Feeding Birds in Winter: Which Bird Eats What?

During the winter months, there's often not as much to see in the garden. Only winter-blooming plants are still in bloom, the trees and shrubs are bare, and perennials die off above ground. Still, with a little effort, there’s plenty to enjoy: All kinds of birds visit the garden to see what they can find. That is, if you have enough food in your garden. For example, with overripe fruit, plants with berries for birds and perennials that produce seeds. Or, of course, simply by feeding the birds!

There are many ways to feed birds. You can choose from a bird feeder, scattered seed on the ground, a feeding tray, feed silos, suet balls, peanut butter holders, bird cakes, etc.

Keep in mind that different types of food attract different types of birds. For example, blackbirds love crabapples; great tits and blue tits are often seen eating suet balls; and if you offer pieces of bread, sparrows are usually drawn to them, but so are jackdaws and magpies.

Which bird eats which food?

Of course, it’s nice to attract as many birds as possible to your garden. But once your garden is regularly visited by certain species and other species haven’t found their way there yet, you might want to check whether you’re offering the right food. Not all birds eat the same kind of birdseed. Below is an overview of common garden birds and the food they like to eat in the winter. This way, you can easily More Birds in Your Garden that you'd like to see. Of course, they have to be found in your area.

What do blackbirds eat?

Blackbirds like to eat fruit, fruit peels, or apple cores. Blackbirds also enjoy eating berries.

• Blackbirds prefer to eat from the ground. Make sure to provide a safe spot with plenty of shelter nearby.

What kind of food should I feed sparrows?

House sparrows aren't very picky. They like to eat all kinds of small seeds, sunflower seeds, peanuts, and bird peanut butter, as well as pieces of bread or breadcrumbs.

• Sparrows eat both on the ground and from a feeding table or bird feeder.

What do chickadees eat?

Great tits and blue tits love to eat suet balls, peanuts and shelled peanuts, bird peanut butter, and sunflower seeds.

• The best place to feed titmice is at a feeding table or feeder house, or, for example, using a feeder placed in a tree or a tall shrub.

What does a robin eat?

Robins like to eat mealworms, pieces of bread, breadcrumbs, and sometimes bird peanut butter.

• A robin likes to eat off the ground, but will also visit your feeder.

What does a wren eat?

Wagtails like to eat mealworms, pieces of bread, or breadcrumbs.

• A wren likes to eat off the ground, but will sometimes visit your bird feeder as well.

What kind of food do finches and greenfinches like to eat?

Finches (goldfinch, brambling, siskin, and siskin) and greenfinches love to eat all kinds of small seeds, sunflower seeds, peanuts, and pieces of bread or breadcrumbs. You’ll also often see them on the seed heads of thistles and rose hips.

• Finches and greenfinches eat both on the ground and from a feeding table or bird feeder.

What kind of food should I feed song thrushes and starlings?

Song thrushes and starlings like to eat fruit (or fruit peels, or a core). They also like to eat berries.

• Song thrushes and starlings prefer to eat from the ground. Provide a safe spot with plenty of shelter nearby.

What should you feed a woodpecker?

You don't see woodpeckers in the garden very often, but they're still drawn to peanuts, suet balls, and sunflower seeds.

• Preferably, hang the food or attach it to a tree. In any case, place it in a quiet corner of the garden.

What does a magpie like to eat?

Magpies aren’t very picky. They eat whatever they can get their hands on. In the winter, they also eat seeds, fruits, and pieces of bread. However, not everyone is thrilled to have a magpie in their yard, because they often don’t give smaller birds a chance.

• Magpies eat both from the ground and from a feeding board or feeding table.

What foods should you chew?

Many people would rather not see this bird in their yard. Perhaps because they eat all the birdseed quickly, or because they don’t give smaller birds a chance… They also often come in flocks. Jackdaws will eat just about any food they can get their beaks on. They’re most drawn to bread and fruit, and they also love to raid jars of bird peanut butter.