Can wild birds eat peanuts
With our backyard birds feeding on a varied diet in the wild, wild birdS can be fed on peanuts which is essentially only made available by people.
Birds are acclaimed peanut eaters which is proof you are just starting out in feeding backyard birds. Knowing this, wild birds can eat peanuts if they are sold as wild bird peanuts only. Never feed wild birds on salted, special coated peanuts like chocolate - as its extremely poisonous to wild birds.
Peanuts are extremely beneficial to our backyard birds, of which you'll be surprised just how many species eat peanuts, or any kind of nuts you wish to feed them.
With peanuts being beneficial all year round, wintertime especially will benefit wild birds as peanuts are both fatty and protein rich; thus nuts will re-store lost body fat while providing the necessary energy for wild birds to forage for food in the wild.
Peanuts are good for wild birds when fed to them in the yard, as they are of course both highly nutritious and last well in an outdoor environment.
Bird feeders do exist to store peanuts out of their shells - to help peanuts last longer - while at the same time there's no harm in throwing peanuts in and out of a dish, or simply throw peanuts on the ground in nice dry weather.
One vitally important thing to know about feeding plain peanuts to wild birds, is that they become a choking hazard in Spring.
Chicks risks choking on peanuts fed to them by the adults at feeders or back in the nest.
With that in mind, you can think about breaking up peanuts prior to making them available in the yard, or stop using peanuts in Spring through Summertime.
Not all peanuts are healthy for wild birds mind, as you must only utilize specialist wild bird peanut varieties.
Never ever feed salted or roasted peanuts to wild birds which are developed for human consumption only. Salt is extremely poisonous to our wild birds of which, you can expect dire consequence with unseen health issues developing later.
Birds are acclaimed peanut eaters
What you may have not realized by now then, and particularly if its your first time getting involved in feeding backyard birds - is that peanuts play a major role in backyard birding - of which there's an abundance of peanut-eating wild birds in our yards.
Birds are essentially acclaimed peanut eaters which basically means everyone who cares, will know wild birds will eat peanuts fed to them in the yard.
Peanuts in shells aren't foraged for in the wild, which will only apply to pine nuts and similar varieties instead.
Oh no, peanuts can only be provided by people in their original shells, or where most of us prefer to feed nut-eating birds peanuts out of shells.
Example of common backyard birds who readily feed on peanuts in and out of bird feeders are: Nuthatches won't you know it; Woodpeckers most of all; big Blue Jays who eat peanuts in and out of shells; dependable Chickadees; Wrens, and Titmouse.
Many more wild birds are sure to eat peanuts in and out of feeders, of which nuts can be eaten whole, with birds also biting peanuts into smaller chunks.
Bird-safe peanuts only
Peanuts can be specially developed to feed wild birds, but can be harmful to people if you were ever attempted to eat them.
Bird-safe peanuts must only be provided to wild birds, of which you will expect them to be perfectly OK when bought in a pet store or found on the pet isle in a grocery store.
You cannot feed wild birds peanuts intended for human consumption, as they will provide both salt and other dangerous ingredients.
Salt is highly toxic to wild birds because they don't have the metabolism to break down salt in their system, which will lead to organ failure.
Never feed wild birds on roasted peanuts because the roasting usually comes after boiling plain, boring peanuts in salted water. Salted peanuts of all kinds will only contribute to wild birds ill health.
Peanuts coated in special flavors like sweet chili is equally as harmful to wild birds, as its made with high amounts of salt. Similarly, the always popular chocolate coated peanuts must never be fed to wild birds, as chocolate is made with salt - and also contains deadly ingredients like theobromine and caffeine.
As a matter of fact, all peanut-eating wild birds can be fed on nuts, which will be sold in their original state which means no salt, flavors, or coatings added.
Preferably out of shells
Peanuts can be a lot of fun to provide in a busy with peanut or even seed-eating wild birds in the yard, as its easy to attract wild birds to their favorites.
You do have a choice when it comes to peanuts though, because not only can you serve peanuts in and out of suspended peanut bird feeders - peanuts can be provided to wild birds in and out of their soft shell.
Personally I opt for peanuts out of shells as a matter of convenience, as they are sold that way.
When you get an opportunity to feed wild birds on peanuts in their shells, wild birds are likely to spend more time in your yard, attempting to crack open shells to reach the peanut - which can be a subtle way of keeping wild birds around for longer.
Bird species likely to eat peanuts still in their shell will include Blue Jays, Woodpeckers, Chickadees, and many more.
Add peanuts in shells on a bird feeder tray or platform, with an option to put shelled peanuts on a specialty whole peanut bird feeder - which essentially is a wreath bird feeder that appears to store fat balls rather than peanuts in shells.
Fed to birds in multiple ways
With an option to feed what are primarily small peanut-eating songbirds' peanuts in a small, compact peanut bird feeder, a spill tray attached to the base can only open up the peanuts to more, yet less agile birds at peanut feeders.
Peanuts don't have to be provided in a confined wire mesh bird feeder in order to see birds feed, no they don't...
In fact peanuts can be placed on the ground, on elevated surfaces or carefully positioned where wild birds are found to perch in natural vegetation.
Don't pick one way to feed wild birds peanuts when multiple ways can be used at the same time, to be sure all peanut-eating birds will feed. Bear in mind peanut-eating birds are seed-eating species, thus you'd really want to add seed mixes to peanuts.
What bird species will eat peanuts from feeders can include Blue Jays, Cardinals, all Woodpeckers, Nuthatches, Wren's, Chickadees, Titmouse, Sparrows, Finches, and many more than I can count.
With that you can feed wild birds on regular peanut butter which can be spooned in to a dish, or mix peanut butter in to the seeds on top of a platform bird feeder.
Summary
Obviously you don't have much experience when it comes to feeding wild birds in your yard, as you'll know peanuts make up many common backyard birds diets.
And while peanuts cannot be naturally foraged for in the wild like pine nuts can, wild birds are personally fed peanuts in their most original state.
The only way wild birds can eat peanuts is if its the original, specialist wild bird kind.
Salted, no flavors or special coatings can be provided to wild birds as all this and more leads to essentially toxic peanuts that will do serious damage to their organs. Birds are fed on wild bird peanuts only, sold in bulk.
Bird peanuts are unsalted yet will have some dangers to human health, but they will always be unsalted so will be incredibly uninteresting to eat.
Peanuts can provide additional interest around bird feeders, on the ground, or even if peanuts are placed on elevated surfaces in the yard. And as a bonus, you can provide wild birds both peanuts in and out of their shells.
Few wild birds love to tuck in to peanuts in their shells while everyone else will prefer to eat peanuts out of shells. Where they will hang in a wire mesh bird feeder, suspended off a bird feeder pole or an accessible tree branch.
Peanuts are extremely nutritious which contributes to providing wild birds a lot of energy, which is lost in winter especially as wild birds use up more energy.
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