What Birds Eat: A Simple Guide to Choosing the Right Bird Food

Choosing the right bird food is one of the best ways to support a wider range of garden birds. Different species have different preferences, and those needs can change throughout the year.

Some favourites are easy to spot. Robins are especially fond of mealworms, goldfinches favour nyjer seed, and blue tits readily visit feeders filled with sunflower hearts. Offering a variety of foods allows birds to choose what suits them best, helping more species feed safely and successfully in your garden.

This guide explains what different birds eat, how their feeding habits change through the seasons, and how to choose the right food to support them.

Garden birds can broadly be grouped by what they eat. Understanding these feeding habits makes it easier to choose foods that attract the birds you’d like to see.

• Seed eaters, such as sparrows and finches, prefer foods like sunflower seeds, mixed seeds and kibbled peanuts.
• Insect Eaters, including robins and wrens, are drawn to foods containing mealworms and other insect-based ingredients, particularly during the breeding season.
• Seed and insect eaters, such as blue tits and great tits, will happily take a mix of both, making them regular visitors to a variety of feeders.

As a general rule, offering a range of foods is the best way to support more species, especially during periods of high energy demand such as spring nesting and winter cold.

The feeders you choose also play an important role. Space, placement and the types of birds you’d like to attract can all influence which feeders work best in your garden.

Always avoid bird food supplied in plastic netting, as this can pose a risk to birds. If food does arrive in nets, remove them completely before placing the food outdoors. Using appropriate feeders and keeping feeding areas clean helps birds feed safely all year round.

To help you decide which foods suit which birds at different times of year, use the guide below to see what garden birds eat and when they need extra support.