The Rose-breasted Grosbeak is a beautiful songbird that is a delight to have visit backyard bird feeders. With its bold black, white, and rose-colored plumage, it stands out against green summer foliage. Attracting these birds to your yard can be done with a little knowledge of their natural diet and preferred foods.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Rose-breasted Grosbeak has a diverse diet of insects, seeds, and fruit. To attract them to your backyard, offering a variety of foods will increase your chances. Sunflower seeds, nyjer thistle, peanuts, and fruit are particular favorites. They are ground feeders, so offer foods in open platform feeders, scattered on the ground, or placed on low platforms. Avoid cheap “filler” seeds and instead use good quality blends. Supplying a water source like a birdbath will also help draw these birds in. With a little effort, you can entice the beautiful Rose-breasted Grosbeak to become a regular summer visitor.
Rose-breasted Grosbeak Natural Diet
The Rose-breasted Grosbeak is omnivorous and consumes a wide variety of foods in the wild. This includes:
- Insects – Beetles, caterpillars, ants, wasps, and others provide protein.
- Seeds and grains – Includes weed seeds, wild grasses, flowering plants.
- Fruit – Berries, currants, figs, citrus when migrating.
- Nectar – An important spring food source.
- Tree sap – Taps holes in trees to get sap.
The adult grosbeaks primarily eat larger insects, snails, seeds, and fruit. Nestlings are fed mostly soft-bodied insects like caterpillars. The wide variety in their natural diet gives us clues about what foods will attract them.
Preferred Backyard Foods
When trying to draw Rose-breasted Grosbeaks to your yard, offering their favorite foods will increase your odds. Here are some of the top foods to use:
- Sunflower Seeds – A favorite of grosbeaks, provide high fat and protein.
- Nyjer Thistle – Small black thistle seeds with high oil content.
- Safflower – High in fat, safflower seeds attract grosbeaks.
- Peanuts – Offer shelled, crushed, or whole peanuts.
- Fruit – Try chopped apples, oranges, bananas, grapes, berries.
- Mealworms – High protein dried mealworms are relished.
- Suet – Offer insect suet cakes for extra fat and protein.
Best Bird Feeders for Rose-breasted Grosbeaks
To best serve the preferred foods of the Rose-breasted Grosbeak, use these types of bird feeders:
Platform Feeders
As primarily a ground feeder, the Rose-breasted Grosbeak prefers platform or tray style feeders placed at ground level or on low platforms. Choose wide, open tray designs that can accommodate larger seeds.
Hopper or Tube Feeders
Tube feeders with large openings can dispense sunflower seeds and peanuts favored by grosbeaks. Look for wide openings over 1 inch across to accommodate their thicker bills.
Suet Feeders
Offering suet cakes in hanging suet cages or suet holders on poles will provide an excellent high fat food source.
Fruit Feeders
Try specialized fruit feeders that securely skewered fruit halves or quarters in place. Also consider fruit placed in small mesh bags tied to branches.
Ground Feeding
Scatter sunflower seeds, peanuts, safflower, cracked corn, and other foods right on the ground in open areas. This allows these ground feeding birds to easily forage.
Foods to Avoid
When trying to attract grosbeaks, there are some foods you should avoid using. Stay away from these:
- Cheap “filler” seeds – Avoid oats, milo, wheat, flax that grosbeaks won’t eat.
- Fine/coarse mesh – Finches can monopolize feeders with small mesh openings.
- Mixed birdseed – Cheaper blends have fillers and less sunflower/nuts.
- Moldy/rotting foods – Clean feeders regularly and discard old food.
The key is to provide their favorites like sunflower seeds, peanuts, and fruit while avoiding cheap filler seeds they’ll ignore.
Meeting Other Needs
In addition to food sources, consider these other elements to attract Rose-breasted Grosbeaks to your yard habitat.
Water Source
A birdbath, fountain, or other water source provides drinking and bathing opportunities. Position it near trees or shrubs for safety.
Nesting Sites
Rose-breasted Grosbeaks nest in tall deciduous trees. If providing nest boxes, place on poles 10-12 feet up in woodland clearings.
Shelter
Brush piles, dense shrubs, and evergreens offer cover from predators and weather. Placing feeders near protective cover helps attract them.
| Food | Details |
|---|---|
| Sunflower Seeds | Black oil sunflower is a favorite, high in fat and protein. |
| Nyjer Thistle | Small, high oil content thistle seeds. |
| Peanuts | Provide whole, shelled, or crushed peanuts in the shell. |
| Safflower | Safflower is high fat, cardinals and grosbeaks love it. |
| Fruit | Chopped apples, oranges, bananas, grapes, berries. |
| Mealworms | Dried mealworms are high in protein. |
| Suet | Suet cakes provide insect protein and fat. |
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Rose-breasted Grosbeak has a diverse diet of insects, seeds, and fruit. To attract them to your backyard, offering a variety of foods will increase your chances. Sunflower seeds, nyjer thistle, peanuts, and fruit are particular favorites. They are ground feeders, so offer foods in open platform feeders, scattered on the ground, or placed on low platforms. Avoid cheap “filler” seeds and instead use good quality blends. Supplying a water source like a birdbath will also help draw these birds in. With a little effort, you can entice the beautiful Rose-breasted Grosbeak to become a regular summer visitor.
