Peanuts have become a very popular food to offer wild birds for several reasons. Peanuts provide a high-fat, high-protein food source that gives birds quick energy, especially during cold weather or migration. Peanuts are also relatively inexpensive and readily available. Many backyard bird watchers report peanut feeders attracting the largest number and greatest diversity of birds compared to other types of food.
However, there are also some potential downsides to feeding birds peanuts that should be considered. This article will provide a thorough overview of the pros and cons of offering peanuts to wild birds to help readers make an informed decision about whether it is a good option for their specific situation.
Nutritional benefits of peanuts
Peanuts provide an excellent source of fat and protein for birds. The high fat content helps provide birds with quick energy and insulation from cold weather. This makes peanuts an especially good food to offer birds during winter, migration periods, or for baby birds that need extra calories to grow and develop properly.
The protein in peanuts supports muscle maintenance and development, which is important for birds that do a lot of flying. The table below shows a comparison of the nutritional contents of peanuts versus other common bird foods.
| Food | Fat | Protein |
|---|---|---|
| Peanuts | 49% | 26% |
| Black oil sunflower seeds | 42% | 21% |
| Suet | 34-57% | 8-12% |
| Nyjer seed | 36% | 18% |
As you can see, peanuts contain significantly higher fat and protein than other common bird foods besides suet. The fat levels are nearly as high as suet, with the added benefit of high protein content.
Vitamins and minerals
In addition to fat and protein, peanuts contain an array of vitamins and minerals that are beneficial for birds, including:
- B vitamins – For converting food into energy
- Vitamin E – An antioxidant for immune health
- Phosphorous – For bone strength
- Zinc – For feather growth
- Sodium – For fluid balance
Offering a food like peanuts with diverse vitamins and minerals helps provide birds with a more complete source of nutrition. This can be especially helpful in winter when natural food sources are scarce.
Types of birds attracted to peanuts
Many species of birds are attracted to peanuts. Some of the most common visitors at peanut feeders include:
Chickadees
Chickadees are small songbirds that thrive on high fat foods like peanuts, especially in winter. They are acrobatic and clever, finding ways to hang upside down from feeders to snatch peanuts. Offering peanuts can attract flocks of chickadees passing through the area.
Nuthatches
Like chickadees, nuthatches are agile climbers that enjoy peanuts. Red-breasted, white-breasted and pygmy nuthatches may show up where peanuts are available. They store individual nuts in tree crevices for later snacking.
Blue jays
Blue jays are intelligent, noisy birds that love peanuts. They will often consume an entire peanut in one place before taking another. Drawing blue jays to a yard with peanuts allows great up-close views of their colorful plumage.
Woodpeckers
Many woodpecker species add an occasional peanut to their typical diet of insects. Watch for downy, hairy, red-bellied and northern flickers on peanut feeders.
Chickadees
Crows and jays belong to the corvid family, known for their intelligence. They are very attracted to peanuts and will recruit others when a food source is found. Be prepared for large noisy flocks if you offer peanuts.
Titmouse
Tufted titmice and black-crested titmice will also stop by for peanut snacks. Their loud whistle calls often alert other birds that food is nearby.
Wrens
Small hyperactive wrens like Carolina and house wrens may also eat bits of peanut. Winter wrens are especially appreciative of high fat foods like nuts when cold weather makes insects scarce.
Finches
American goldfinches are dainty birds that really enjoy shelled peanut pieces. Other finches like purple finches may sample peanuts too but usually prefer small seeds.
Sparrows
Certain sparrows including song, white-throated, white-crowned, and fox sparrows appreciate peanuts. They tend to forage on the ground under feeders for dropped pieces.
Starlings
European starlings are an invasive species that many people prefer not to attract. However, they are enthusiastic peanut consumers. Starlings tend to descend in noisy, chaotic groups once they find a peanut source.
Doves
Ground feeding mourning doves are frequent peanut feeder visitors as well. They swallow the nuts whole, so look for shelled pieces to prevent choking.
Peanuts attract the largest variety of birds
When it comes to one food drawing in the most species of birds, peanuts tend to top the list for many backyard birding enthusiasts. A single peanut feeder may attract over a dozen or more unique bird species over time compared to just a handful at other seed or suet feeders.
If your goal is to enjoy a diversity of feathered visitors to your yard, offering some peanuts can help achieve this goal. The high fat content and protein attracts the attention of so many birds that naturally eat seeds, fruits or insects. A wider variety of birds in your yard allows more opportunities to see unusual or striking birds you may normally miss.
If recording the greatest number of unique species on your yard list or life list is important, peanuts are a good bait for drawing in less common birds like sapsuckers, mockingbirds and brown thrashers. Just the activity and noise of common birds like jays and chickadees feasting on peanuts helps signal “good eats!” to many birds passing through as well.
Pros of feeding birds peanuts
Now that we’ve covered some of the major benefits peanuts offer birds, here is a quick summary of the main pros:
- High in fat and protein
- Provides quick energy
- Supports muscle and feather growth
- Contains vitamins and minerals
- Attracts the greatest variety of bird species
- Appeals to both common and rare birds
- Relatively inexpensive compared to other bird foods
- Convenient to buy from most grocery stores
Offering peanuts is an easy way to bring more birds of many types into your yard. The fat and protein offers important nutritional benefits while the allure of peanuts pulls in species you might otherwise miss.
Potential downsides of feeding birds peanuts
While peanuts offer clear advantages, there are some potential drawbacks to consider as well before stocking your feeders.
Risk of choking
One safety issue is birds potentially choking on peanuts if the nuts are not broken up. Whole peanuts can fully obstruct the throat of songbirds. Always offer shelled peanut pieces no larger than an eighth of a full nut. Birds like jays may still try to gulp down larger chunks, so removing the shell reduces risk.
Monitor peanut feeders closely and remove any whole nuts that accumulate. Consider only offering peanut butter or chopped nuts if an obstructed airway is a major concern in your yard. Avoid peanuts around fledglings just learning how to swallow food.
May attract unwanted pests
The strong smell and high fat content of peanuts is irresistible bait for some unwanted backyard pests. Raccoons in particular can become a nightly nuisance. Squirrels may hog feeders. Rats and mice may also be a problem from peanut debris on the ground.
Take steps like installing feeders on poles with baffles to block climbing animals. Bring feeders in at night if raccoons are an issue. Sweep up fallen peanut pieces daily if rodents frequent your yard. Weigh risks versus benefits if nuisance animals become difficult to control.
Risk of moldy nuts
Peanuts in the shell last a very long time without spoiling. However, shelled nuts or pieces may develop mold, bacteria or microtoxins if allowed to get wet or sit too long in feeders. Discard any dirty, rotten or moldy peanuts. Clean and disinfect feeders regularly. Buy shelled nuts in small batches to ensure freshness.
High fat content
The high fat content that makes peanuts so nutritious could also pose health risks to some birds. Peanut pieces may sometimes pass through birds undigested. This could potentially impact their cholesterol and arteries over time.
Feeding birds peanuts should be done in moderation alongside other foods. Monitor bird health and behavior for any signs of poor condition from an unbalanced diet.
Risk of mycotoxins
Finally, there is a small risk of peanuts containing mycotoxins, which are toxic substances produced by molds and fungi on crops. This is quite rare with human-grade peanuts but possible if storage conditions are poor. It’s just one more reason to inspect peanuts and discard any that appear contaminated or rotten.
Here is a summary of some potential disadvantages to feeding peanuts:
- Risk of whole nuts causing choking
- May attract unwanted pests to the yard
- Shelled nuts can sometimes mold if allowed to get wet
- Very high in fat, so only feed in moderation
- Small risk of mycotoxins if peanuts are moldy
These risks are all easily managed with proper feeding techniques and monitoring. For most people, the benefits of offering peanuts will outweigh these minor cautions.
Best practices when feeding birds peanuts
If you decide to offer peanuts after considering the pros and cons, following some best practices will help make it safe and successful:
- Only feed shelled, chopped peanuts – no whole nuts
- Use mesh feeders that allow draining rather than platform feeders
- Discard peanuts at the first sign of mold or moisture
- Buy small batches and use within a few weeks
- Frequently clean and rotate feeders to prevent contamination
- Include other foods like seeds and suet – Do not only offer peanuts
- Avoid peanuts around fledglings and young birds
- Keep shelled pieces protected from rain and snow
- Remove fallen debris from under feeders regularly to limit pests
Following these tips will help you provide peanuts safely while minimizing risks. If you notice any signs of birds having trouble eating the peanuts or unwanted wildlife becoming a problem, you may need to stop offering them. Otherwise, most backyard birders can include peanuts as part of a varied bird feeding routine.
Frequently asked questions
Here are answers to some common questions about feeding peanuts to birds:
Do you need a special feeder for peanuts?
While you can toss peanuts onto any platform feeder, specialized peanut feeders are preferable. Look for mesh bags or trays that allow water drainage. Squirrels have a harder time stealing nuts from tube-style peanut feeders with weight-sensitive perches.
Do birds drink water after eating dry peanuts?
Yes, birds need to drink water to help digest dry foods like peanuts. Offer fresh water year-round, either in bird baths, drippers or heated bowls during winter. Place water sources near peanut feeders if possible.
Do cardinals eat peanuts?
Northern cardinals are seed-eating birds and prefer sunflower seeds and safflower to peanuts. However, they may sample and eat peanut pieces on occasion, particularly when other foods are scarce.
Are peanuts safe for hummingbirds?
No, hummingbirds should never be offered dry peanuts or bits. These birds need a liquid nectar diet. While hummers won’t usually come to seed feeders, peanuts pose a risk of choking.
Can you feed birds roasted or flavored peanuts?
Avoid roasted, salted or flavored peanuts, as the extra additives are unhealthy for birds. Only offer plain raw peanuts ideally meant for bird feed.
Are peanuts safe for chickens or ducks?
Peanuts make a fine supplemental treat for poultry like chickens and ducks in moderation. However, peanuts are relatively low in the calcium chickens need to lay eggs. Don’t overfeed peanuts.
How often do birds eat peanuts from a feeder?
Birds will visit peanut feeders multiple times per day, especially on cold winter days when more calories are needed. Refill feeders when empty, or at least every few days to ensure freshness.
Conclusion
Offering peanuts to wild birds in your yard can certainly attract a diverse range of species and provide important nutritional benefits, especially during winter. However, some caution is needed to prevent choking hazards, limit pests, and avoid spoiled nuts. Following the feeding tips outlined and monitoring birds closely should allow most people to safely include peanuts as part of their backyard bird feeding routine.
The high energy content makes peanuts a useful addition during harsh weather when birds need extra calories and fat. Just be sure to also provide other foods and clean water as well. If you notice any signs of distress in birds related to peanuts, discontinue feeding them. Otherwise, both you and your feathered visitors should enjoy the show peanuts provide!
