Peanuts are a popular and effective food choice for attracting backyard birds, offering a rich source of energy and nutrients. This article explores which birds eat peanuts, how to offer them, and important nutritional and safety considerations.
Birds That Enjoy Peanuts
Many bird species consume peanuts, attracted by their high fat and protein content. Jays, such as Blue Jays and Steller’s Jays, are particularly enthusiastic, often carrying off whole peanuts and caching them. Woodpeckers, including Downy, Hairy, and Red-bellied woodpeckers, also frequently visit peanut feeders, demonstrating agility in extracting nuts.
Smaller birds like chickadees, titmice, and nuthatches are also peanut consumers. These birds often take shelled or chopped peanuts, carrying them to a nearby branch to break them into smaller, more manageable pieces. While larger birds can handle whole peanuts in the shell, smaller species typically prefer shelled or broken pieces, which are easier for their smaller bills to manage. Finches, sparrows, cardinals, and doves will also eat peanuts, especially if offered in suitable forms.
Best Practices for Offering Peanuts
Peanuts can be offered to birds in various forms, including whole in the shell, shelled, chopped, or as peanut butter. Whole, in-shell peanuts are suitable for larger birds like jays, crows, and woodpeckers, providing them with a foraging challenge. Shelled peanuts are more accessible for a wider range of species, particularly smaller birds like chickadees and titmice. Chopped or kibbled peanuts are ideal for smaller birds like wrens, robins, and finches, reducing any potential choking hazards. Unsalted peanut butter, free from additives, can be smeared on tree trunks or offered in suet feeders.
Selecting the appropriate feeder is important. Mesh feeders with wider holes are excellent for whole peanuts, allowing birds to extract them. Tray or platform feeders can hold all types of peanuts, accommodating various species. Tube feeders with small openings or specialized peanut feeders dispense shelled peanuts safely. Offer only small quantities at a time to prevent spoilage, and clean feeders regularly to maintain hygiene and prevent mold growth.
Nutritional Aspects and Safety
Peanuts are a nutritious food source for birds, rich in fat and protein essential for energy, especially during cold weather or breeding seasons. They also provide fiber, calcium, potassium, iron, zinc, and vitamins A and E, contributing to overall bird health.
Safety precautions are important. Salted, seasoned, smoked, or candy-coated peanuts are unsuitable; high salt levels are toxic and fatal, causing dehydration and kidney problems. Raw, unsalted or unsalted roasted peanuts are acceptable.
Aflatoxin is a concern, a poisonous compound from molds that grow on peanuts in warm, humid conditions. Aflatoxins are highly toxic to birds, affecting livers and immune systems, and can be fatal. Purchase bird-specific peanuts from reputable suppliers who test for aflatoxin levels, and store them in cool, dry conditions.
Whole peanuts can pose a choking hazard for very small birds or young fledglings. Chopped or kibbled forms are safer, especially during nesting season.