What To Serve at the Bird’s Dining Table

The birds of spring and summer are here to join our feathered friends we enjoy feeding year round.  Perhaps you’re wondering what different species of songbirds like to dine on.  

Here is a list of birds who visit our backyards, whether they are winter, summer, or permanent residents.  We can offer seeds, sugar water, and fruit to enhance their feeding regime.  Birds eat a variety of insects and other natural food sources as major parts of their diets.

Bluebird – mealworms, small chunks of apples and pears, diced berries, some seed such as sunflower hearts

Blue Jay – whole peanuts, peanut halves, black oil sunflower, sunflower hearts, cracked corn, whole corn

Cardinal – safflower, millet, black oil sunflower, sunflower hearts, peanut halves

Catbird – grape jelly, suet, some sunflower hearts

Cedar Waxwing – diced ripe berries

Chickadee – black oil sunflower, sunflower hearts, peanut halves, suet, safflower to a small degree

Cowbird – black oil sunflower, sunflower hearts, white millet, peanut halves

Downy and Hairy Woodpecker – peanut halves, black oil sunflower, sunflower hearts, fine sunflower, finch and friends, suet

Goldfinch – nyjer, finch and friends, sunflower hearts

Gray Jay – black oil sunflower, safflower, whole and half peanuts, suet, raisins, berries, mealworms, carrion

Grackles – black oil sunflower, sunflower hearts, suet, peanut halves

House Finch and Purple Finch – safflower, black oil sunflower, sunflower hearts, white millet

House Sparrow – black oil sunflower, sunflower hearts, finch and friends, millet

House Wren – black oil sunflower, sunflower hearts, suet

Hummingbird, Ruby-throated – sugar water, ripened bananas to encourage fruit flies

Indigo Bunting – sunflower hearts, nyjer, finch and friends, millet

Junco – sunflower hearts, white millet, finch and friends, peanut halves

Mockingbird – suet, raisins, apples slices

Mourning Dove – safflower, sunflower hearts, white millet

Northern Flicker – suet, black oil sunflower, peanut halves

White-Breasted and Red-Breasted Nuthatch – peanut halves, suet, sunflower hearts, black oil sunflower

Baltimore Oriole – Sugar water, grape jelly, oranges, red grapes, suet

Pileated Woodpecker – suet, mealworms, whole peanuts, peanut halves, black oil sunflower

Pine Siskin – nyjer, finch and friends, sunflower hearts, black oil sunflower

Common Redpoll – black oil sunflower, sunflower hearts, finch and friends, suet

Scarlet Tanager – grapes, oranges, apple slices

Red-winged Blackbird – Black oil sunflower, sunflower hearts, peanut halves, suet, finch and friends, fine sunflower hearts

Robin – mealworms, grape jelly, grapes, apples, berries, some sunflower hearts during breeding season

Sparrows:  American Tree, White-throated, White-crowned, Song Sparrows – white millet, sunflower hearts, finch and friends, fine sunflower 

Tufted Titmouse – black oil sunflower, sunflower hearts, peanut halves, suet

Wild Turkey – black oil sunflower, cracked corn, white millet

Enjoy feeding the birds!

By Jane Paradis