Peanut butter is a pantry staple for many people, but did you know it can also be used to make nutritious bird food that backyard birds will love? Making your own bird food is easy, affordable and allows you to control exactly what goes into it. In this article, we’ll explore how to make bird food using peanut butter, the benefits of peanut butter bird food, what birds like to eat it and some simple recipes to try.
Can You Use Peanut Butter to Make Bird Food?
Yes, peanut butter makes an excellent base for homemade bird food. Here’s why:
- It’s a good source of fat and protein for birds. Peanut butter is calorie-dense, providing lots of energy in a small amount.
- It sticks together well. When mixed with other ingredients like seeds or oats, the peanut butter helps everything cling together into a cohesive treat.
- It’s affordable and easy to find. Peanut butter can be purchased at any grocery store for just a few dollars.
- It’s soft and mushy. Birds have no trouble pecking away and swallowing peanut butter. The texture makes it accessible even to small birds.
The high fat content of peanut butter makes it an excellent energy source for birds. Backyard birds need lots of calories, particularly during cold winter months or migration seasons. Peanut butter is calorie-dense, meaning birds only need to eat a small amount to get the fuel they require.
Peanut butter also contains some key nutrients that birds need:
- Protein – Helps build muscle and feathers.
- Fiber – Aids digestion.
- Vitamin E – An antioxidant that boosts the immune system.
- B vitamins – Important for metabolism and converting food into energy.
- Magnesium – Necessary for flying, as it helps convert blood sugar into energy.
The high fat content of peanut butter makes it prone to going rancid quickly. When making peanut butter bird food, it’s best to only make a small batch that can be consumed within a week or two. You’ll also want to store any leftovers in the refrigerator.
Overall, peanut butter makes an inexpensive, nutritious base for homemade bird food that backyard birds will relish. It’s a bird feeding staple during cold weather when birds need more calories.
Benefits of Peanut Butter Bird Food
Offering peanut butter to backyard birds has many benefits:
High in calories
Peanut butter is jam-packed with calories and fat, making it an extremely efficient energy source for small birds. Adding peanut butter to bird food helps birds get more calories per bite. This helps birds survive cold winter weather when natural food sources are scarce.
Protein for strong muscles
Peanut butter provides protein for building muscle mass and feather growth. Adult birds need protein to keep their plumage and flight muscles in top shape. Baby birds need ample protein to grow and develop properly.
Supports egg production
Female birds rely on getting enough fat and protein in their diets to produce healthy eggs. Peanut butter can support egg production and development.
Helps birds maintain body heat
The fat in peanut butter helps birds stay warm in cold temperatures. Birds need lots of calories from fat to raise their body temperature when the weather is cold. Offering peanut butter gives them the fuel they require.
Inexpensive and accessible
Peanut butter is affordable and easy to find year-round, even when other food sources are scarce. This makes it a great option for supplementing birds’ diets during harsh weather. You don’t have to buy expensive specialty bird food to help backyard birds.
Soft texture is easy to eat
Peanut butter’s soft, pliable texture makes it simple for birds to eat. They can easily peck off and swallow small bits. Even birds with small beaks like chickadees can manage peanut butter.
Adds variety to diet
Peanut butter offers a tasty, nutritious alternative to standard seeds and suet. Varying food sources gives birds diverse vitamins, minerals and amino acids for optimal health.
While peanut butter on its own lacks complete nutrition, mixing it with other ingredient like seeds, grains and fruit helps create a balanced bird food blend. Offering some peanut butter suet or dough balls provides energy, fat and protein birds need to thrive, especially in winter.
What Birds Like to Eat Peanut Butter?
Many common backyard birds relish peanut butter treats. Some species known to be particularly fond include:
Chickadees
These tiny acrobats LOVE peanut butter. Mix peanut butter with suet or bird seed to create an irresistible chickadee snack.
Titmouse
Like chickadees, titmice can’t seem to get enough peanut butter. They’ll happily gobble up any peanut butter offering.
Woodpeckers
Woodpeckers cling easily to peanut butter suet feeders. The high fat and protein help fuel their pecking and drumming.
Nuthatches
Nuthatches are able to hang upside down easily to enjoy peanut butter treats. Their agility lets them access peanut butter in any position.
Cardinals
Bright red cardinals are frequent visitors to peanut butter feeders. The high fat content provides vital energy during cold weather.
Jays
Resourceful jays enjoy peanuts and peanut butter. Offer some peanut butter suet for an easy protein source.
Wrens
Small wrens enjoy peanut butter but may need perches or platform feeders they can hop onto rather than hanging suet feeders.
Sparrows
Ground-feeding birds like sparrows can eat crumbs dropped by other birds enjoying peanut butter above.
Woodpeckers
Woodpeckers love peanut butter, using their long tongues to slurp it up. They’ll cling to vertical suet feeders.
Waxwings
When waxwings visit peanut butter feeders in large flocks, they can demolish them quickly. These social birds love to share snacks.
Warblers
Warblers passing through on migration appreciate a quick snack of peanut butter to fuel their travels.
Almost any bird that frequents feeders will sample peanut butter treats. Offer them on various styles of feeders to see which birds flock to your yard. Place feeders near trees or shrubs so birds have a safe place to perch and feed.
5 Simple Peanut Butter Bird Food Recipes
Here are a few easy homemade peanut butter bird food recipes to try:
Basic Peanut Butter Suet
- 1 cup peanut butter (smooth or chunky)
- 2 cups birdseed
- 1 cup cornmeal
- Melt peanut butter and mix in other ingredients. Pour into suet cage feeder or mold and chill until firm.
Peanut Butter Birdseed Balls
- 1 cup peanut butter
- 2 cups birdseed
- 1/2 cup cornmeal
- 1/4 cup dried fruit (chopped)
- Mix together and roll into balls. Place on feeders.
Peanut Butter Pinecone Feeder
- 1/2 cup peanut butter
- 2-3 pinecones
- 1 cup birdseed
- Roll pinecones in peanut butter, then birdseed. Hang outside.
Peanut Butter Oatmeal No-Bake Cookies
- 1 1/2 cups oats
- 2/3 cup peanut butter
- 1/3 cup honey or maple syrup
- 1/2 cup dried fruit, chopped
- 1/2 cup birdseed
- Mix ingredients. Scoop spoonfuls onto baking sheet and chill until firm. Place on feeders.
Peanut Butter Suet Hummingbird Food
- 1 cup peanut butter
- 3/4 cup cornmeal
- 1/4 cup sugar
- Melt peanut butter and stir in cornmeal and sugar. Pour into small cupcake tins and insert a popsicle stick into each. Chill until firm then hang outside.
These recipes can easily be adjusted to your own taste and what ingredients you have on hand. The basic method is to combine peanut butter with grains, seeds, or oats, sometimes adding a bit of sugar or dried fruit for extra flavor and nutrients.
Let the peanut butter mixture chill in a suet cage, plastic mold, or simply scooped into balls until firm enough to hang outside for the birds. Store any unused portion in the refrigerator for up to 1-2 weeks.
How to Offer Peanut Butter to Birds
Here are some tips for serving peanut butter treats in ways backyard birds can enjoy:
Use specialty bird feeders
Products like suet cages or mesh bird feeders are ideal for offering peanut butter. The cage protects it from melting in the sun while allowing easy access for birds.
Add perches
Smaller birds feel more comfortable with perches in order to cling and feed. Attaching twigs or small branches provides secure perching spots.
Use platform feeders
Platform or tray feeders allow easy access without needing to hang or cling. Larger birds like doves appreciate a flat surface for feeding.
Try log feeders
Spread peanut butter into holes drilled into fallen logs and branches. Hang them up horizontally for birds to cling onto.
Mix with seeds or grains
Adding seeds, cracked corn, oats, millet or other grains to peanut butter provides texture and crunch.
Cut back on filler
Reduce the amount of cornmeal or other fillers if the consistency is too firm for the birds to easily eat it. Add more peanut butter for creamier texture.
Experiment with flavors
Try mixing in flavored peanut butter, jam, dried fruit, nuts, cinnamon, or spices to vary the taste.
Keep away from house siding
Don’t smear peanut onto trees or house siding, as this can damage paint or wood and attract pests. Use specialty feeders designed for peanut butter instead.
Give birds time to find it
It may take a few days for birds to discover the new peanut butter treat. Let it sit outside consistently and birds will start visiting.
With a bit of experimenting, you can find the tastiest peanut butter recipe your backyard birds love. The birds will reward you with amazing up-close views as they stuff their beaks with the nutty treats. Making your own bird food is simple, affordable, and lets you control what goes into it. The birds will chirp with delight at the peanut buttery bounty.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is peanut butter safe for birds?
Plain, non-flavored peanut butter is perfectly safe for birds to eat. Avoid peanut butter with added salts, sugars and preservatives which can be unhealthy. Also avoid chunky style as large nut pieces may pose a choking hazard. Stick to creamy, all-natural peanut butter.
Should you use salted or unsalted peanut butter?
Unsalted peanut butter is best for birds. The salt content in salted varieties can be unhealthy, especially for small birds. Stick to fresh, all-natural peanut butter with no added salt or seasoning.
Can you use other nut butters for birds?
Yes, almond butter, cashew butter and other nut-based spreads also work well in bird food recipes. Peanut butter tends to be the most affordable option, but feel free to experiment with other nut butters too.
Do you need special bird feeders for peanut butter?
While not required, specialist suet and peanut butter feeders make it easier for birds to cling and access the food. Simple homemade options like smearing it into pinecones or onto logs can also work.
Does homemade peanut butter bird food go bad?
Yes, any bird food with perishable ingredients like peanut butter or fruit should be consumed within 1-2 weeks. Store any leftovers in the fridge between uses. Discard and make a new batch if it looks dried out, moldy, or rancid.
Which bird seed should you mix with peanut butter?
Good options include millet, nyger seed, cracked corn, sunflower chips, safflower seeds, mealworms, oats, wheat bran or mixed wild birdseed. Pick seed blends attract the particular birds you want to feed.
Is peanut butter enough on its own for birds?
While nutritious, peanut butter alone lacks complete nutrition for birds. Mixing it with grains and seed provides fat, carbs, fiber and micronutrients. Offering just peanut butter occasionally as a treat is fine but shouldn’t be the sole food source.
Can birds choke on peanut butter?
Birds can choke on any food if they eat too greedily and don’t swallow pieces fully. This risk is low with proper peanut butter bird feeders that limit large mouthfuls. Avoid chunky peanut butter and large seeds that pose greater choking hazards.
What birds don’t like peanut butter?
Most birds will sample peanut butter but preferences vary by species. Birds like hummingbirds that feed mainly on nectar or orioles that favor fruit may show less interest. Providing other food options ensures every bird gets something they like.
Peanut butter makes a cost-effective, nutritious homemade bird food. With a few simple ingredients and recipes, you can whip up peanut butter suet and dough balls that provide essential nutrition to help backyard birds thrive. The birds will chirp and chatter happily as they relish the peanutty treats.
