Understanding Wild Bird Nutrition
Wild birds have incredibly fast metabolisms, often requiring up to 30% of their body weight in food each day just to survive. Feeding wild birds is about providing a balance of proteins for feather growth, carbohydrates for energy and high-quality fats for maintaining body temperature.
At Harvest Wildlife Products, we use our vast expertise to create wild bird food that mirrors their natural diet. By using traceable, human-grade beef tallow and carefully cleaned seeds, we ensure that every calorie provided is easily digestible and packed with the essential nutrients needed to sustain life all year round, including through the harshest British winters and the demanding nesting season.
Wild Bird Food Species Preferences
Use the drop-down sections below to find out what your favourite UK garden birds like to eat, and browse our recommendations from popular range: The Little Birdhouse.
Garden Thrushes such as Blackbirds have a sweet tooth and love natural fruits such as berries, apples and pears. You can also attract them with fruit-flavoured suet, such as fat balls, blocks, pellets, coconuts, nuggets and more. They also enjoy mealworms, particularly when feeding their young, and may sample softer components of a mixed bird seed scattered on the ground. Try our bespoke Blackbird Mix from The Little Birdhouse range for the perfect balance of seeds, raisins and suet pellets.
The bright colours and cheerful song of Blue Tits, Great Tits, Long-Tailed Tits, and Coal Tits bring life to any garden. These birds have a varied diet and are particularly fond of high-energy foods. Offer them black sunflower seeds and sunflower hearts for a nutritious meal. They also have a real weakness for peanuts and suet. Try them on the High Energy Mix from The Little Birdhouse, which is packed full of seeds, black sunflower and suet pellets.
Goldfinches, Greenfinches, Siskins, Bullfinches, and Chaffinches are often seen in UK gardens. To attract these vibrant visitors, offer them their absolute favourite: nyjer seeds. These tiny, oil-rich seeds are perfectly suited for their slender beaks. Finches also enjoy sunflower seeds and sunflower hearts, as well as other small seeds like millet, kibbled maize and red dari. Take a look at the bespoke Small Beaks Mix from The Little Birdhouse, and buy them some Nyjer Seed to top up feeders.
Common garden sparrows like House Sparrows and Tree Sparrows are not fussy eaters and will appreciate a good quality mixed bird seed blend. They have a particular fondness for millet, which is often a key ingredient in our mixes. You can also attract them with sunflower hearts, protein-rich mealworms and kibbled peanuts. Try the Wild Bird Seed Mix from The Little Birdhouse for every day feeding.
Robins prefer feeding closer to the ground, with their favourite treat being mealworms which are a fantastic source of protein, especially during nesting season. They may also pick at smaller seeds and sunflower hearts from a mixed bird seed blend scattered on the ground or in a low platform feeder, as well as suet pellets. Try our bespoke Robin & Songbird Mix from The Little Birdhouse range for the perfect balance of seeds and suet pellets.
These often seen birds prefer to feed on or close to the ground. Offer them smaller seeds found in our mixed bird seed blends. They are also attracted to protein-rich mealworms, sunflower hearts and finely kibbled peanuts scattered on the ground or in a low platform feeder. Try protein-rich Peanuts from The Little Birdhouse – available in 400g, 1kg and 12.55kg.
Similar in their feeding habits to the Tit family, Nuthatches are frequent visitors to feeders offering peanuts, sunflower hearts, and sunflower seeds. They particularly enjoy suet pellets and are often seen hanging upside down from feeders. Take a look at the fantastic range of straights from The Little Birdhouse, including Peanuts, Sunflower Hearts and Black Sunflower.
While Blackcaps are happy eating insects in the summer, they have adapted in the colder months to rely more on food from garden feeders. Suet products would be perfect to feed them, as they will help give them the calories and nutrients needed to survive the winter. Anything berry flavoured or insect-rich would be great, such as the Berry Suet Pellets or Insect Suet Pellets from The Little Birdhouse.
The drumming of a woodpecker is a sign of a healthy ecosystem. These fascinating birds are attracted to high-energy foods like peanuts and suet. Consider offering Insect Suet Blocks or Peanuts from The Little Birdhouse range in a woodpecker-friendly feeder.
The striking jay is known for its intelligence and fondness for acorns in the wild. In your garden, they are particularly fond of peanuts. They will also take sunflower seeds and may occasionally visit suet feeders too. Make sure you keep a stock of Peanuts and Black Sunflower from The Little Birdhouse range.
These winter visitors often flock with finches and have similar dietary needs. Offer them small, oil-rich seeds like sunflower hearts and nyjer seeds. They may also eat black sunflower seeds and protein-packed mealworms. The Little Birdhouse offers a range of straights and insect products, including Black Sunflower and Mealworms.
With their unique crossed beaks adapted for extracting seeds from conifer cones, Crossbills are not regular visitors to garden feeders. However, if you have conifer trees in or near your garden, they might occasionally be attracted to sunflower hearts or small seeds in a mixed bird seed blend offered nearby. Try Sunflower Hearts from The Little Birdhouse, which are perfect for attracting a wide array of birds.
Members of the Dove family are larger than most garden birds, and prefer feeding on the ground or a stable platform feeder. They typically eat larger seeds found in mixed bird seed blends, such as wheat, sunflower seeds, sunflower hearts, and millet. You can often find them cleaning up any seed dropped from feeders by smaller birds, so an every day blend like Wild Bird Seed Mix from The Little Birdhouse would suit them just fine.
While sometimes seen in large numbers, starlings are fascinating birds with diverse tastes. They are attracted to a wide variety of foods including mixed bird seed, nutritious mealworms, sunflower seeds, energy-rich peanuts and versatile suet products. The Little Birdhouse stocks it all, from Wild Bird Seed Mix to Mealworms, Daily Fat Balls to Suet Coconuts.
Nestlings and fledglings are young birds, so they can’t eat anything too big or it will be a choking hazard. Smaller seeds like sunflower hearts and nyjer seed are perfect for this. Dried mealworms are also great, but it is worth soaking them in warm water for half an hour before putting them out as this will help with swallowing. Try the Small Beaks Mix or Mealworms & Calciworms from The Little Birdhouse.
Common Questions Answered
What is human-grade beef tallow and what are its benefits for wild birds?
Human-grade beef tallow is included in all our suet products. This premium ingredient provides a concentrated source of energy which is crucial for birds, especially during the colder months. Rich in essential vitamins and easily digestible, human-grade beef tallow ensures birds receive optimal nutrition. Human-grade beef tallow is sourced from British farms, guaranteeing full traceability and the highest quality. The consistent texture prevents smearing on feathers, ensuring birds maintain their ability to fly freely.
What is the cleaning process used in Harvest Wildlife Products bird food manufacturing?
At Harvest Wildlife Products, we employ a unique cleaning process in our bird food manufacturing to ensure the highest quality and nutritional value for your garden birds. This meticulous process goes beyond standard cleaning methods, removing dust, debris, and potential contaminants from the seeds and ingredients. By providing cleaner food, we aim to offer a more palatable and digestible product for wild birds, reducing waste and promoting their overall health and wellbeing. This commitment to thorough cleaning reflects our dedication to providing the very best for the birds that visit your garden.
What types of birds can I attract to my garden with Harvest Wildlife Products bird food?
Attracting a diverse array of birds to your garden can transform it into a vibrant hub of wildlife activity, and Harvest Wildlife Products bird food is specifically formulated to appeal to a wide range of species commonly found in UK gardens. Our carefully selected blends are known to attract a wide variety of birds, including robins, blackbirds, tits, finches, sparrows, woodpeckers, nuthatches, dunnocks and many more.
Correctly Storing Bird Food
Stocking your garden with nutritious wild bird food is a rewarding way to connect with nature and support local wildlife. However, like any food product, storing bird food, seed and other items needs to be done correctly to maintain their quality, prevent spoilage, and avoid attracting unwanted visitors to your garden. At Harvest Wildlife Products, we’re wild bird experts. We’re passionate about helping you provide the best for your feathered friends, and proper storage is a crucial part of that. Let’s dive into the best practices for keeping your bird food fresh and your garden a pest-free haven for birds.
Wild Bird Food Across the Seasons
Spring
Discover how to support wild birds during nesting season.
Summer
Discover how to care for young nestling and fledgling wild birds.
Autumn
Discover how to support birds as the weather starts to turn.
Winter
Discover how to support birds during the coldest UK weather.
Choosing the Perfect Bird Feeder
Transform your garden into a vibrant haven for wild birds! Attracting wild birds not only adds joy and life to your outdoor space, but also provides hours of delightful birdsong. A key element in creating this welcoming environment is choosing the right bird feeder. With so many options available, it can feel overwhelming. But fear not! This guide will help you navigate the world of bird feeders and select the perfect one to entice a delightful array of feathered visitors.
