The Northern Mockingbird is a common, highly vocal backyard bird known for its ability to mimic other birds’ songs and various environmental sounds. Attracting this adaptable species requires moving beyond standard birdseed, as their natural diet differs significantly from that of finches or chickadees. As true omnivores, mockingbirds have a diverse palate that shifts with the seasons. Successful supplemental feeding involves providing high-protein options and various fruits, rather than simple seeds.
Understanding the Mockingbird’s Natural Diet
The mockingbird’s diet is split almost evenly between animal matter and plant matter over the course of a year. During the warmer months, their diet consists primarily of insects and other arthropods. This provides the high protein necessary for nesting and raising young. Mockingbirds actively forage on the ground, seeking out beetles, grasshoppers, caterpillars, ants, and wasps, and occasionally consuming small lizards or earthworms.
When insect populations decline in the fall and winter, the mockingbird’s diet shifts to rely more on berries and wild fruits. This seasonal flexibility allows them to thrive in diverse environments, from deserts to suburban lawns. They are rarely seen at traditional hanging feeders, preferring to hunt for insects on open ground or pluck berries directly from shrubs and trees. This ground-foraging behavior influences the type of supplemental food that works best in a backyard setting.
Safe and Recommended Supplemental Foods
To successfully provide for mockingbirds, offer foods that mimic the high-protein insects and natural fruit they consume. High-protein options are particularly attractive during the breeding season or harsh winter weather. Live or dried mealworms are the most popular supplemental food, as they directly replace the insects mockingbirds constantly search for. Specialized suet formulas that incorporate insects or fruit are also excellent, though mockingbirds need a stable platform to access the suet.
Fruit offerings should be clean, fresh, and cut into small, manageable pieces. Mockingbirds readily consume softened raisins, small pieces of grapes, or slivers of apple and orange. These foods are important in colder months when wild berries are scarce. Unsalted, chopped peanuts can also be offered, providing a high-fat energy source. Ensure all supplemental food remains fresh and clean to prevent the spread of disease and place items in small batches to encourage consumption before they spoil.
Foods to Avoid for Mockingbird Health
While mockingbirds are adaptable omnivores, certain common backyard offerings should be avoided due to their lack of nutritional value or potential toxicity. Standard mixed birdseed is largely ignored by mockingbirds, who are not primarily seed-eaters. They lack the strong, seed-cracking bill structure of finches and cardinals, making seed feeders ineffective for this species. Human processed foods pose a significant health risk; bread products, for example, offer little nutritional content and can fill a bird’s stomach, preventing them from seeking healthier natural foods.
Never offer dairy products, as birds lack the enzymes necessary to digest lactose. Toxic household items like chocolate, caffeine, and avocado contain compounds that are harmful and potentially fatal to birds. When offering fruit, ensure that all pits and seeds from fruits like apples, cherries, and peaches are removed, as they contain trace amounts of a cyanide compound.
Creating an Optimal Mockingbird Feeding Environment
Mockingbirds are ground foragers, meaning the method of presentation is just as important as the food itself. The most effective way to offer supplemental food is by using a platform feeder or a ground-feeding tray. These flat surfaces mimic the open ground where mockingbirds naturally search for insects and fallen fruit. Place these feeders in an open area, but near dense shrubbery or trees, which provides a quick escape route from potential predators.
Planting native, berry-producing shrubs is a long-term strategy that naturally supports the mockingbird’s winter diet. Species like holly, elderberry, juniper, and dogwood provide a reliable food source when insects are dormant. A clean, accessible water source, such as a bird bath, is also attractive, as mockingbirds need to drink and bathe regularly. Ensure the feeding station is positioned away from areas where outdoor cats or other predators might lurk.