How to make a fruit feeder for birds

Fruit is an attractive and nutritious addition to any bird feeding station. Many birders are surprised at the different bird species that happily sample fruit at feeders. There are several ways you can feed birds fruit in your yard and enjoy a more diverse flock of feathered guests. 

Birds That Eat Fruit

Many different species of birds eat fruit. If the majority of their diet is fruit-based, the birds are considered frugivores, or frugivorous. Other birds adapt their diets seasonally and may eat more fruit in late summer or autumn when fruit is naturally more abundant and easily available. In winter, fruit that is still clinging to trees and bushes can be an easy food source for hardy species that stay in northern regions. The most familiar birds that regularly eat fruit include:

• Catbirds
• Grosbeaks
• Orioles
• Robins
• Tanagers
• Thrashers
• Thrushes
• Waxwings
• Woodpeckers

In addition to these fruit-loving birds, other species such as warblers, kinglets, titmice, sparrows, quail, and towhees will occasionally nibble on fruit, especially when other foods may be scarce or fruit is widely available. In tropical habitats, species such as toucans and parrots may have diets almost entirely comprised of fruit.

See also: The Most Surprising Foods That Some Birds Eat

Sparrow eating cherries from a tree / Shutterstock

What Fruits do Birds Eat?

Any fruits that humans eat are also suitable for birds. Birds will also eat a number of fruits that may be unpalatable or toxic to humans. Berries and small fruits, including blueberries, raspberries, currants, blackberries, mulberries, beautyberries, serviceberries, sumac, holly, juniper, and viburnum are especially popular with many birds. Birds also enjoy other fruits such as oranges, plums, apples, grapes, cherries, crabapples, and prickly pear.

Birds may swallow small fruits whole, and any seeds that are defecated could regrow into new plants for future fruit crops. Larger fruits may be pierced, shredded, or torn for birds to reach the flesh. Some birds will sip the juice from watery fruits such as citrus. Birds may eat fruits before they are fully ripe, and many birds will nibble on fruits long after they’ve become overripe, and even fermented. There are even numerous reports of fruit-loving birds gorging on fermented fruits to the point of intoxication!

See also: 10 Best Foods for Bird Feeding

Feeding Birds Fruit in Your Yard

It is easy to offer both natural and supplemental fruit sources to the birds in your yard. Planting native vines, berry bushes, and fruit trees will ensure an ongoing supply of fruit from year-to-year. Be sure to choose fruit varieties with different ripening seasons to give your birds a lasting food source. Minimize any chemical treatments on the plants, including herbicides, insecticides, and pesticides. If you want some fruit for your own harvests, take steps to protect some bushes or branches from birds’ attention well before the fruit ripens, but leave old and windfall fruits available for birds after the fruit has ripened.

See also: How Birds Help Your Garden

Adding fruit to bird feeding stations can be as simple as adding a few chunks of apple, half an orange, or some raisins to a feeding platform or tray. You can also fill a suet cage with large fruit chunks, or create a decorative string feeder with berries, wedges, and chunks of fruit. Small dried fruits, such as cranberries, raisins, or currants, ought to be soaked or moistened before being offered to birds. Never offer any fruits with candy or chocolate coatings, seasonings, or spices, which do not appeal to birds and could even be toxic or otherwise unhealthy. Fruit rinds with juicy bits still clinging to the skin can even be tossed out for birds to nibble on.

Jelly is another way to feed birds fruit, but it should be done cautiously. While fresh fruit jellies—or simply crushed up fruits—do appeal to birds, jelly brands with a great deal of added sugar, preservatives, and other chemicals are less suitable to birds and should only be offered in limited quantities. Do not offer birds any sugar-free jellies, as they do not have the nutritional composition birds need for adequate energy.

See also: What Do You Feed a Baby Bird?

Orioles are songbirds that are attracted to fruit and jelly.

More Tips for Feeding Birds Fruit

As with any bird feeding, the feeders you use for feeding birds fruit need to be kept clean and fresh. Fruit should be discarded before it is moldy in the feeder. Very rotted windfall fruit should be collected and discarded as well. Be aware that other wildlife may happily visit fruit-filled feeders as well, including raccoons, squirrels, and opossums. If you prefer to minimize their visits, do not overfill feeders—or bring feeders in at night so they cannot be accessed instead. Using baffles can also help deter other wildlife from raiding fruit-filled feeders.

Feeding birds fruit can be a great way to increase the visitor diversity at your feeding stations. Just as the birds enjoy the colorful fruits you offer, you will enjoy the colorful birds that take advantage of your fruity hospitality.

See also: How to Successfully Squirrel-Proof Your Bird Feeders

I’m extremely fascinated by bird watchers. They are willing to spend a lot of time and effort to provide for their beloved avians. One of the most unique ideas birthed by bird watchers is the jelly bird feeder. It’s fresh, simple, and effective. After extensive research and experimentation, I developed my own recipe and process. Here’s how to make a jelly bird feeder in just 6 easy steps!

What is a Jelly Bird Feeder?

A jelly bird feeder is exactly what the name implies. It is a bird feeder that doesn’t feature seeds. It uses jelly to attract and feed birds, especially fruit-loving birds.

Although birds don’t have a refined sense of taste, they can taste sweetness. They mostly use their sense of taste not for pleasure, but to determine which foods are conducive to their good health. Fruit-eating birds are the most loving of sweets. These birds include orioles, gray catbirds, scarlet tanagers, mockingbirds and grosbeaks. A few finches and woodpeckers might also drop by.

Additionally, jelly bird feeders are preferred by migrating birds. In my experience, migrating birds prefer sweet jelly over seeds. This is probably because they need the energy that sweets provide for their long journey.

Using varying bird foods is a good way to attract different kinds of birds. The same principle applies to jelly flavors. But in my experience, of all the jellies, jams, and marmalades I put out for birds, they seem to prefer dark grape jelly.

How to Make a Jelly Bird Feeder

Ingredients

• Jelly packet
• Bits of fruits
• Birdseed
• Water

Tools Needed

1. Prep the Jelly

Prepare the jelly according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Remember, the more natural the jelly is, the better. I make sure that the jelly is as organic as possible so I can provide the best nutrition for the birds.

However, when preparing the jelly, use less water than the manufacturer suggests. I like having the jelly thicker than what the manufacturer intended. This way, the jelly can hold itself together better. This viscosity will come in handy later.

The way I do it is to use a cup of water for each packet of jelly.

2. Add the Bits of Fruits for More Nutrition

Before the jelly sets, I add bits of fruit into the mix. I make sure that the fruits are chopped into pieces small enough to fit into my cookie cutters. I add fruits because I want to provide as much nutrition as possible.

Of all the fruits I added into my jelly bird feeder recipes, grapes seem to be the bird favorite. I get a lot more visitors whenever there’s a grape hidden inside the jelly. Also, birds seem to prefer grape-flavored jelly.

3. Let the Jelly Set for a Couple of Minutes then Add Bird Seed

Once the jelly powder melts in the water, I let the mixture sit for a few minutes. Then, I add birdseed. This is why I want the jelly to be thicker than how the manufacturer intended it. If it’s too runny or wet, the mixture will be too soft and will easily fall apart. A thicker mixture can better hold the entire recipe together.

While I’m adding in the birdseed, I mix the jelly. I make sure I don’t put too much birdseed. I want the jelly to coat the seeds.

4. Scoop Jelly into Cookie Cutters with Strings

This is not entirely necessary, but just to make the experience more fun, I put the jelly recipe into cookie cutters of variant shapes. I just enjoy watching birds eat from differently-shaped jelly bird feed.

I first fill only half of the cookie cutters with the jelly mixture. I add a bit of string then fill the cookie cutter with jelly. This way, the string is right in the center of the jelly mixture. But before I put the string in the jelly, I tie the end inside the jelly into a knot so it won’t slip out. The string will serve as my hanging mechanism.

I press the jelly mixture firmly into the cookie cutters so that they’re compact and not loose.

5. Set Aside Mixture to Dry

I set the mixture aside overnight to let it dry. I make sure to leave in a cool dry place. Leaving it in the sun may just melt it again.

6. Hang for the Birds to Enjoy!

The last step is to hang the jelly bird feeders for the birds to enjoy. I carefully pull the strings and remove the jellies from the cookie cutters. I hang the jelly bird feeders on branches outdoors.

Conclusion

Jelly bird feeders are not very common, but they attract a lot of different birds than common birdseed feeders. Hanging different kinds of bird feeders lets me enjoy watching different varieties of birds. It also allows me to provide nutrition and sustenance to as many birds as possible.

Based on my experience, this is how to make a jelly bird feeder effectively and easily. With my easy 6-step jelly bird feeder recipe, I get to enjoy watching birds while knowing that I’m providing the best nutrition that I can.