{"id":13951,"date":"2024-05-06T15:36:18","date_gmt":"2024-05-06T15:36:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.cwf-fcf.org\/?p=13951"},"modified":"2024-05-06T15:38:56","modified_gmt":"2024-05-06T15:38:56","slug":"4-foods-that-keep-backyard-birds-bellies-full","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.cwf-fcf.org\/index.php\/en\/4-foods-that-keep-backyard-birds-bellies-full\/","title":{"rendered":"4 Foods That Keep Backyard Birds\u2019 Bellies Full"},"content":{"rendered":"

Without Stopping at Your Birdfeeder<\/h2>\n

According to Statistics Canada, 25 per cent of 2017 Canadian households had bird feeders and bird houses in their yard. Is your home one of them? Bravo! But even if you don\u2019t have a bird feeder in your backyard, there are plenty of ways that your favourite backyard birds will stay satiated.<\/p>\n

Insects<\/h3>\n
Barn Swallow<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Insects are like superfood for our feathered friends. Why? Well, they\u2019re packed with protein, making them the ultimate snack for birds, especially when they\u2019re busy raising their young or gearing up for migration.<\/p>\n

Take chickadees, for example. When they\u2019re not noshing at your feeder, they\u2019re out hunting insects, particularly for their hungry fledglings. During the summer, they can gather over 1,000 small caterpillars in a single day to feed their young. And spiders? They\u2019re a gold mine of taurine, a substance that develops the brain. So, chickadees are quick to bring plenty of these eight-legged critters home when their little ones are freshly hatched.<\/p>\n

American Robins also love a tasty insect \u2013 you\u2019ve probably seen plenty of robins hopping along lawns, scouring the ground for any movement from their favourite snacks \u2013 earthworms.
\nPlus, a whopping 80 per cent of cavity-nesting birds eat insects for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Pileated Woodpeckers, for example, love to chow down on carpenter ants, caterpillars, moths and beetles. They\u2019ll hop up and down a rotted tree, pecking away at the wood, and nab as many insects as their barbed tongues can snatch up.<\/p>\n

Nectar<\/h3>\n
\"\"
Hummingbrid<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

While hummingbirds will certainly appreciate a sweet treat from a hummingbird feeder filled with sugary water, these incredible little birds are also drawn to gardens bursting with tubular, nectar-rich blooms. As they zip from one flower to the next, sipping on nectar, they\u2019re also refueling for their migratory journeys ahead. Some of their favourite blooms include columbine, lilies, Penstemons, bergamot, bee balm, cardinal flower, honeysuckle and obedient plant.<\/p>\n

Fruits<\/h3>\n
\"\"
American Robin<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When the temperatures start to dip and insects take a hiatus, there\u2019s something extra satisfying about sinking your beak into a juicy berry. It\u2019s a feast many of our backyard birds, from thrushes to warblers look forward to!<\/p>\n

The ultimate fruit aficionado of the avian world? Probably the Bohemian Waxwing. After all, they have fruit-bearing trees to thank for their bright plumage. Their bright red and yellow feathers are developed due to the carotenoid pigments in the fruit they eat. These stunning birds will happily munch on a variety of fruits from serviceberry to mountain ash, hawthorn and mulberry.<\/p>\n

But Bohemian Waxwings aren\u2019t the only ones with a penchant for fruit. Northern Cardinals will gladly join the party and gobble up all the fruit they can find from wild grape, mulberry, hackberry and blackberry plants. And don\u2019t forget American Robins, who have a taste for chokecherries, hawthorn, dogwood, sumac and juniper berries.<\/p>\n

Sap<\/h3>\n
\"\"
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Canada is home to four distinct species of sapsuckers: the Red-naped, Red-breasted, Yellow-bellied and Williamson\u2019s \u2013 all of which adore the taste of tree sap. Their handiwork\u2026.errr\u2026billwork\u2026.is hard to miss. These little guys will make neat rows of round holes along tree trunks in search of sap. They drill deep into tree trunks, inserting their bills in anticipation of the sweet reward of sap. And their tongues help them lap up the sticky sap as they\u2019re equipped with hair-like tips. And when they strike gold, oh boy, do they go wild! After all, sap can contain over 10 per cent sugar. There are thousands of species of trees and other plants that they\u2019ll tap for sap but their favourites are birch and maple. Even hummingbirds might stop by for a sip of liquid gold!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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