Rice and cereals
Cooked rice, brown or white (without salt added) benefits all sorts of birds during severe winter weather. Pigeons, doves and pheasants may eat uncooked rice but it's less likely to attract other species.
Cooked plain pasta or rice is a great source of carbohydrates for birds. Wash thoroughly to remove any oil or salt and cut into small pieces. As with cheese, no mouldy or rotten meat should be given to birds.
There is no law to prevent the feeding of wild birds by members of the public. If you are interested in finding out the best way to feed the birds then the RSPB website has advice on what birds eat, when to feed them and the best ways to put out food.
Bright yellow, red, and orange vegetables and fruits, including bell peppers, carrots, sweet potatoes, squash, mango, papaya, and cantaloupe, all contain a great deal of vitamin A which is a critical nutrient in a birds' diet.
Porridge oats could also be a nutritious food source for the birds in your garden, and chances are you'll have them readily available in your kitchen. However, ensure the oats are uncooked as cooked oats could harden around a bird's beak.
Birds go bananas for bananas! First, remove the peel and cut each banana in half lengthwise. Then, you can set the fruit on a tree stump or skewer it on a hook.
RSPB food bars and summer seed mixture are all good foods to provide. Soft apples and pears cut in half, bananas and grapes are also good. Some people use soaked dog or cat food and tinned pet foods, but these may attract magpies, crows and cats.
Black oil sunflower seed appeals to the greatest number of birds. Offer sunflower seeds, nyjer (thistle) seeds, and peanuts in separate feeders. When using blends, choose mixtures containing sunflower seeds, millet, and cracked corn—the three most popular types of birdseed.
Many problems arise when neighbours overfeed birds, which can attract lots of pigeons. There are no laws the Council can use to stop people feeding birds. However, if a large amount of rotting food accumulates, or the feeding is attracting rats or mice, the Council may be able to help.
Oats are very nutritious and make a great source of food for garden birds, providing vital energy and carbohydrates, which are especially important during winter months, when birds need to produce more energy to survive and stay warm.
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!
Crows, ravens, grackles, bluebirds, jays, starlings, pigeons, doves, sparrows, finches, cardinals, titmice, siskins, thrashers, chickadees, and more have all been known to eat dog food when it is offered. And there are likely to be plenty of other garden birds that will take a bite of available dog food. What is this?
Heavy Metals, Especially Lead, Zinc and Copper. Metals are everywhere in our environments and are an often overlooked source of toxicity in pet birds. Metals can be found in paint, linoleum, soldering, wire, zippers, twist ties and many other objects on which birds love to chew.
Things like milk and ice cream or heavy cream are those types of dairy to have too much lactose in them and they're not recommended for birds.
Wood scraps – make sure they are untreated and have no nails, screws or staples. Bird safe wood options include balsa, pine, and fir. Dried woven palm leaves, sea grass, corn husks – weave them in and out of cage wire, tie onto perches, or stuff into other chewables.
Birds will definitely delight in rice krispies, but it's generally recommended to avoid adding this snack to their diet.
Healthy fruits and vegetables include the following – peas in the pod, bean sprouts, leeks, artichokes, zucchini, green beans, okra, beets, tomato, potato, apples, banana, dark berries, pomegranate, oranges or tangerines, kiwi, cranberries, etc.
Spinach and other types of leafy green vegetables such as romaine lettuce and kale are also wonderful additions to any pet bird's healthy diet. 2 Not only do most birds love to eat these healthy veggies, but they are also full of nutrients and antioxidants that can boost your bird's immune system.
Birds like to feed on strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and whatever other edible fruits you might be growing. These garden and orchard fruits are as tasty and nutritious to birds (and many other creatures) as they are to us.
The skin of an apple is perfectly safe for a bird to eat. However, it is a more sour taste than the sweetness of the apple, so some birds might eat around the skin while others will gladly finish the whole slice.
Birds also enjoy other fruits such as oranges, plums, apples, grapes, cherries, crabapples, and prickly pear. Birds may swallow small fruits whole, and any seeds that are defecated could regrow into new plants for future fruit crops. Larger fruits may be pierced, shredded, or torn for birds to reach the flesh.
The banana peel, while nutritious and full of vitamins, is not a good thing to give birds. The excess cellulose is tough to digest, which can cause gastrointestinal issues.
Can I Feed Popcorn to Birds? It's not the worst food you can give to birds. It's not toxic like chocolate or honey; a small amount probably won't cause significant problems. However, it's best to avoid feeding popcorn to birds in large quantities.