Here I am waiting for the appliance repairman. Waiting, waiting. As I sit here staring out the bay window on this lovely fall day, I find myself wondering “ What berries are the BEST for birds? Are some better than others? What do they prefer?" So I googled it! Let me share what I learned.
Most birds maintain an insect based diet for the summer months then switch over to berries for the fall and winter. Insects are higher in protein and more readily available during the summer months. (Soapbox moment: Please stop spraying so many insecticides.) Similarly berries that ripen during summer months contain more protein than fat. However, berries that ripen in the fall contain higher amounts of fat and more carbs. That is just the combination the birds are looking for right around the time they need to migrate.
Birds aren’t reading the labels on the bushes to find out the fat content vs. protein content but this is how beautifully Mother Nature has worked things out over the years. Late Spring / Summer berries with more protein and some carbs are ripening just about the time that fledglings are starting to feed themselves. They have all summer to build muscle, learn to fly and enjoy those sweet raspberries and blueberries. Then when it is time to bulk up and prepare for a long journey or a cold winter at home the Fall berries are ready to be devoured. Winterberry, American Beautyberry and Dogwood all have higher levels of fat and are native to the USA. In contrast, non-native invasive plants like the Bush Honeysuckle and Privette only have a small percentage of fat. So they aren’t doing the birds any good. AND they are crowding out many other native plant species, but I will save that for another article. One other note, Nandina berries look pretty and lush like they should be really good but they are toxic to birds. They are better used as holiday decorations in your home.
Now I know you are going to ask, what about seeds and nuts? I looked that up too! We have all sat and gawked at the beauty of a Gold Finch delicately pulling seeds out of an old flower head. But what else? We know that suet cakes sold at the stores usually contain peanuts or almonds but peanuts grow underground and Almonds don’t grow in the southeast. So what are we to do? What do we plant? The answer: Oak trees. Not only do they provide habitat for up to 534 species of butterflies and moths (not including other insects) but some birds are able to eat the acorns as well. Now not all birds have the beak structure to be able to break into acorns and other nuts, but some can. So plant lots of Echinacea, Zinnia and Oaks for a diversity of food sources.
Bottom line, native is best because the birds recognize them and they provide the proper nutrition for the birds. Plant many options because just like humans, birds want and need diversity in their diet. Also, that covers all the various nutrients and fats they need to survive and thrive. Below are links to various articles I read to learn about this subject.
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