Are you curious about what Birds Eat Mealworms? Mealworms, the larvae of darkling beetles, have been found to be a popular food source for many common bird species. In this comprehensive guide, we will provide detailed information on various bird species that relish mealworms and how feeding these protein-rich insects can attract unique avian visitors to your backyard.
Key Takeaways
- Bluebirds, robins, chickadees, wrens, woodpeckers, orioles, thrushes, warblers, sparrows, and finches are all bird species that enjoy eating mealworms.
- Feeding birds mealworms provides them with high nutritional value and helps attract specific bird species to your backyard.
- There are different ways to feed mealworms to birds: live mealworms can be offered through feeders or placed on the ground; dried or freeze-dried mealworms are a convenient option; and there are various feeder designs available for easy feeding.
- Incorporating mealworms into your feeding routine can provide essential nutrition for birds and attract a diverse array of species to your yard.
10 Major Birds That Love Eating Mealworms
Bluebirds, robins, chickadees, wrens, woodpeckers, orioles, thrushes, warblers, sparrows, and finches are all bird species that enjoy eating mealworms.
1) Bluebirds
Bluebirds love mealworms. You can find these birds in your yard if you offer the tasty treat. They are small and swift, often seen flying low over open fields or perching on fences.
Both kinds of bluebirds, the Eastern and Western, like to eat bugs off the ground. Dried or live mealworms are a big hit with them! To feed bluebirds, put the mealworms in a feeder made just for birds.
Use one that gives them room to land and keeps bigger birds away from their food.
2) Robins
Robins are common backyard birds that enjoy eating mealworms. These birds have a varied diet and will eat insects, fruits, berries, and worms. Offering mealworms to robins can be a great way to attract them to your yard and provide them with a nutritious food source.
Mealworms are high in protein, which is important for the growth and development of birds like robins. They can also be fed live or dried using a mealworm feeder designed for birds.
By providing mealworms to robins, you can help support their health and well-being throughout the year.
3) Chickadees
Chickadees are among the bird species that enjoy eating mealworms. These small, energetic birds have a fondness for protein-rich insects like mealworms. Offering mealworms to chickadees can be a great way to attract them to your backyard.
They will happily feed on live or dried mealworms provided in a dedicated feeder. Chickadees are known for their agility and acrobatic feeding behavior, so watching them enjoy their mealworm treat can be quite entertaining.
By providing mealworms to chickadees, you are not only offering them a nutritious food source but also adding variety and excitement to your bird-watching experience.
4) Wrens
Wrens are another type of bird that enjoys eating mealworms. These small, energetic birds are insectivorous and rely on protein-rich insects like mealworms for their diet. Offering mealworms can attract wrens to your backyard, allowing you to observe their playful behavior up close.
You can provide live or dried mealworms in a special feeder designed for birds, ensuring that these tiny creatures have easy access to a nutritious food source. By including mealworms in your feeding routine, you’ll be supporting the well-being of wrens and adding variety to the bird species that visit your yard.
5) Woodpeckers
Woodpeckers are another type of bird that enjoy eating mealworms. These birds have big appetites and mealworms provide them with a good source of protein and nutrition. In addition to mealworms, woodpeckers also like to eat sap, nuts, berries, and fruit.
Feeding live or dried mealworms to woodpeckers can be done using a mealworm feeder designed for birds. Woodpeckers are known for their unique feeding behavior of pecking at trees to find insects, so offering them mealworms is a great way to attract these interesting birds to your backyard.
6) Orioles
Orioles are beautiful and colorful birds that can be attracted to mealworms. These insect-loving birds enjoy the protein-rich treat that mealworms provide. By offering mealworms in your backyard, you may have the opportunity to see these vibrant birds up close.
Orioles have a unique diet that includes a variety of foods such as fruit, nectar, and insects like mealworms. Providing them with an additional food source like mealworms can help support their nutrition needs and attract them to your yard.
So if you want to catch a glimpse of these stunning birds, consider adding some mealworms to your bird feeding routine.
7) Thrushes
Thrushes are one of the bird species that love to eat mealworms. These insectivorous birds enjoy the protein-rich treat and find it quite satisfying. Thrushes, like other backyard birds, can be attracted to your feeder by offering them mealworms.
Providing this nutritious food source can help keep thrushes healthy and well-nourished throughout the year, especially during times when their usual food may be scarce. Mealworms are a great addition to any backyard bird feeding routine if you want to attract these beautiful birds to your garden.
8) Warblers
Warblers are another type of bird that can enjoy mealworms as part of their diet. These small, colorful birds love insects, and mealworms provide them with a tasty protein-rich treat.
Warblers have unique feeding behaviors and can be found foraging in trees or shrubs for insects like caterpillars, beetles, and spiders. Offering mealworms to warblers can attract these beautiful birds to your backyard, providing you with the opportunity to observe their vibrant plumage and lively behavior up close.
So if you want to entice warblers into your yard, adding mealworms to your bird feeder or sprinkling them on the ground may just do the trick!
9) Sparrows
Sparrows are one of the bird species that love eating mealworms. These small, brown birds enjoy a variety of foods, including seeds and insects. Offering mealworms to sparrows can be a great way to attract them to your backyard or garden.
Mealworms provide a good source of protein for sparrows, especially during the winter months when their usual food sources may be scarce. By placing live or dried mealworms in a bird feeder specifically designed for small birds like sparrows, you can easily provide them with this nutritious treat.
10) Finches
Finches are another type of bird that enjoys eating mealworms. These small, colorful birds belong to the family Fringillidae and are known for their cheerful songs and acrobatic flying.
They have a diverse diet that includes seeds, fruits, and insects like mealworms. Offering mealworms to finches can be a great way to attract them to your backyard or garden. Finches will happily pick up these protein-rich snacks from feeders or directly from the ground.
Whether you have goldfinches, house finches, or purple finches in your area, providing mealworms can help diversify their diet and contribute to their overall health.
Other Birds that Love Eating Mealworms
Other notable bird species that love eating mealworms include:
- Creepers
- Flycatchers
- Grosbeaks
- Jays
- Kinglets
- Mockingbirds
- Nuthatches
- Titmice
Benefits of Feeding Mealworms to Birds
Feeding birds mealworms offers numerous benefits, from the high nutritional value they provide to attracting specific bird species to your backyard. Discover why mealworms are a great addition to your bird feeding routine.
Nutritional value
Mealworms have high nutritional value, making them a great food source for birds. They are packed with protein, which is essential for the growth and development of bird species. In addition to protein, mealworms also contain important nutrients like vitamins and minerals that contribute to overall bird health.
These tiny insects provide an excellent energy boost, especially during the winter months when other food sources may be scarce. By offering mealworms to birds, you are providing a nutritious and well-balanced diet that can help them thrive in their natural habitat.
Attracting specific birds
Certain bird species can be attracted to mealworms, making them a great addition to your backyard bird feeding station. Birds like bluebirds, chickadees, robins, and woodpeckers are known to enjoy mealworms as part of their diet.
Offering mealworms can entice these specific birds to visit your feeders or garden. These protein-rich treats provide an extra source of nutrition for the birds, especially during the winter months when other food sources may be scarce.
So if you want to attract these beautiful and interesting bird species to your yard, consider adding some tasty mealworms to their menu.
Easy storage and maintenance
Mealworms are a convenient and low-maintenance option for feeding birds. They can be easily stored in a cool, dry place, such as the refrigerator, to prolong their shelf life. Whether you’re using live mealworms or dried/freeze-dried ones, make sure to check the expiration dates if applicable.
To feed the mealworms to birds, you can use specially designed mealworm feeders that are easy to clean and refill. These feeders protect the worms from moisture and other pests while providing an accessible food source for the birds.
By offering mealworms to your feathered friends, you can attract a variety of bird species without much hassle in terms of storage and maintenance.
How to Feed Mealworms to Birds
There are different ways to feed mealworms to birds, including using live mealworms, dried or freeze-dried options, and specific mealworm feeder designs.
1. Live mealworms
Birds are attracted to live mealworms, which are actually the larvae of the darkling beetle or tenebrio beetle. They can be provided to birds either through bird feeders or by placing them on the ground.
Birds like bluebirds and chickadees particularly enjoy mealworms as a food source. Offering live mealworms to birds can attract unique species that may not typically visit bird feeders because they don’t eat typical feeder foods like sunflower seeds.
It also provides them with a valuable source of protein and nutrition, especially during winter when other food sources may be scarce.
2. Dried or freeze-dried mealworms
Dried or freeze-dried mealworms are another option for feeding birds. These types of mealworms have the advantage of being easy to store and maintain, making them convenient for bird enthusiasts.
Birds can still enjoy the protein-rich benefits of mealworms without the mess or hassle of live ones. Dried or freeze-dried mealworms can be offered to birds using a specialized feeder designed for this purpose.
This way, you can attract different bird species that may not typically visit your feeders. It’s a simple way to provide nutritious food for your feathered friends all year round, especially during times when other food sources may be scarce.
3. Mealworm feeder options
There are different options for feeding mealworms to birds. One option is using a mealworm feeder specifically designed for birds. These feeders typically have small compartments or trays where you can place the mealworms.
Another option is scattering the mealworms on the ground, which allows ground-feeding birds to easily access them. You can also attach a suet cage or mesh bag filled with mealworms to a tree branch or bird feeder pole.
This provides an easy way for birds to enjoy their favorite snacks. Whichever option you choose, make sure to place the feeder in an open and visible area so that birds can find it easily.
How Many Mealworms to Feed Birds
The number of mealworms needed to feed birds vary by bird species and season. During nesting season, birds may need more mealworms to feed their chicks.
A good general rule is to offer around 100 total mealworms per day, with about 5 worms per individual bird at each feeding time. Adjust quantities based on the type of feeder used and season, always remembering that mealworms should be a supplemental treat and not an exclusive food source.
4 Useful Tips for Feeding Mealworms to Birds
- Offer mealworms in a variety of places, such as on a platform feeder, in a shallow dish, or on the ground.
- Keep mealworms fresh and clean. If you are feeding live mealworms, store them in a cool, dark place. If you are feeding dried mealworms, store them in a tightly sealed container.
- Avoid feeding mealworms to birds in hot weather, as they can spoil quickly.
- Clean up any uneaten mealworms regularly to prevent pests.
FAQs
What are some bird species that eat mealworms?
Birds such as Eastern bluebirds, indigo buntings, gray-headed catbirds, downy woodpeckers, nuthatches and kinglets enjoy eating protein-rich insects like mealworms.
How can I attract birds with mealworms?
You can attract birds to your yard by offering them a source of mealworms. This way you feed the winter bird species while also learning more about their feeding habits and preferences.
Are mealworms healthy food for birds?
Yes! Mealworms are high in protein making them a nutritious food choice for many bird species including titmice and other regular garden visitors.
Can I cultivate my own mealworms for bird feeding?
Absolutely! Cultivating your own supply of Proteinrich insects or “meal worms” is one way to ensure availability when your feathered friends visit.
Why do some birds prefer mealworms over other foods?
Mealworm-lover Birds favor these because they provide needed proteins – very vital in colder months.