There are some species, though, whose diet consists of one food source their entire lives. This may be due to environmental or genetic circumstances. A good example is the Snail Kite. You guessed it... nothing but snails.
When bugs become a necessity... Please bear with me. I'm not a scientist, so bugs (in this article) means insects, worms, and spiders. You know, the garden creepy-crawlies.
A large number of herbivorous (plants), omnivorous (plant and animal), and even carnivorous (animal) bird species actually alter their diets when under great stress. This also includes nectarivores (nectar)... hummingbirds. During breeding, nesting, and molting they consume huge amounts of insects and spiders - supplementing their normal foods with insects and spiders, or actually replacing them entirely.
Studies have shown that some birds develop diet preferences while they were nestlings. If the food source is still plentiful when it matures, the pattern continues. Seasonal changes soon force a diet change, as will its first molt and its first breeding season.
Interestingly, when birds need nutrition the most, that's when insects and spiders are most plentiful. That's not to say that birds wouldn't benefit enormously from an extra source... you!
How your bird garden can supplement nature's bounty of insects... Well, if you want to get technical, your garden IS part of nature's bounty. But you can also offer earthworms, grubs, and other creepy-crawlies on a "silver platter". Position platform feeders where insect-eating birds would normally find their foods. For example, a few inches above the ground is perfect for Robins, who are ground-foragers.
Bait shops are good sources for worms and grubs, as are some pet stores. Of course, an online search will net you an endless source of suppliers. Just keep in mind the bird species you want to attract to your garden, and give them what they need.
Once they find your gifts, they will continue foraging in your yard. In effect, the insects you place on these platform feeds are appetizers for the real meal in the rest of your yard.
Your reward will be a bird garden full of song and activity. Oh, a wonderful side-effect will be less harmful insects invading your garden... nature's thank-you card.
Feeding Baby Wild Birds
Pre-Made Suet... Wait - it's not that yucky! You don't really have to make it from scratch. Blocks of suet are readily available in garden supply stores. In fact, ask a butcher in your local grocery store or meat shop... you might even get it for free! Suet blocks are also available online.
If you're lucky, you might even find suet with extra goodies like seeds, dried fruit, and (gulp) dried insects. Remember, this is quite appealing to birds.
Home-Made Suet... Making suet from scratch isn't too difficult, it's just quite... smelly. Basically, obtain raw beef fat from a butcher, melt it, and then cool it. You can make or purchase soap molds that are the right size for the suet holder. Some folks have even used a large baking dish, and just cut the suet into blocks. Remember to freeze the unused suet, or all that hard, smelly work will be for nothing.
There are some folks that improvise when the "fancy" suet isn't available. They simply place the suet in a microwave just long enough to make it soft, but still hold its shape. Then they roll the block in a mixture of seeds and dried fruits. There's probably an online source for dried insects, but...
Suet Holders... Do you remember noticing small wire baskets where you buy bird seed? Well, these are suet holders. They're made specifically to contain blocks of suet so that it's easily accessible to birds, and not squirrels or raccoons (or other little fellows with nimble paws).
Loose the battle - Win the war. Remember those nimble-pawed squirrels and racoons mentioned earlier? These little guys are persistent to the extreme, so why fight them. Locate a couple of feeders just for them in locations with lots of squirrel or raccoon activity.
It's not a sure thing, but they simply might become better citizens in your bird garden. It could happen!
Susan Nelson Hopkins has sinced written about articles on various topics from Pets, Lawn Care and Gardening. Susan Nelson Hopkins is an online gardening expert from Carlsbad, NM. She specializes in creating gardens that will attract birds. For more bird gardening information, please visit. Susan Nelson Hopkins's top article generates over 2900 views. to your Favourites.
