Quick Answer
Birds will sometimes dig up seeds, especially larger bird species like crows, jays, and pheasants. Smaller songbirds are less likely to dig for seeds. A bird’s natural foraging behavior depends on the type of food it eats. Seed-eating birds have adapted beak shapes and behaviors to help them access seeds, whether from plants or the ground. Overall, the likelihood of birds digging up planted seeds depends on the bird species, seed type, soil conditions, and availability of other food sources. Proper seed planting depth, spacing, and protective coverings can help prevent seeds being dug up.
Do Birds Dig Up Seeds Generally?
Many birds forage by scratching and digging in the dirt or leaf litter to find seeds and insects. Some examples of birds known for digging behaviors include:
– Crows – Use their strong beaks to dig holes and find food buried in the ground.
– Jays – Often kick away litter as they search and may dig several inches deep for cached seeds.
– Pheasants – Scratch and dig extensively with their feet to uncover seeds or grain.
– Sparrows – Will dig or scruff through loose soil and mulch for seeds.
– Chickens – Use their beaks and feet to scratch and dig soil to find food.
– Robins – Routinely pull earthworms from the ground by grasping with their beak and tugging.
– Wrens – Forage among rock piles and dense vegetation, moving items to uncover insects and seeds.
– Woodpeckers – Use their specialized beaks to chisel and dig into wood searching for insects.
Not all birds dig in the traditional sense. But they have adapted their beaks and foraging behaviors to access seeds from plants, grass, or the ground. Cardinals, for example, crush seeds with their conical beaks. Sparrows can use their narrow beaks to remove debris and pluck seeds free. Pigeons bob their heads to loosen and swallow small seeds.
Overall, any seed-eating bird may show interest in freshly planted garden and crop seeds and could potentially dig some up. The likelihood depends on the specific species, soil type, seed planting depth, and availability of their normal wild foods.
What Types of Birds Dig Up Seeds?
Larger birds that routinely dig in search of food are more likely to dig up planted seeds. Examples include:
– Crows – Their intelligence helps them learn to associate human activity like gardening with available food. They use their thick, curved beaks effectively for digging.
– Jays – Love acorns and often hide them to cache for winter. They will dig up other seeds and nuts as well. Jays have even been known to bury peanuts whole and return later to dig them up.
– Pheasants – With their sturdy feet, claws, and pointed beaks, pheasants can uncover and eat newly planted seeds and emerging seedlings.
– Grackles – These large blackbirds use their long, tapered beaks to find buried or hidden food sources.
– Turkeys – They use their thick beaks and strong feet with sharp talons to dig and uncover food in the soil.
– Chickens – Barnyard chickens use their beak, head, and feet to rapidly dig and scratch the dirt looking for seeds, worms, and insects.
Smaller birds like sparrows, wrens, and finches mainly eat smaller seeds from plants. They are less inclined to dig in the soil for food. However, they may still remove newly planted small seeds like lettuce that are not covered well with soil.
Why Do Birds Dig Up Seeds?
Birds evolved powerful beaks, feet, and behavioral adaptations to help them find and consume seeds. Reasons why different birds dig up seeds include:
– Foraging instinct – Digging behaviors help birds access the seeds, worms, and insects that make up their natural diets.
– Hunger – Birds will increase foraging efforts like digging when normal food sources are scarce.
– Caching food – Some birds hide seeds and nuts to eat later and will dig them up when needed.
– Opportunism – Birds learn to associate human activity like planting and gardening with readily available seeds and may seek them out.
– Nutritional needs – Birds especially seek out high-fat seeds when they require more energy like before migration or nesting season.
– Taste preferences – Birds like crows seem to especially prize seeds like corn for their palatability and will purposefully dig them up.
– Disturbed soil – Freshly turned earth by planting or weeding exposes worms, grubs, and insects that birds seek out.
Determined birds are challenging to deter once they associate an area with accessible food. But strategies like proper planting depth, seed coverings, and physical barriers can reduce digging behaviors in a garden.
What Seeds Do Birds Like to Dig Up?
Birds evolved preferring different seed sizes, shapes, and nutrition profiles. Small songbirds gravitate toward tiny grass and weed seeds. Larger birds can swallow bigger seeds and have stronger beaks to open hard shells. Some seeds that birds actively dig for include:
Seed Type | Birds That Dig Them Up |
---|---|
Corn | Crows, jays, pheasants, grackles, turkeys |
Beans | Crows, turkeys, pheasants |
Peas | Jays, pheasants, partridge, quail |
Tomato | Crows, jays, sparrows, chickens |
Melons | Crows, raccoons, skunks |
Lettuce | Sparrows, juncos, pigeons |
Sunflower | Jays, goldfinches, chickadees, titmice |
Pumpkin | Crows, raccoons, chickens |
Birds also target maturing vegetable and fruit crops later in the growing season like tomatoes, berries, sweet corn, and melons.
Why Do Birds Favor Certain Seeds?
The types of seeds birds prefer often correlate with their species’ beak size and shape. Other reasons birds favor certain seeds include:
– Higher fat and protein – Birds select seeds with more calories to meet energy requirements.
– Larger size – Larger seeds are worthwhile for birds with bigger beaks like crows because they provide more nutrition per effort expended.
– Softer shell – Birds can more easily open and eat seeds like sunflower over hard-shelled seeds.
– Familiarity – Birds develop preferences for more commonly occurring local seeds.
– Desirable taste – Birds seem to find some seeds like corn and sunflower tastier or sweeter.
– Seasonal needs – Birds eat more high-fat seeds before migrating or breeding season to gain energy reserves.
– Caching tendencies – Some birds like jays and nutcrackers gather and bury specific nutritious seeds for retrieving later.
Providing additional bird feeders with favored seeds may satisfy bird appetites and reduce digging behaviors. Use feeders with weight- or spring-loaded perches that require effort, limiting bird access and waste.
How Do Birds Dig Up Seeds?
Different bird groups have specialized adaptations to help them dig and consume seeds:
– Thick conical beaks – Cardinals, sparrows, and finches are equipped to crush hard seeds.
– Curved pointed beaks – Hooked beaks of crows and jays help pry and dig in the soil.
– Long spear-like beaks – Shorebirds can probe deeply in wet mud for seeds.
– Extra head muscles – Some birds like quail have strong neck muscles to thrash and shake seeds free.
– Scratching feet – Pheasants and chickens vigorously kick and scratch the ground to expose seeds.
– Keen vision – Sharp eyes help birds spot freshly turned soil and seeds interred at optimal planting depth.
– Good memory – Birds like crows remember productive locations and return regularly.
– Social learning – Birds observe and learn digging techniques from parents and other birds.
Habits like ground scratching and digging are innate behaviors birds evolved to help them survive in the wild. These behaviors get focused on planted seeds in gardens since they represent easy, abundant food sources.
At What Soil Depths Do Birds Dig?
The depth birds will dig depends on the species, their beak shape, soil condition, and experience with finding buried food. Some typical digging depths for common birds include:
Bird Species | Digging Depth |
---|---|
Crows | 6 inches |
Pheasants | 3-4 inches |
Jays | 2-3 inches |
Sparrows | 1 inch |
Chickadees | Surface only |
Birds can dig deeper in loose, overturned soil versus hard, undisturbed ground. Experienced birds that have been rewarded with seeds at a certain depth before will also be more determined diggers.
Planting Depth To Avoid Birds
To reduce chances of seeds being dug up, use these planting depth guidelines:
– Small seeds – 1/4 inches deep
– Beans, corn – 1-1 1/2 inches deep
– Squash, melons – 1-2 inches deep
– Tomatoes – bury 2/3 of stem underground
Also create protective barriers like screens or netting to hide freshly worked soil and deter curious birds from investigating and digging.
Do Bird Seed Mixes Contain Seeds That Birds Will Dig Up?
Many commercial bird seed mixes contain one or more of the seeds that birds readily dig up from gardens:
– Corn – Whole dried corn kernels are in most standard mixes. Birds will seek it out and discard hulls.
– Millet – The small white seeds attract ground feeding birds.
– Nyjer – Small and black oilseed, a favorite of finches.
– Safflower – Nutty-flavored white seeds that cardinals like. Digested seed shells are also natural insecticides.
– Sunflower – The most popular ingredient with birds. Preferred are the black oil type over striped shells.
– Peanuts – Offer high fat and protein. Buy them shelled to avoid choking hazard.
Birds will consume and cache excess seed from feeders. Consider using mixes with less-preferred ingredients like milo, wheat, oats or dried fruit. Offer seeds with shells still on like thistle, peanuts, and safflower which require more effort.
Do Birds Remember Where They Have Buried Seeds?
Birds that cache food like jays and nutcrackers have excellent spatial memory and do recall locations of buried food. Their ability to remember varies by species, the individual bird, type of food, and caching site. Factors influencing seed caching memory include:
Bird Species
– Jays – Can relocate caches up to 28 days later. They may move stored food to new locations.
– Nutcrackers – Reliably find stored seeds 6-9 months later. A key winter survival food source.
– Crows – May hide food but tend to rely on visual cues vs memorized sites. Still, they have good general area recall.
– Sparrows – Only recall cache sites accurately for 2-3 days. Adapt by making many small caches.
Individual Ability
Just like people, some individual birds are blessed with a better memory for detail than others. Older birds with experience maintain more mental maps of where they buried seeds previously.
Food Type
Birds cache foods like:
– Acorns, pine nuts – For higher fat content and nutrition.
– Peanuts – For large size and high protein.
– Corn, beans – For quick energy and carbs.
A bird is more motivated to remember the sites of more valuable, high calorie foods it worked harder to get.
Caching Site
Birds often pick special landmarks to orient caching spots:
– Base of specific trees or rocks – Reliable permanent reference points.
– Near recognizable manmade objects – Fence posts, buildings, statues, etc.
– In distinct soil – Sandy areas versus grassy patches.
– In non-uniform ground – Bumps and divots provide context clues.
Sites with more distinct context cues and patterns will be easier for a bird to commit to memory.
How Can I Stop Birds From Digging Up Seeds?
Use these methods to deter birds from digging up freshly planted garden and crop seeds:
Proper Planting Depth
Bury seeds at recommended depths – small seeds 1/4 inch, beans 1 inch, corn 1-2 inches deep. Deeper than most birds dig.
Cover Seeded Rows
Protect seeds with floating row covers or hardware cloth anchored down until sprouted.
Use Repellents
Sprinkle hot pepper powder or predator urine granules around seeded areas. Mask human scents.
Scare Devices
Use noisemakers, shiny ribbons, and fake predators to startle and scare away birds from freshly worked soil.
Block Perches
Prevent birds from landing close to beds by using bird spike strips or covering fences.
Offer Alternative Foods
Distract birds with sacrificial seeds farther away or ample bird feeders.
Use Physical Barriers
Cover seeded rows with cardboard weighed down by rocks until seeds germinate and anchor.
Change Planting Schedule
Plant right before rain when birds are less active. Or after migratory flocks have passed through.
Use Wire Mesh
Cover seeded beds with 1/2 inch metal hardware cloth buried edges to exclude digging animals.
Keep Dogs Nearby
Let dogs patrol areas that birds are digging to startle and scare them away.
Conclusion
Birds have an innate drive and adaptations to dig and forage for seeds and other foods. When these behaviors are focused in gardens, they can become troublesome. Understanding which birds target what seeds, their impressive memories, and effective deterrents will help preserve your garden plantings. With some persistence and clever strategies, you can coexist with minimal damage even in locations with large bird populations. Getting the upper hand just requires vigilance, preparation, and a tolerance for sharing some surplus with our feathered friends.