5 High-Calorie Foods to Feed Wild Birds Year-Round

Depending on the species, a birds' caloric intake need can be as high as 10 000 calories in a single day - that's equivalent to a human consuming 155 000 calories! Because of their need for high calorie foods, it's important to keep these foods available to them year-round - here are 5 of our favourite high-calorie foods to offer the birds in your backyard.

Red-bellied Woodpecker feeding on WBU products

1. Bark Butter
Bark Butter is a highly nutritious, palatable, and spreadable suet created with the intention of attracting the shy and feeder-weary Brown Creeper. It is made of pure rendered beef suet, peanut butter, corn, and added calcium for an extra boost. This high-calorie food perfect for fueling up migrating species, and those who are putting on some winter weight to stick out the cold weather. Since it's easily spreadable, Bark Butter essentially turns your surroundings in to bird feeders. Grab your tub of Bark Butter & a fork, smear a generous amount on to a tree and crosshatch with fork prongs, and watch as the birds investigate and chow down. Keep a close eye on the Bark Butter patches in your yard, you may see some unique visitors such as Brown Creepers, warbler species, Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, and more.  Bonus: Bark Butter makes a great "first food" for young birds during nesting season!

2. Suet
Many backyard birders believe suet should only be offered in the winter, but it is actually a very important source of food for many returning and nesting species. High-quality, high-protein suet like our SuperSuet & Bark Butter are a great source of nutrition for migrating birds, and many species including Brown Thrashers, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, and warbler species can be found re-fuelling on suet upon their return. For those worried about suet spoiling in the heat of the summer, we carry a variety of No-Melt options to ensure the birds stay healthy and happy. 

Blue Jays feeding on peanuts in the shell

3. Peanuts
Depending on the species, a birds' caloric intake need can be as high as 10 000 calories in a single day - that's equivalent to a human consuming 155 000 calories! One of the best foods to offer birds to help them meet their caloric demands is peanuts. High calorie, high protein, and highly desired. Click here to learn more about peanuts & which birds you can attract with them.

Robin with beak full of live mealworms

4. Mealworms
Mealworms are an attractive food source to offer to your backyard birds because they replicate an omnivorous or insectivorous bird's natural diet (particularly live mealworms). Out in the wild, these birds will peck in to the ground or in the trees to find insects to eat. During Spring migration and nesting season, it is extremely beneficial to offer mealworms to your backyard birds as it will not only help attract new species to your yard, it will also help busy parents who are expending a great amount of energy in search of food to feed to their demanding babies. Click here to learn all about feeding mealworms to your backyard birds. 

American Goldfinches & Purple Finch feeding on Sunflower Chips

5. Sunflower Chips
Hulled Sunflower (Sunflower Chips) is the birds’ favorite food but without the mess of shell debris. Get more birds for your bucks by offering sunflower seeds without their shells. No shells means no mess under your feeders, and easier feeding for the birds. Hulled sunflower seeds have a high oil content and provide birds with an extra kick of energy. Offering hulled sunflower is also cost efficient, because you're not paying for the shells that are not consumed. Our Hulled Sunflower is available in chips that can fit in a variety of feeders. Sunflower chips will attract the widest variety of species including Indigo Buntings, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, Chickadees, Nuthatches, Cardinals, Finches, and so much more.

Happy trails!
- Shayna