Should I put out jelly for birds?

By offering many types of foods at their feeders, backyard bird enthusiasts can encourage different bird visitors to stop by (for a general reference about feeding birds, click here). For birds like orioles and tanagers, putting out fruit halves or jelly is popular during spring migration. But is it safe? As temperatures get hotter, jellies can liquify, which can be dangerous or deadly for hummingbirds if it gets caught in their feathers, according to a recent message from the Raptor Education Group, Inc.

Staff at the Dane County Humane Society Wildlife Center shared that rehabilitators do admit sticky birds frequently, and cleaning them off can be really challenging (and not at all fun for the birds). Here are some of their suggestions for offering food during the summer:

Cedar Waxwings eat serviceberries, a great natural source of food for frugivores (photo via Pixabay).

  1. Don’t put out too much food for birds. They have natural sources of food to access at this time of year! Just give enough to supplement.

  2. For frugivores (fruit-eaters), keep it simple: whole fruits are better than jellies. Birds that eat fruit will be inclined to eat fruit—they don’t make jelly for themselves. If you do decide to offer jelly, only use those made without artificial ingredients or sugar substitutes.

  3. If offering jellies, volume and presentation are key. The more you give and the wider the space presented (i.e. a dish or holder) equals the more contact a bird might have with the sticky substance.

Remember, birds prefer natural food sources, especially when they are abundant. Feeders can supplement diets during migration or leaner seasons when wild foods are harder to come by.

If you find a bird at your feeder that is struggling, be sure to contact a wildlife rehabber:

 

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Cover: A Baltimore Oriole perches on an orange half on a wooden platform (photo via Pixabay).