Which Food Is Best For Your Bird? Dietary habits of different birds

Which

Food

Dietary habits of different birds

Is

Best

For

Your

Bird?

Do you love to feed your bird and see her nibbling on it? Of course yes, but have you any idea which food does your bird enjoys the most?

Well, there are about 1000 species of birds that live and breed across the world. Their diversity is strikingly enticing and so are their eating habits. Since they live in different habitats and encounter different types of foods and predators, their food choices develop accordingly.

For instance, some of them are herbivores and rely completely on fruits and seeds, whereas, some other are carnivores and prefer meat more than any other food. Thus, their preferences develop as per the availability of the type of food.

So, here is a brief classification of birds that will help bird owners to be mindful while feeding their pets as per their food preferences and keep them healthy and happy forever.

Grain Eating Birds You keep grains or seeds in front of them and you don’t have to worry about them finishing their meal. The core diet of grain eating or Granivorous birds include energy boosting proteins like– millets, safflower seeds, niger seeds, corns or corneal mush. Birds like cardinals, nuthatches, American tree sparrow, black capped chickadee and black faced waxbill majorly come under this category. They have strong beaks so the grains and seeds can be crushed easily. Moreover, you can also feed home cooked food to grain eating birds like finches.

Frugivores / Fruit Eating Birds Frugivores are brightly colored birds just like their brightly coloured fruit preferences. Parrots, fig birds, orioles, cuckoos, bowerbirds and doves all come in this category and enjoy eating fruits. You can also feed grapes, oranges, bananas, apples and peaches to attract them.

Nectivorous Birds/ Nectar Eating Birds

Nectivorous birds love to feed on flower nectars and thus have the habit of fluttering quickly while doing so. Nectar is a good source of energy and is best for small birds. Hummingbirds, honeycreepers and sunbirds are a few of them that enjoy nectar and if you make a sugar solution and put it in the bird feeder bowl, you will also attract not just this lot but finches and woodpeckers as well.

Insectivorous Birds/ Insect Eating Birds Nuthatches, chickadees, catbirds, flycatchers, eastern bluebirds and kingfishers are some of the birds that like worms and feed on a variety of insect larvae. Their sharp beaks allow them to pick up their meals even from the crevices in the tree barks. Bugs and caterpillars are also the favourites of bluebirds, crows and blackbirds. On the other hand, swifts, warblers and swallows love to make their meal out of flying insects.

Carnivorous Birds/ Meat Eating Birds Also called birds of prey, carnivorous birds are hunters and like to eat other birds, mammals, reptiles and fish. Kites, eagles, vultures, falcons and hawks fall in this category and are known to attack their prey independently. Ospreys are specifically fish-eating birds and thus set a good example of birds that are choosy eaters.

So, if you own a bird and want to be sure that she is happy with what you feed her, you can certainly choose your options accordingly by identifying the category your bird belongs too. In fact, there are many alternative options available in the market that you can opt for. The only thing you must make sure is that you use a high quality food and take care of your bird’s well being because they are prone to many infections that can severely debilitate their health.