Offering birds alternatives to traditional backyard bird food can help you save money on birdseed and offer birds food of nutritional value during times of scarcity. This article will show you the basics of feeding backyard birds, kitchen scraps, and pantry grains.
Backyard birds can eat kitchen scraps and pantry grains that otherwise would be thrown away. Food from the pantry, such as old beans, lentils, garbanzo beans, rice, wheat, and other grains, can be crushed and fed to wild birds.
Birds more likely to eat kitchen scraps and pantry grains
To understand which backyard birds are more likely to eat kitchen scraps and crushed pantry grains, we need to understand what type of food backyard birds eat.
Birds that visit backyard feeders are mostly grain and seed eaters, followed by diet generalists. Only a few backyard birds eat fruit and only hummingbirds, and to a lesser extent orioles, drink nectar.
Grain eaters include goldfinches, finches, buntings, grosbeaks, and native sparrows. These birds have specific food preferences and are less likely to try unfamiliar foods.
On the other hand, pigeons, grackles, crows, starlings, blue jays, house sparrows, and quails have more generalist diets and eat a wider variety of food types. These birds’ digestive systems are adapted to handle various foods and are more likely to take kitchen scraps and crushed grains and nuts.
What makes feeding wild birds kitchen foods a good idea?
Feeding kitchen scraps and pantry grains to birds is a way to save on birdseed by using leftover food that would otherwise go to waste. Using scraps for bird food helps keep waste down and, at the same time, provides birds with a wide variety of food, keeping them coming back to your yard.
Flocking birds often show up in large numbers and consume large amounts of food. If you enjoy having lots of birds in your yard, you can feed pigeons, doves, quails, grackles, starlings, crows, house sparrows, and other flocking birds, pantry grains, and kitchen leftovers keeping your more expensive food for birds with a more selective diet.
Preparing to offer birds alternative kitchen foods
Knowing the types of birds that visit your feeders will help plan your alternative bird feeding strategy. If you only get selective eaters and not generalist birds, kitchen scraps and crushed grains will likely go unconsumed. On the other hand, if you have common flocking birds, they are likely to consume the food you offer.
If you would like to start feeding birds kitchen food, it is recommended to install a platform feeder, preferable on or close to the ground where most diet-generalist birds feed.
Offering kitchen scraps to backyard birds take preparation and persistence. Depending on the type of birds that visit your yard, putting kitchen food out may go ignored for the first few days and even weeks; collect and discard this food at the end of each day. After one or two individuals try the new food, other birds tend to follow suit.
Types of kitchen scraps that can be safely offered to birds
As a general rule, any natural and unprocessed human food is good for wild birds. Processed foods must be plain, unsalted, and free from fats and oils that can be unsafe for wild birds.
The following is a list of pantry grains and kitchen scraps that can be safely fed to backyard birds:
Unprocessed food for backyard birds
All types of grains: This includes beans, lentils, corn, wheat, rice, and any other kind of grains in their natural state. Often, these grains sit in the pantry for years and may not be suitable for human consumption. If dry and well preserved, grains are an ideal kitchen food that can be offered to backyard birds. Depending on the grain’s size, you may need to crush grains into small pieces that birds can handle. Not only diet generalists but also selective eaters visiting feeders consume crushed grains.
All types of nuts: Nuts are an excellent food for many birds. Nuts get old or stale after some time of not being consumed. Old or stale peanuts, pecans, almonds, walnuts, and even raisins need to be crushed into smaller pieces and offered to birds. Most birds take nuts of small size. All regular grain-eaters love nuts. Woodpeckers, titmice, chickadee, cardinals, and blue jays go crazy about nuts. Most nuts are rich in oil content and carbohydrates and are highly nutritious to birds.
Although birds are pretty good at tasting and passing on food that is not in prime conditions, moldy grains and nuts must not be offered to birds. Also, avoid feeding bird nuts coated with sugar, mixed with salt, or artificial flavors that can harm birds.
Fruit: Many birds love fruit. Fruit is among the food that is the most wasted in households. Bruised apples and bananas, slightly old berries, and other fruit can easily be chopped into small pieces and offered to birds. Cut the fruit’s bruised area, impale it on the feeder, cut it into pieces, and offer it on a plant saucer. Fruit is not as nutritious as grains and nuts but has essential sugar and plenty of carbohydrates, which constitute quick energy for birds.
Vegetables: Birds eat buds and other vegetables in limited amounts. Vegetables such as lettuce and spinach are popular foods for cage birds, but I doubt backyard birds would take them if offered. A few sparrows and finches may take a bite, but veggies will dry before they are consumed. Backyard birds came to feeders to get the nutritious food they could not easily find in the wild. Green vegetables have many substitutes in the wild and may not be appealing to birds on feeders.Some people offer peas, finely chopped carrots, boiled potatoes, and other veggies. These types of veggies are likely to be taken by flocking birds.
Hard-boiled eggs: Hard-boiled eggs are a popular food for cagebirds such as canaries and other finches. Hard-boiled eggs are a great source of proteins. While they can be offered to wild birds, it would take some time for them to figure out that it is edible when presented to them.
Animal Fat is commonly fed to backyard birds, particularly in the winter when insects and other sources of proteins are scarce. Backyard birds would consume any type of fat, but beef fat is the recommended and most common animal fat type offered to birds.Ideally, fat needs to be rendered before offering it to birds. Render fat by heating it at a low temperature until it melts, all proteins solidify, and any water is evaporated. While still liquid, separate or filter the fats from the solids. As the fat cools, you’re left with clean, pure rendered fat.
A word of caution: While old and stale nuts are safe and nutritious to birds, nuts that are moist and stored for some time can develop dangerous fungus and mold potentially harmful to birds. Growing mold on birdseed or kitchen grains can cause aspergillosis, a deadly disease that affects the bird’s respiratory system.
Processed pantry grains and kitchen scraps for birds
Bread and other baked goods: It is fine to feed birds stale bread and other baked goods. Whole wheat bread is more nutritious and contains more fiber than white bread. Other baked goods, including plain crackers, cookies, and similar baked leftovers, appeal to birds.
Flocking birds are used to consume foods in the wild that are not necessarily in prime conditions. Bird enthusiasts share that if the bread has only mold spots, they remove them and feed the rest to wild birds. However, bird experts suggest avoiding moldy baked goods altogether, which makes good sense.
Generally, avoid baked goods that are sugar-coated, salty, flavored, and greasy or oily. Birds generally cannot handle food with a high content of salt and sugar. Fats and oils can get on birds’ feathers staining and making feathers less functional.
When feeding baked goods, try to limit them to the least processed types. Birds may be unable to discern which is healthy or unhealthy food.
Cheese: is a nutritious addition to the several kitchen foods that can be offered to birds. Small pieces of stale but not moldy or rancid cheese are safe to offer to birds.
Rice: Birds readily take rice as grains or cooked. Uncooked rice grains have the terrible reputation of swelling the bird’s stomachs, and killing them; this is not true. Rice is just another type of grain. Rice has a low nutritional value, but it is a good source of carbohydrates also needed in wild birds’ diet.
Cooked pasta: As with rice, cooked pasta is a source of carbohydrates for birds. Plain-cooked pasta is readily taken by flocking birds with generalist diets, and it is safe to offer it to birds. Offer pasta in small amounts or according to the amount birds that are likely to eat it in your yard. Pasta dries and hardens rather quickly, becoming unappealing to birds.
Cereal: Packaged cereal is made of wheat and other grains. While heavily processed in some cases, the nutritional value of cereal is beneficial to birds. Offer plain cereal and avoid flavored and sugar-coated types that can be harmful to your feathered friends.
Dog and cat food: this is surprisingly good food for birds. Dog and cat food is relatively rich in protein and other essential nutrients and constitutes a suitable food for birds. Soak pet food in water to soften it before offering it to birds. Dog food is often fed to baby birds that need a diet rich in protein.
How to Feed Scraps to Birds
Kitchen scraps are commonly offered to birds on tray or platform feeders. Because diet generalists and flocking birds typically feed on the ground, the platform feeder should be placed on or near the ground. Bear in mind that kitchen scraps can be greasy or oily, leaving unsightly stains. You can use a separate platform feeder just for kitchen scraps and another one for other food types. Animal fat mixed with seeds and nuts can be offered in suet cages.
The nutritional value of kitchen scraps and pantry grains
Nutritionally, kitchen scraps and pantry grains are a mixed package. Unprocessed foods listed above preserve their nutritional value, while processed foods are not regarded as a healthy source of nutrients.
An entirely scrap-based diet would be less advisable in general. Birds with more generalist diets eat all types of food daily and welcome kitchen scraps and pantry grains.
Birdseed mixes do not always provide a sufficient variety of proteins, fats, or carbohydrates when natural food is scarce in the winter months. A small number of alternative foods during times of scarcity can help birds.
Add regular scraps to your backyard bird food in limited quantities, but do not substitute traditional birdseed for kitchen scraps.
Potential issues
Feeding birds kitchen grains and scraps is economical and a fun way to provide birds with various foods; however, some issues may arise.
The presence of food scraps in your backyard may attract pests like mice, rats, and raccoons. If you want to minimize pests, use hanging feeders or serve scraps in amounts that birds consume by the end of the day.
Best time to offer backyard birds kitchen scraps and pantry grains
Food for wild birds is abundant during the summer months, and birds are not eager to visit bird feeders. Fruit and insects become scarce during the coldest months of mid-winter and early spring, which constitute the prime period to offer birds kitchen scraps and pantry grains.
Conclusions:
Backyard birds, particularly diet generalists, can eat various foods other than the traditional food offered to them in feeders. There are many types of kitchen scraps and pantry grains that can be safely fed to wild birds. Some of these food types may not be of the highest quality but offer a supplement when natural food is scarce. By providing a variety of scraps at your feeders, you’ll reduce kitchen waste, help birds, and enjoy watching them in the comfort of your backyard.
View More Articles About Backyard Bird Feeding
LEARN MORE ABOUT FEEDING BACKYARD BIRDS:
Why Are These 10 Foods Unsafe For Wild Birds?
Nervous About Starting to Feed Backyard Birds? Think About It This Way
When to Expect Hummingbirds in Eastern North America?
How To Properly Clean Up Your Bird Feeder
Do you Want to Keep Backyard Birds Coming Back to Your Feeder? Start Doing These 12 Actions Today
You can use straw, shredded paper, strands of wool and cotton and thin twigs. One of the best things I have found, which house martins in particular seem to like, is shredded wheat-type breakfast cereal.
Avoid using peanuts, fat and bread at this time, since these can be harmful if adult birds feed them to their nestlings. If you feel you must put out peanuts, only do so in suitable mesh feeders that will not allow sizeable pieces of peanuts to be taken, reducing the choking risk to chicks.
Cooked rice, brown or white (without salt added) benefits all sorts of birds during severe winter weather. Pigeons, doves and pheasants may eat uncooked rice but it's less likely to attract other species.
Lots of birds eat uncooked rice in the wild. Bobolinks, sometimes called rice birds, are a good example. While rice is okay for birds, many wedding parties now throw birdseed instead.
Can You Feed Chicken Scratch To The Wild Birds? Yes, you can give wild birds chicken scratch. It will usually include things like barley, wheat, milo, and corn, which are excellent for birds to consume.
Oats come in many forms: rolled oats, oat flakes, porridge oats, quick oats, and steel-cut oats. There are so many options! And all of them are a fine option for birds!
Backyard birds can eat kitchen scraps and pantry grains that otherwise would be thrown away. Food from the pantry, such as old beans, lentils, garbanzo beans, rice, wheat, and other grains, can be crushed and fed to wild birds.
If you have domestic fowl, please do stop feeding wild birds. If corvids, waterfowl, or gamebirds visit your feeders, we recommend feeder and birdbath removal for 3-6 weeks or until the transmission rate is low for your region. Stop feeding waterfowl.
There is currently very low risk of an outbreak among wild songbirds, and no official recommendation to take down feeders unless you also keep domestic poultry, according to the National Wildlife Disease Program.
Birds can eat Cheerios and often love to do so. But that does not mean that they are the healthiest choice for birds (or even for us!). Their high sugar content and salt content mean that they are not the best option if you are looking for foods to share with the birds.
Crumbled bread is suitable in small quantities, but moisten if it is very dry. During the breeding season, make sure bread is crumbled into tiny pieces so that it is safer to eat. Dry chunks of bread will choke baby birds, and a chick on a diet of bread may not develop into a healthy fledgling.
Fact is, rice cooked or uncooked won't hurt wild birds at all. The rumor is that uncooked rice hits the bird's tummy and then swells causing its stomach to explode. It's simply not true. It's not hot enough in a bird's stomach to actually “cook” the rice.
I can say without any hesitation whatsoever that dried pasta is safe for birds. Patty Jourgensen specializes in avian health, behavior and nutrition and has been working with and caring for rescue birds since 1987.
Birds go bananas for bananas! First, remove the peel and cut each banana in half lengthwise. Then, you can set the fruit on a tree stump or skewer it on a hook. Another idea is to put a few chunks in a mesh bag and watch hummingbirds dart around to eat the fruit flies that gather.
Can birds eat quinoa raw? It is best not to feed quinoa to birds without processing it first since, as mentioned above, it has a coating of saponin on its surface, which can potentially cause health problems and be toxic in large enough doses.
The classic choice is stale bread, crusts, cake and biscuit which most birds will really enjoy, although you shouldn't put out too much as the nutritional value is low. Break up any large pieces, and if it's very hard you can soak in a little water to ensure birds don't choke.
Apples. Birds that eat apples: Eastern bluebird, pine grosbeak, gray catbird, northern cardinal, northern flicker, American robin, scarlet tanager, cedar waxwing and red-bellied woodpecker. ...
Is whole-grain bread good for birds? Wheat, bran, corn, barley, and rye are grains that wild birds eat regularly. Hence, whole-grain bread is better than, for instance, white bread.
It's also perfectly safe to feed popped popcorn to your backyard birds. However, you must ensure that you don't add any salt, flavorings, oil or butter to the popcorn. If you want to pop some corn for the local birds, do so in an air popper instead.
Birds' guts are not designed to digest milk properly, which can result in an upset stomach or much more serious health problems – so don't be tempted to put a tray of milk on your feeder!
Kenn and Kimberly: Some larger birds, such as quail and doves, readily eat wheat if nothing else is available. Blackbirds sometimes eat wheat as well. But generally it's a last resort for most backyard birds.
But remember, these things are high in sugar, so just as we should not eat too much of them, birds should also only have them as an occasional sugar boost. Rice flakes, rice cakes, and other rice-derived foods are also fine, and won't do any harm.
A marshmallow is typically made from sugar, corn syrup, and gelatin. Individually, those are all ingredients that a bird can technically have safely. You will find them in both commercial bird foods and DIY bird food recipes.
However, cereals high in sugar or containing honey are not good options, and it is best to avoid feeding these to birds. Things like honey cheerios, for example, and honey bunches of oats are very high in sugar, so they won't do birds any good at all and could be harmful in sufficient quantity.
But feeding certainly can help individual birds in your neighborhood. The general rule for feeding of any wild animal is: do not feed when it might cause harm. With birds there are few situations in which we can imagine harm being caused, so we say, go ahead!
You can feed birds all year round. The one exception is if you live in bear country. If you have bears, stop feeding birds when bears come out of hibernation. But, of course, you may stop feeding birds whenever you get tired of it!
New research suggests that some birds may know who their human friends are, as they are able to recognize people's faces and differentiate between human voices. Being able to identify a friend or potential foe could be key to the bird's ability to survive.
Many problems arise when neighbours overfeed birds, which can attract lots of pigeons. There are no laws the Council can use to stop people feeding birds. However, if a large amount of rotting food accumulates, or the feeding is attracting rats or mice, the Council may be able to help.
Some people prefer not to feed birds in the spring and summer when there is abundant food. However, leaving your feeders up year-round is not a problem as long as you keep a few things in mind: If bears live near you, you should not keep feeders up during the warmer months.
Do not give birds raw potato or potato peelings as they contains an enzyme inhibitor called protease, which prevents other enzymes from breaking down food and providing birds with nutrients. Raw potato also contains a lot of starch which can get stuck in the crop.
If you gave most birds the choice between a potato chip and a green bean, they would choose the chip. However, if you offered that choice to a parrot that had never tasted a potato chip, he would naturally be inclined towards the healthy food.
It might seem strange to feed them eggs, but cooked eggs are a highly nutritious and wholesome meal for many wild birds. They also love crushed eggshells, so you could even cook and crush up your boiled egg leftovers to feed to the garden birds!
Please don't give wild birds bread, crackers or other human snack foods. Bread has zero nutrition for wild birds. In fact, bread, crackers, chips and other human snacks are, in some ways, WORSE than feeding birds absolutely nothing.
Grapes. These fun, bite-sized fruits are a hit with birds all over the world, and it's no wonder why. Grapes are very sweet to the taste and contain a rather high level of fructose. This means that they can work to give your bird a quick energy boost—but should be fed sparingly for that very reason.
Instead, bird tables should be stocked with a healthy mix of seeds or worms, grated cheese, porridge oats or soft apples, bananas or strawberries. Birds are also partial to biscuit crumbs, leftover jacket potatoes, cooked rice, breakfast cereals and pastry.
Cereal – many birds enjoy plain cereals. Bran flakes, toasted oat, plain Cheerios, corn flakes or plain cereals with fruit and nuts. Crush with a rolling pin before feeding so birds do not have trouble swallowing large chunks. Also remember not to feed sugar-coated cereals or cereals with marshmallows added.
Larger birds like pigeons, crows, doves, and pheasants can and will eat whole, raw, dry lentils. Smaller birds like finches, for example, can eat lentils, too – but these smaller species cannot eat them whole and dried.
Backyard birds can eat kitchen scraps and pantry grains that otherwise would be thrown away. Food from the pantry, such as old beans, lentils, garbanzo beans, rice, wheat, and other grains, can be crushed and fed to wild birds.
Other bird seed alternatives to offer to birds include fruit and vegetable seeds, dried fruits, peanut butter and/or jelly, apples, pears, nuts, and unbuttered popcorn.
1) What kind of beaks do most grain- eating birds have? Ans: Most grain-eating birds have short, hard and pointed beaks. These types of beaks help birds to pick up and crush grains and seeds.
In general, yes.Raw porridge oats are safe for species of birds. In most situations, uncooked porridge oats are a delicious treat that many birds enjoy.
The classic choice is stale bread, crusts, cake and biscuit which most birds will really enjoy, although you shouldn't put out too much as the nutritional value is low. Break up any large pieces, and if it's very hard you can soak in a little water to ensure birds don't choke.
Spent grain is a good source of selenium which has been shown (PDF) to be important to poultry breeding and egg/meat quality. The percentage of spent grain in poultry diets can range from 2% to 20%. It is best to feed only what the poultry will be able to finish in one feeding, especially if feeding wet grain.
Meat: Insects are a popular source of protein for many birds. Offering scrap meats such as bacon rinds, beef grease drippings, beef fat trimmings, meat bones or marrow bones can help birds get essential protein even if insects aren't available. As with cheese, no rancid or rotten meat should ever be available to birds.
Popcorn: Prepare like you would for pet birds — popped but no salt and no butter. There is no real nutritional value but it is fun to eat. Wild birds that eat this include European starlings, grackles, crows and maybe geese.
Rice, corn, and wheat are the most common staple foods on Earth. Grains are so important because they are a good source of important nutrients called carbohydrates.
Hummingbirds can consume 100 percent of their body's weight in sugar water or nectar every day, in addition to as many as 2,000 tiny insects! Before migration, it's not unusual for a hummingbird to double its weight, adding a huge amount of fat to power the long journey.
Most grain in the U.S. is used as animal feed, while slightly less is converted into ethanol. The smallest portion is consumed by humans. ... Worldwide production of grain in 2021/22, by type (in million metric tons)
When we cook pasta or grains, it is subjected to intense heat that speeds the absorption rate up enormously. A bird's body will digest these foods long before they could expand to a degree where a bird was in danger. I can say without any hesitation whatsoever that dried pasta is safe for birds.
Can birds eat quinoa raw? It is best not to feed quinoa to birds without processing it first since, as mentioned above, it has a coating of saponin on its surface, which can potentially cause health problems and be toxic in large enough doses.
Address: 747 Lubowitz Run, Sidmouth, HI 90646-5543
Phone: +99513241752844
Job: Design Supervisor
Hobby: Digital arts, Lacemaking, Air sports, Running, Scouting, Shooting, Puzzles
Introduction: My name is Delena Feil, I am a clean, splendid, calm, fancy, jolly, bright, faithful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
We notice you're using an ad blocker
Without advertising income, we can't keep making this site awesome for you.
