Do you love feeding birds in winter? It's pleasant for most of us, and it's certainly useful for animals. What do blackbirds eat and how can you make your own blackbird food for the winter? Most birds of this species like wild bird seed, suet and sunflower seeds. However, their absolute favorite foods are insects and fruits.
Wild animals need food in winter and you can take care of them by providing them with nutrients. In the cold season it is difficult for wild animals to find enough food, so you can help them. Read our article to learn how to take care of thisBirds in the cold seasoncare, and how to feed them properly.
What to feed blackbirds
When feeding birds, you need to choose the appropriate food. Blackbirds can feed equally successfully on plant and animal foods. Nutrition directly depends on the season. In winter the menu consists of fruits, berries or seeds. During this time, rowanberries or rose hips are the birds' preferred delicacy. They also like the fruits of ivy, juniper, blackthorn, mountain ash, grapes and others.
Soft and small seeds must be part of bird food for blackbirds. The bird likes insects and earthworms. Overwintering species do not ignore frozen fruits and seeds and look for them on snow-covered grasses and trees. When foraging on the ground, the blackbird raises its tail and lowers its head to the ground. The favorite food for these birds consists of:
- oatmeal
- Peanut grains
- Insects
- Sunflower hearts
- Suet-Pellets
- Raisins or berries
- Apples
Also interesting:Can you feed birds bread? Types of bread suitable for titmice, sparrows, pigeons, etc. in winter
Of course you can buy blackbird food, but it's fun to make your own nutritious mixture for the animals. And it's not difficult at all. You only need a few ingredients. Here are some simple bird food recipes that can help you if you want to feed blackbirds in winter
1. Easy bird food recipe for soft eaters
Here are the ingredients you can use to make this recipe:
- 1 kg beef tallow and 3 tablespoons cooking oil
- 1 kg feed mix of dried fruits, oat flakes and dried mealworms
How to prepare blackbird food yourself:
Simply mix the ingredients well and place the food on a bowl or directly on the floor.
2. Seed mix with suet for blackbirds
What you need for this recipe:
- Food mixture for soft food eaters
- Beef tallow
Important: Make sure that the seed mixture is suitable for soft food eaters, because large seeds are not good for blackbirds.
How to prepare the food:
- Heat the suet until it becomes liquid.
- Mix the same amount of seed mixture for soft feeders into the suet.
- Mix the homemade food thoroughly.
- Place the food in a shallow bowl and simply place it outside. The blackbirds will love this nutritious mix!
How to feed the birds properly
Note that blackbirds are too large and they cannot feed from hanging feeders because they cling tosuch feederscannot hold on, as is possible for many smaller birds. Therefore, it is advisable to give food from a bird table or directly from the ground.
Blackbirds are ground-dwelling birds, so it is beneficial for them if what they want to eat is on the ground where they normally forage. The best way to feed blackbirds on the lawn is to throw out live or dried mealworms or seeds and sprinkle with seed mixtures. Open platforms or bird seed in a bowl are also fine.
What are blackbirds not allowed to eat?
Although blackbirds are omnivores, there are some foods that are not part of their natural diet. Note that their beaks are not hard enough to handle grains, nuts, or seeds with thick shells. You should not feed blackbirds any spicy or salty foods. Bread is also not good for the birds as it swells in their stomachs.
Snails are a popular food, but their beaks are not strong enough to crack the shell. That's why they crack open snails on stones.
Also read:What shouldn't you feed birds? These foods pose risks for feathered friends!
