What to feed birds from the kitchen. There’s no doubt that a healthy mix of nutritious bird food is the best option for our wild birds, and they can’t seem to get enough of our sunflower seeds. However, if you’re ever running low on their favourite bird food, or you're looking to mix things up a little, there are certain items you’ll find in your kitchen that are suitable for the birds in your garden.

Fruits and vegetables

What to feed birds from your kitchen. Birds love plant-based foods so the birds in your garden will definitely take a liking to most fruits and veggies, just be sure to remove any seeds or pits before offering them out. They particularly love fruits like raisins, berries, grapes and mashed-up bananas. Avocados, however, are harmful to birds so make sure to keep them in your fridge! Check out our guide on what not to feed wild birds to make sure you’re not feeding them anything that could be potentially harmful.

Oats

Here at Kennedy Wild Bird Food, we often get asked: “can birds eat porridge oats?” The short answer is yes, they can! Whether you have flaked, rolled or instant oats in your kitchen cupboard, they’re one of the most nutritional kitchen foods you can give to birds. Always make sure the oats are uncooked as cooked oats become soggy and could cause problems by hardening around our feathered friends’ beaks!

Baked goods

What to feed birds from your kitchen. Birds love baked goods just as much as we do! Bread, cakes and crackers are all suitable for birds, although they are not recommended in large amounts due to their low nutritional benefit. However, if you’re looking for something to replace your bird seed for a day or so, baked goods will make a sufficient replacement - and whole grains are the healthiest option.

Cooked pasta and rice

If you have any leftover pasta or rice from dinner, you can most definitely serve it up to the birds in your garden. Birds that eat mostly seeds and grain, such as sparrows, finches and pigeons will love to see some pasta or rice in their feeder!

Eggs and eggshells

It might seem strange to feed them eggs, but cooked eggs are a highly nutritious and wholesome meal for many wild birds. They also love crushed eggshells, so you could even cook and crush up your boiled egg leftovers to feed to the garden birds! Be sure to bake them for 20 minutes or so first, just to kill off any harmful bacteria, and don’t leave them out overnight to avoid pests like rats.

Nuts and seeds

It goes without saying you can feed birds nuts and seeds, after all, they’re some of our best selling products! If you ever run out of their favourite bird food, like our bird peanuts, you can always feed them other nuts from your cupboard - including walnuts and almonds. Either mash them up or serve them whole and the birds will flock.

Feeding leftovers to birds

It’s okay to feed any of these foods to birds in leftover form, but always avoid feeding birds foods that are seasoned with salt and pepper as they can be toxic to our wild birds.

Seasonal bird feeding tips

The best foods for birds differs from season to season. For example, in the autumn and winter months, birds require high energy foods, whereas in spring and summer feeding hygiene is vital. Read our complete bird feeding guide to discover all there is to know.

9th Jul 2019 Kennedy Wild