Why is bread not a good bird food?
Bread is easy to eat. That is part of the problem.
A bird can take in a fair amount of bread without getting the mix of nutrients found in insects, seeds, nuts, fruit, or other foods that fit its natural diet. If bread becomes a regular part of what the bird eats, it can crowd out better food.
This matters most when people feed a lot of bread in one place, such as a pond where ducks and geese gather every day.
Is a little bread going to kill a bird?
Usually, no.
If a crow steals part of a sandwich or a sparrow grabs a bread crumb, there is no reason to panic. The concern is repeated feeding, large amounts, poor nutrition, and the problems that come with feeding wildlife processed human food.
That is different from saying bread is a good choice.
Why is bread especially discouraged for ducks and geese?
Feeding bread at ponds can change more than one bird's diet.
It can draw large numbers of waterfowl into small areas, increase competition, add waste to the water and ground, and make birds more accustomed to approaching people. Audubon recommends leaving waterfowl to find their natural foods rather than feeding bread and crackers.
Young birds also need good nutrition while they grow. Bread does not provide the same balance as the foods their bodies developed to use.
Can birds eat whole-wheat bread?
Whole-wheat bread may contain more nutrients than white bread, but it is still bread.
It should not replace birdseed or natural food. If you are deciding what to put in a backyard feeder, there are much better choices.
What about toast, crackers, bagels, and pastries?
I would skip them too.
Many processed foods contain added salt, sugar, fat, flavouring, or other ingredients birds do not need. Pastries and sweet baked goods are an especially poor substitute for natural food.
Mouldy bread should never be offered. Some moulds produce toxins, and spoiled food does not belong at a feeder.
What should I feed backyard birds instead?
Start with food birds are actually adapted to eat.
For many North American feeder birds, black-oil sunflower seed is a good all-around choice. It is energy rich, and its thin shell is manageable for many species.
Depending on the birds in your area, other good feeder foods can include:
- nyjer for goldfinches and other small finches
- millet for many ground-feeding sparrows and doves
- fresh, unsalted peanuts for jays, chickadees, nuthatches, and woodpeckers
- suet for insect-eating birds when it can be kept fresh
- fruit for species that naturally eat fruit
Our bird seed guide compares the main choices and the birds they tend to attract. You can also see which birds eat sunflower seeds and which birds eat suet.
Native plants are bird food too
A feeder is only one source of food.
Native plants can provide seeds, berries, nectar, and the insects many birds depend on. They also provide places to hide, rest, and nest. In many yards, improving the habitat does more for birds over time than adding another feeder.
What if birds are already eating bread in my yard?
You do not need to make a dramatic change.
Stop putting out bread and switch to fresh bird food that suits the species you want to attract. Keep the feeder clean, remove old food from the ground, and add water or native plants if you have room.
Birds are good at finding other food. Most wild birds do not depend on one backyard feeder for every meal.
Frequently asked questions
Can birds eat bread crumbs?
They can, but bread crumbs have the same nutrition problem as larger pieces of bread. Better feeder foods are easy to find.
Can baby birds eat bread?
Do not feed bread to a baby bird you find. Young birds have very specific diets, and many songbird chicks need large amounts of insects and other protein-rich food. Read what baby birds eat before trying to help a young bird.
Can crows eat bread?
Crows can eat bread, but their ability to eat something does not make it a good regular food. American Crows have a broad natural diet that includes insects, seeds, nuts, fruit, carrion, and many other foods. See what crows eat.
Is bread better than nothing in winter?
If you want to feed winter birds, choose energy-rich foods made for them rather than bread. Sunflower seed, peanuts, nyjer, millet, and suitable suet are better choices for the species that eat them.
Keep reading
Next, read what you can feed birds from your kitchen, can birds eat rice?, or use the broad guide to what birds eat.