. Clean out those metal suet cages and replace them with larger pieces of fruit for the birds to eat.

Cut oranges and apples in half and impale them on a tree branch, a nail, or a special "oriole" bird feeder with a fruit-holding spike. You can make a garland by "sewing" bits of fruit onto the thread and draping it over a bush or small tree.

How to feed birds fruit cheaply from kitchen scraps?

When you wash purple concord grape clusters, you'll occasionally find damaged, split, and crusty scabs. Feed them to the birds instead of throwing them away!

When you buy a bag of oranges, you may discover that many of them are immature and tasteless. They're waiting to mature on your counter. However, before they become edible, they get soft on the bottom. Cut them in half and give them to the birds instead of throwing them away!  The same is true for the majority of other fruits.

To feed the birds, save the seeds from pumpkins, squashes, and melons. Birds can eat the rinds of melons that still have some flesh on them.  Take any windfall fruit you come across. Remove the bruising and give the rest to the birds. Excess summer and fall fruit can be frozen and used to feed birds in the winter.

Other factors to consider

Feeding rotten or fermented food to birds is not a good idea. Throw it away if it has mold on it. Do not put rotten fruit out where bugs can find it. Fruit, perhaps more than any other food you might feed birds, will go bad quickly. When it turns bad, be ready to take it out of your feeder. This is why it's a good idea to freeze any extra fruit and only put out as much as the birds will consume in a day or two.

You'll soon have ants and bug pests, rats, raccoons, opossums, skunks, dogs, coyotes, or bears coming if you don't tidy up the fruit or put out too much at once! As a result, feed fruit at a distance from your home to keep pests at bay.