How To Attract More Birds with Fruit
OutdoorHub Reporters 07.26.12
Some of the most beautiful birds are insect and fruit eating birds. They won’t come to a bird feeder because seeds aren’t a part of their diet. Common insect and fruit eating birds that bird lovers can attract include catbirds, orioles, mockingbirds, waxwings, bluebirds, house wrens, thrashers, phoebes, robins, tanagers and kinglets.
One of the best ways to attract a variety of birds is to plant native shrubs, trees and bushes that bear fruits and berries such as blackberries, elderberries, crabapples, blueberries, raspberries, apples, grapes, serviceberries, grapes and cherries. And birds can and will eat overripe fruits from the kitchen, including bananas, peaches and plums.
Birders can use a fruit feeder such as Duncraft’s Eco-Oriole Fruit and Jelly Feeder to offer orange halves and grape jelly for all species of orioles. These sweet foods may also attract mockingbirds and thrashers. Apples can be skewered on special fruit feeders designed just for that purpose. Apples are enjoyed by most fruit eating birds.
To attract robins, offer wild or Concord grapes. Grapes are an important food for robins. They also enjoy pieces of apple, raisins soaked in warm water as well as blueberries and other berries. These can all be placed on a ground feeder or in a dish on the ground.
An important fruit for cardinals are blackberries. They can also be attracted with hackberries, raspberries and mulberries. Brown Thrashers are also very attracted to blackberries as are many other birds such as phoebes, sparrows, kingbirds, juncos and more.
Try many types of fruit throughout the summer and also during fall when birds are preparing for migration. Even seed-eating birds change their diet to a more fruit-based diet at this time. It’s thought that the antioxidants in fruit help ease the stress and anxiety of migration.
You can also freeze fruit and offer it in winter as a special winter treat.
