Better choices from a kitchen
| Food | How to offer it | Birds that may eat it |
|---|---|---|
| Fresh fruit | Use small pieces of apple, berries, grapes, or orange. Remove spoiled food promptly. | Robins, orioles, waxwings, catbirds, and some other fruit eaters |
| Unsalted nuts | Offer fresh peanuts or other plain nuts. Chop large pieces for smaller birds. | Jays, chickadees, nuthatches, and some woodpeckers |
| Plain dry oats | Offer a small amount without sugar, salt, milk, or flavouring. | Some sparrows, doves, and other grain-eating birds |
| Plain rice | Cooked or uncooked rice is acceptable in modest amounts. Do not add salt or sauce. | Doves, pigeons, sparrows, and some other grain eaters |
These foods do not attract every bird, and they should not become a dumping place for leftovers. The guide to what birds eat explains why diets differ so much.
Foods that are better than leftovers
For regular feeding, fresh black-oil sunflower seed is a useful first choice for many common backyard birds. Nyjer, millet, safflower, peanuts, and suet serve different groups. Compare them in the backyard bird seed guide.
Native plants can provide berries, seeds, nectar, and insects without a trip to the kitchen. Clean water is useful too.
Foods to avoid
- Mouldy or spoiled food: discard it instead of putting it outside.
- Salty foods: chips, salted nuts, cured meat, and heavily seasoned leftovers are poor choices.
- Heavily processed food: candy, pastries, fried food, and foods high in sugar or seasoning do not belong at a feeder.
- Food with questionable ingredients: if you are not sure every ingredient is suitable, do not offer it.
Do not assume a food is suitable for birds because it is safe for people. Keep chocolate, caffeine, alcohol, and avocado away from birds.
What about bread and rice?
A small amount of fresh plain bread is not usually poisonous, but it offers poor nutrition and can fill birds before they eat better food. Read can birds eat bread? for the practical difference between an occasional crumb and a recommended feeder food.
Plain rice does not make a bird’s stomach explode. The full guide to feeding rice to birds covers cooked and uncooked rice and explains why it still should not be the only food offered.
Keep small servings clean
Put out only what birds can finish soon. Fruit and other moist foods spoil faster than dry seed, especially in warm weather. Remove leftovers before they sour, mould, or attract rodents.
Use a washable tray or feeder rather than scattering wet food on the ground. Clean it when food sticks, smells, or looks dirty.
More feeding guides
See which birds eat sunflower seeds, which birds eat suet, or return to the broad guide to bird diets and food.