Can birds eat raisins? by BirdFeederist

Yes, birds can eat raisins. Even many birds love this delicious treat, such as bluebirds, grosbeaks, and waxwings. This special dried fruit offers many health benefits to birds. But make sure to feed the raisin to birds in moderation as they can get sick and obese by overeating raisins. Raisins can increase their blood sugar level. Also, soak raisins in water before offering them to birds.

This article will clear all the doubts and queries about feeding the raisin to both pet and wild birds.

Raisin is one of the most found foods in every kitchen. So, instead of keeping it, you can feed them to any birds. Many birds love to eat raisins. They eat the raisin in the same way as they eat other dried fruits e.g. currants and sultanas. Let’s know more about feeding raisins to birds.

Do birds enjoy eating raisins? 

if you own a pet bird or generally you want to feed wild birds. You must have to learn about their food preferences. Many birds such as parakeets, budgies, chickens, and ducks live around humans and eat many human foods. But you can’t simply offer anything you are eating to these birds. You have to learn everything about their feeding habits and preferences before offering any usual food items. When we talk about the raisin, birds enjoy eating the raisins. So, if you are planning to put raisins in your bird feeder, you can go ahead as it can attract many wild birds, including the mockingbirds, orioles, and grosbeaks.

What are the benefits of raisins for birds? 

Raisins are packed with many nutritional benefits for birds. This dried version of the grapes contains all the diverse nutrients found in grapes. The smaller quantities of the nutrients in raisins make a major contribution to the good health of the birds due to their tiny sizes. Raisins are a good source of Vitamin B, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Vitamin K, Calcium, and iron.

Do raisins have any choking threat for birds?

It’s a tiny dried fruit that doesn’t contain any pits and seeds. So, you can’t expect any choking hazards for birds. However, this dried fruit can become quite hard if you store it in a container for a long time. It can also have slightly different effects on different birds. Raisins are harmless for larger birds. However, the smaller birds can have little trouble eating raisins such as hummer and wrens. So, you can soak the raisin in water overnight if you notice smaller birds on your feeder. If you don’t have enough time, you can also soak them in warm water for 10 to 15 minutes. The softer raisins are easy for the birds to peck on and swallow.

Is it ok to feed the raisins to nestlings?

No, don’t offer raisins to nestlings. You might be thinking to offer raisin to nestling, but you must have to understand that nestling needs protein-rich foods for their healthy growth and development. At this point, they don’t have strong digestive tracts to digest the sugar-rich foods. Moreover, raisins can also get stuck in the throat of nestlings and can cause choking hazards. So, offering the raisins to nestlings is a bad idea.

What are different ways to serve raisins to birds?

You can offer raisins to birds in many ways. They love to eat soft raisins. So, you can soak the raisin in water for an hour before offering them to your pets or backyard birds. Simply spread the raisins on the floor to see birds in your garden. You can also offer the raisin in a separate feeder by hanging it with a tree or any hanging pole. Usually, the birds get attracted to seeds feeders always offer raisins in a separate bowl.

Can birds eat dried raisins?

They can eat dried raisins but it’s not a good idea. Because it will become hard for them to digest. It’s better to soak raisins in water before offering them to birds.

Can you put raisins in the bird feeder?

Yes, you can put raisins in bird feeders but it’s not a great idea if your goal is to attract local birds to your garden. Birds love to eat seeds and if you are trying to attract hummingbirds, they love nectar. You can give raisins to them but offer them separately in a bowl or in a tray feeder. If you own a pet bird, raisins are a good treat.

Do you have to soak raisins before giving them to birds?

Yes, you should soak raisins before offering them to birds. As we have already discussed raisins are a little hard and soaking them in water makes them softer and eventually helps birds to digest them with ease. Although they can eat raisins even without soaking them in water. But for smaller birds, it’s not a good idea as dried raisins are hard to digest. Soaking raisins in warm water for 10 – 15  minutes is a great idea.

Conclusion 

You can offer the raisins to birds. In fact, many birds love to eat raisins, which have many health benefits for them. But you have to keep in mind a few things. The dried raisins can cause problems for birds, especially for small birds. So, make sure to soak them in water before offering them to birds. This nutrient-dense dried fruit can benefit your feathered friends if offered in moderation. Don’t offer raisins too often as it can have an adverse effect on their health.