Many people assume that bird seed is the only food backyards birds enjoy. While quality seed does provide a solid foundation for most feeding stations, it’s actually not the only thing birds eat. Throughout the year, birds are eating nuts, fruits, insects, and high-energy foods.
Adding more options to your feeding station can draw new species into your yard that may never visit a traditional seed feeder. It also creates a more diverse backyard habitat where different birds can find foods that match their natural feeding habits.
Bird Seed Blends
Bird seed blends offer a variety of seed types in one convenient mix, which is appealing to a wide range of backyard birds. However, not all blends are the same. The ingredients and its amount play an important part in determining which birds will visit your feeders.
Generally, premium blends contain a higher percentage of sunflower seeds, while other blends have a larger proportion of millet, cracked corn, and milo.
Premium Blends Often Contain:
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Striped sunflower seed
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Safflower seed
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Peanut pieces
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Sometimes dried fruit
These blends attract a wide variety of seed-eating birds that feed in trees, such as chickadees, finches, nuthatches, grosbeaks, and cardinals.
Other Blends:
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Millet
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Cracked corn
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Milo
These blends are commonly eaten by ground-feeding birds such as sparrows, doves, quail, juncos, and towhees.
Suets
Suet is one of the best foods for attracting birds that need an extra source of energy. It’s made primarily from rendered beef fat and provides concentrated calories that many birds enjoy.
Many commercial suet cakes often include other ingredients like seeds, nuts, berries, fruits, and insects to entice even more types of birds.
Best For Attracting:
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Woodpeckers
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Chickadees
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Nuthatches
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Titmice
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Wrens
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Bluebirds
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Brown Creepers
How To Offer Suet:
You’ll need to install a wire suet feeder designed for birds to cling while feeding. Keep it in a shaded area to prevent melting during warm weather.
Peanuts
Peanuts are becoming increasingly popular for backyard bird feeding because they contain essential protein and healthy oils. They can be offered whole, shelled, or in smaller pieces and they are often included in premium bird seeds and suet cakes.
Keep in mind that peanuts can become moldy in warm, humid conditions, so it’s best to offer them in small amounts to avoid waste.
Best For Attracting:
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Woodpeckers
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Blue Jays
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Chickadees
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Nuthatches
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Wrens
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Titmice
How To Offer Peanuts:
Special wire mesh peanut feeders allow birds to peck small pieces without larger birds carrying away entire peanuts
Fresh Fruit
A surprisingly large number of birds enjoy fresh fruit, particularly during warm weather. Adding a fruit station can bring some unexpected species to your feeding area that aren’t interested in seed alone.
Popular Choices:
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Orange halves
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Apples
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Grapes
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Raisins
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Blueberries
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Grape Jelly
Best For Attracting:
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Orioles
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Robins
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Mockingbirds
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Bluebirds
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Woodpeckers
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Jays
Mealworms
These wiggly snacks are an excellent protein source and are preferred by many insectivorous birds. The advantage of feeding mealworms is that you’ll draw species that rarely or never show up at traditional seed feeders. They can be purchased live or dried.
Best For Attracting:
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Bluebirds
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Wrens
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Thrushes
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Warblers
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Mockingbirds
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Cardinals
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Jays
How To Offer Mealworms:
Place mealworms in a shallow dish with steep sides so that they won’t easily escape.
Sugar Water for Hummingbirds
Not all birds consume seeds. Hummingbirds and orioles survive on nectar, so you can entice them with a simple sugar water solution.
Nectar Solution:
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Four parts water
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One part white table sugar
Boil the mixture briefly, allow it to cool completely, and place it in a hummingbird or oriole feeders. During warm weather, replace the solution every few days to keep it fresh.
Choosing the Right Food for the Birds You Want
Simple Guide:
Woodpeckers → Suet or Peanuts
Goldfinches → Nyjer Seed
Bluebirds → Mealworms
Orioles → Fresh Fruit or Grape Jelly
Hummingbirds → Sugar Water
Other Birds → Premium Bird Seed Blend
Build Your Feeding Station Over Time
One of the fun parts of backyard bird feeding is figuring out which foods work best in your own yard. As you observe the birds that visit regularly, you can expand your menu by introducing different types of food, one by one, to see who takes to it.
By starting with quality bird seed and gradually branching out to suet, peanuts, mealworms, fruit, and nectar, you can transform your feeding station into a bird-friendly hub.