Kitchen scraps can provide wild birds with essential fats and carbohydrates that may be missing from specialist seed mixes. These scraps are particularly valuable during winter and nesting seasons when birds need extra energy to survive and thrive.
You can place leftover scraps on a bird table, scatter them on the ground, or mix them into existing feeder blends. For an extra treat, combine them with suet and press the mixture into a plastic carton or coconut shell to create a simple fat feeder.
Below is a guide to popular kitchen scraps that will attract a variety of bird species to your garden:
Cheese is an great source of energy for garden birds, thanks to its high fat content. It also provides calcium, which is vital for strong, healthy bones. Mild, grated hard cheeses like Cheddar are ideal and are particularly enjoyed by robins, blackbirds, and thrushes.
Avoid offering strong or blue cheeses such as Stilton, or any cheese flavoured with onion, chives, or garlic, as these can cause digestive issues in birds. Similarly, soft or spreadable cheeses like brie, camembert, or cream cheese should be avoided. These can stick to feathers, potentially damaging their waterproofing and insulation, and even hindering a bird’s ability to fly.
Frozen, tinned, or fresh leftover peas and sweetcorn make nutritious, healthy food for wild birds. Simply scatter them on the ground to attract species like collared doves, sparrows, and wrens.
Birds enjoy eating potatoes, and their high carbohydrate content makes them an excellent energy source during winter. You can offer leftover mashed or boiled potatoes, opened jacket potatoes, or baked sweet potatoes. However, avoid giving birds roast potatoes or chips, as these often contain high levels of salt.
Never feed birds raw potatoes or potato peelings. These contain an enzyme inhibitor called protease, which interferes with the breakdown of food, preventing birds from absorbing vital nutrients. Raw potatoes are also rich in starch, which can become lodged in a bird’s crop. Over time, this starch may ferment, potentially leading to fatal complications.
While birds may find raw vegetables difficult to digest, cooked vegetables such as carrots, sprouts, broccoli, courgettes, and cabbage are safe and nutritious options. Start by offering them in small amounts to see which ones are most appealing to the birds visiting your garden.
Rice is an good source of carbohydrates for garden birds. You can offer both cooked brown and white rice, but ensure it has cooled down before placing it on a bird table or scattering it on the ground. Avoid feeding rice that has been heavily salted, as it can be harmful.
Uncooked rice is also safe for birds, despite the myth that it will swell in their stomachs and cause them to explode. Many grain-eating birds, such as pigeons, doves, and pheasants, eat rice in the wild. However, uncooked rice is unlikely to attract a wide variety of species to your garden.
You can offer small amounts of cooked pasta to birds. For easier consumption, chop up spaghetti or other pasta into smaller pieces. Be sure to rinse off any leftover pasta that is coated in rich, oily sauces or strong cheese before putting it out for the birds.
There is a common misconception that you can’t feed bread to birds. While bread lacks significant nutritional value, small amounts can be given as part of a varied diet.
Break up large pieces into smaller chunks, and soak any stale or dry pieces in water to prevent choking. During the breeding season, limit the amount of bread offered, as fledglings that are fed only bread may not develop into healthy adult birds.
Birds will eagerly enjoy both cooked and uncooked pastry, especially if it’s made with lard or butter, as long as it’s free from excessive sugar or salt.
Shop-bought cakes and biscuits aren’t the best option for birds, but homemade baked goods in moderation can provide a good source of carbohydrates and fats. Birds will particularly enjoy crumbs and leftovers from seed, carrot, banana, or fruit cakes. Break them into small pieces and place them directly on your bird table or mix them into homemade fat balls.
Avoid feeding chocolate cake or biscuits to birds, and be sure to remove any icing or buttercream, as these can stick to their feathers.
Never put out leftover cooked porridge for birds, as it can become sticky and harden on their beaks. Uncooked porridge oats, however, are a nutritious treat and many garden bird species will enjoy them. Ensure they are placed in a dry area, and remove any that become damp or soggy from rain.
Stale cereal can be a tasty treat for birds, but avoid offering varieties with high salt or sugar content, or any cereal soaked in milk.
Muesli and granola are also suitable, but be sure to check the ingredients, as many so-called “healthy” breakfast options are high in sugar.
Bacon and bacon rind are rich in protein and fat, making them a good food source for birds, as long as the bacon isn’t smoked or overly salty. To make it easier for small birds to eat, chop the rind into small pieces. Be aware that bacon can attract larger birds like gulls and magpies, as well as rodents and cats.
Avoid feeding birds fried bacon, as the fat can accumulate on their feathers, compromising their waterproofing. Additionally, frying bacon increases the presence of nitrosamines, which can be carcinogenic in large quantities.
Small pieces of lean, cooked meat, such as chicken or turkey, can be offered to birds in moderation. However, it’s important to serve only limited quantities, as meat can attract vermin and spoil quickly, especially in hot weather.
Avoid putting out raw meat, as most birds struggle to digest it. Suet and marrow bones, on the other hand, are an excellent source of protein, particularly when insects are in short supply.
It might seem counterintuitive to feed eggs to birds, but they’re packed with essential nutrients for birds, and chicks rely on the yolk for nourishment before they hatch.
You can offer cooked eggs, including scrambled, poached, or boiled, to birds. Crushed eggshells are also beneficial, providing calcium, which is vital for breeding birds, as well as grit to aid in their digestion.
Birds will happily eat windfall or bruised fruit, such as apples, pears, oranges, grapes, and peaches. Cut them into small pieces and remove any seeds or pits to attract birds like thrushes, blackbirds, and starlings.
Berries, including strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries, are also a favourite, as are bananas. Although not a traditional fruit, bananas are packed with nutrients. Slice or mash them before offering them on a bird table or scattering them on the ground. You can also provide soaked dried fruits, such as raisins, sultanas, currants, apricots, and prunes.
If you leave out grapes or raisins, ensure they’re placed where dogs or cats cannot access them, as these fruits can cause severe reactions in pets.
Almonds, pecans, cashews, hazelnuts, and walnuts are all great choices for birds. Avoid offering salted, dry roasted, or flavoured nuts. It’s best to chop them into small pieces or use a mesh feeder during breeding season to prevent baby chicks from choking on them.
Peanuts are not actually true nuts, and raw peanuts meant for human consumption should not be fed to birds, as they can contain small traces of aflatoxin. While safe for humans in small amounts, aflatoxin can be fatal to birds. Additionally, leftover peanut butter can be high in salt and sugar, so always check the label before putting it out for birds.
Coconut halves can be hung up or filled with fat and seeds to provide a tasty treat for birds. However, avoid feeding birds desiccated coconut, as it can swell in their stomachs and potentially be fatal.
Wet cat and dog food can be a nutritious option for birds, especially during dry weather when the ground is too hard for them to find worms.
If you’re offering dry pet food, make sure to crush or soak it first, as large pieces could pose a choking hazard for birds.
Avoid using leftover fat from the roasting pan, as it is likely to be high in salt and mixed with meat juices, which prevents it from solidifying and can smear on birds’ feathers. This not only damages their feathers but also creates a breeding ground for bacteria, potentially leading to disease.
Solid fats such as lard and suet are excellent energy sources for garden birds, especially when mixed with seeds, nuts, or fruit. Pure fat spoils more slowly and is less likely to attract bacteria, but should not be left out in very hot weather.
Avoid offering polyunsaturated fats like margarine or vegetable oils, as these do not contain the saturated fats birds need for energy.
To avoid attracting vermin and prevent the spread of diseases, clean your feeding area regularly. Remove uneaten food daily, sweep up debris, and disinfect bird tables and feeders every couple of weeks. Offering small quantities of food reduces waste and ensures birds eat fresh, nutritious scraps.
By following these guidelines, you can provide your garden birds with a safe and varied diet while helping them stay healthy and energised throughout the year.
8 Responses
I have all types of birds coming to my feeder’s on my windowsill including pigeons and I find that they all help each other in getting the feed that they prefer.
Don’t be so hard on the pigeons as I have found that they help distribute the smaller seeds that the little bird can’t get to in the feeders.
All birds are very welcome to my feeders and they all play a role in helping each other.
Mix your feeders to suit all birds and I assure you there is enjoyment in helping all of them.
I like to feed birds but I find doing so attracts far too many feral pigeons. What foods could I use that is of no interest to pigeons. I am a bird lover but treat feral pigeons as “rats with wings.”
The information for what is good for birds and not was much appreciated. Mainly fruits and vegetables I wondered about but now I know what else they can be given. Thank you
I just rendered clean raw suet. Can the suet craklins be included in the bird seed mixture if chopped?
Thank you for all i.nformation about birds food.Ilike to buy rolled oats and know it is no harm.
Thank you for the insights of what to and what not to feed garden birds.
Thanks for the info. very beneficial to know and help sustain health of birds and animals in the winter.
Found out wot birds like & don’t ?