Bird Diets

Hey Bird Nerds!

Today I am posting my VERY FIRST big monthly blog post! Yay!

The subject this month is BIRD DIETS!

Know your bird, know your food!

QBN

There are three main types of feeders when it comes to birds; Insectivores, Nectivores and Granivores. There’s actually more, but I’m not talking about water birds or raptors at the moment.

A magpie is an insectivore. So are some little birds like wrens and swallows and, of course, the kookaburra. They eat flying insects, worms, ants, grubs, mites and other small insects. When in captivity or rehabilitating, they may need a top up of mince to get their protein.

A lorikeet is a nectivore. So is a honeyeater. They eat nectar, and some fruits. Be careful to introduce fruits they are likely to find in their environment. We discovered our rosella loved watermelon but I’m not sure where he will find them in the future!

A Rosella is a granivore. So are cockatoos. And, most types of parrots. They like seeds, and flowers and fruit (note comment above).

Today, I have included a link to the Fauna Rescue SA website so you can check out some simple recipes for your birds. Click on the heading “Birds” and check it out.

At the moment, we have a granivore (Elliott the Rosella) in our aviary and I took a photo of his food. You also may have seen what we fed my lorikeet, Bingo, as the nectar got a little sticky around his beak (Flying Diaries).

Your bird should always have access to clean water, but make sure they cannot drown in it.

You may have to encourage your bird to feed at first, but soon it should get the hang of it. If it’s a young bird, or injured, sometimes a teat pipette comes in handy.

Try to make your cage as natural as possible. Put in flowers and dirt and lots of perches for the bird to practice flying. If the bird is a nectivore, it will enjoy feeding on flowers and fresh fruit, and if it is an insectivore it will enjoy poking around in the dirt to find worms. This way, they will not lose their natural instincts to forage for food.

Queen Bird Nerd