What is a finches favorite fruit?

Finches are small songbirds in the family Fringillidae. They are known for their colorful plumage and melodious songs. Finches have quite varied diets depending on the species, but many do enjoy eating fruit. When it comes to their favorite fruits, it depends on what is available in their natural habitats.

What do finches eat?

Finches are primarily seed eaters. Their diet consists mainly of seeds from grasses, weeds, and trees. They use their strong beaks to crack open seeds and eat the inside. Some common seeds that finches enjoy are nyjer seed, millet, sunflower seeds, and safflower seeds.

In addition to seeds, finches also opportunistically eat other plant material and small insects. This includes buds, leaves, blossoms, berries, and fruit. The fruit they consume comes from native plants and shrubs in their habitat. Finches have been observed eating the fruits from mulberry, elderberry, blackberry, raspberry, cherry, and citrus trees.

Favorite fruits of finches

When fruit is abundant, it becomes a major part of the diet for many finch species. Their favorite fruits tend to be small, soft fruits that are easy to peck and digest. The most popular fruits among finches are typically:

• Mulberries – Ripening mulberry fruits attract finches in droves. Mulberries are soft, small berries that finches can easily pluck off trees.
• Elderberries – These small dark berries grow in clusters, providing a feast for finches.
• Blackberries – Finches intricately pick out the drupelets from blackberry brambles.
• Raspberries – Like blackberries, raspberries offer a sweet bounty of easy to eat berries.
• Cherries – Finches consume both the fruit and pits of cherries with their strong beaks.
• Citrus fruits – Finches enjoy pecking at and consuming various citrus fruits like oranges, grapefruits, and tangerines.
• Figs – The clustered seeds and pulp of fig fruits appeal to finches.
• Grapes – Finches can pick at both native wild grapes as well as cultivated ones.

In backyards and gardens, finches will readily eat fruits and berries from shrubs and trees like blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, and mulberries. They also eat the fruits of ornamental plants like cotoneaster, pyracantha, and toyon.

Differences between finch species

While most finches eat similar fruits, their preferences can vary slightly by species depending on their habitat, range, beak shape, and other factors. Here are some fruit favorites of popular finch species:

American Goldfinch

Goldfinches heavily favor thistle and nyjer seed but will eat various fruits when available. They are especially attracted to mulberries, elderberries, and even strawberries.

House Finch

House finches are common backyard birds that will eat a variety of fruits. Their favorites include cherries, blackberries, strawberries, grapes, and citrus fruits like oranges.

Cassin’s Finch

This western finch enjoys a diverse fruit diet including wild blackberries, elderberries, strawberries, currants, and figs. They also eat the seeds and flesh from apples and pears.

Purple Finch

The purple finch primarily eats seeds and buds but also consumes the fruits of dogwood, viburnum, pyracantha, and mountain ash. They are particularly attracted to oranges and grapefruit.

Zebra Finch

In their native Australia, zebra finches eat the small fleshy fruits of saltbush, spinifex, umbrella bush, and various grasses.

When do finches eat fruit?

Finches eat fruits most often when the fruits are ripe and abundant. This tends to occur in late summer and early fall. Some examples of peak fruit feeding times:

• Mulberries – June to August
• Elderberries – August and September
• Blackberries – mid July to September
• Raspberries – summer to early fall
• Cherries – mid to late summer
• Citrus fruits – winter and early spring
• Figs – late summer to fall

Finches also opportunistically eat fruit during other times when less food is available, such as during winter. This is especially true for finches that overwinter in cold climates versus migrating.

How do finches eat fruit?

Finches have small but strong cone-shaped beaks that are perfect for cracking seeds. They use their sturdy beaks to also pierce and eat soft fruits. Finches can cling to branches and dexterously pluck individual berries.

Fruits are swallowed whole if small enough. If the fruit is large like an orange segment or grape, the finch will peck off pieces and chunks to consume. The beak allows them to scrape pulp and access the flesh and juices.

For fruits like blackberries or mulberries, finches will intricately pick at them to get at the individual drupelets. The birds have excellent eye-beak coordination to nibble and finesse small fruits.

In addition to flesh, finches consume the seeds and pits inside many fruits. Their powerful beaks allow them to crack hard pits to access the inner seed. Their strong jaw muscles grind the seeds to digest them.

Why do finches eat fruit?

Fruits provide an important nutritional boost to the diet of finches. Here are some of the key benefits fruits offer finches:

• Carbohydrates – The sugars in fruit provide finches with easily digestible energy.
• Vitamins and minerals – Fruits contain a range of vitamins like A, C, E, and K as well minerals like potassium and manganese that finches need.
• Water – The high water content of fruits helps finches meet their water needs.
• Fiber – Fruit fiber aids digestion and gut health in finches.
• Proteins and fats – Although minimal, fruits do contain small amounts of proteins and fats finches can utilize.
• Variation – The diverse flavors and nutrients of fruits complement the seeds in a finch’s diet.

In addition, fruits provide a plentiful, clumped food source for finches. When fruit is in season, finches can easily feed on the bounty of berries and fleshy fruits available. The colors and aromas of ripe fruit also help attract finches.

Potential downsides of fruits for finches

While nutritious and beneficial in moderation, too much fruit can potentially cause issues for finch health and fitness. Here are some of the downsides of excessive fruit consumption:

• Excess sugar – The simple sugars in fruit, while providing quick energy, can lead to weight gain and metabolic issues if consumed excessively.
• Limited proteins – Fruits lack many essential amino acids finches need like lysine and methionine that are found in seeds.
• Toxic compounds – Some fruits contain mild toxins. While finches can safely eat small amounts, overindulgence on certain fruits could cause poisoning.
• Crop impactions – When gorging on particularly juicy or pulpy fruits, finches run the risk of getting crop impactions that require rehabilitation.
• Nutritional imbalances – An overreliance on fruits in the diet could lead to vitamin and mineral deficiencies for finches.

Therefore, fruit should make up a reasonable portion of a finch’s diet but not the entirety. The bulk of their nutrition should come from seeds and grains which offer a more complete nutritional profile.

Ways to attract finches with fruit

If you want to draw more finches to your backyard, one strategy is offering fruits. Here are some tips:

• Plant berry bushes and fruit trees suited to your climate like mulberry, blueberry, cherry, and citrus trees.
• Let some blackberry brambles and raspberry canes grow wild to provide habitat.
• Put halved oranges, grapes, cherries, chopped figs, or melon pieces in a mesh fruit feeder.
• Try specialized bird feeders made to hold fruit like orange halves.
• Set up fruit skewers by placing cut fruit pieces on a stick. Insert the sticks into the ground or hang them from trees.
• Offer a fruit and seed mix in feeders, combining chopped fruits with finch seed favorites.
• To reduce waste, only put out small amounts of fruit so it gets completely eaten each day.

In addition to offering fruits in your backyard, also provide a source of fresh water like a birdbath or fountain. Moving water is especially enticing for finches.

Conclusion

Fruits form a tasty part of the varied diet of many finch species. Soft, small, fleshy fruits like mulberries, elderberries, citrus fruits, and figs are finch favorites. When ripe and abundant, fruit can provide finches with energy, nutrition, and hydration. While healthy in moderation, too much fruit can potentially cause issues for finches. Offering a diversity of fruits is a great way to attract colorful, fruit-loving finches to your yard.