What Do Blackbirds Eat? (Complete Guide)

Blackbirds from the true thrush family Tortoise Branch and the New World Blackbird family Wasps – Common Blackbird (Black-billed turtle) from the real thrush family Tortoise Branch. Although the common blackbird is by far the most common and widespread blackbird, about 20 species have “blackbird” in their common name.

Blackbirds are successful, charming birds loved for their rich and beautiful songs, but what do blackbirds eat?

Blackbirds are flexible omnivores that eat primarily berries, grains, and seeds, as well as caterpillars, beetles, worms, snails, flies, spiders, and various other insects. Plant and vegetable matter was the bulk of their diets, accounting for approximately 75% of total food intake. The remainder consists of insects, molluscs and other invertebrates.

In summer, thrushes increase their insect intake to take advantage of a thriving insect life, while in winter they consume more berries, fruits, grains, seeds and other plant matter. Blackbirds foraging for berries from the trees in the bushes are a common sight during the colder months – they’re trying to fatten up for the coming winter!

most blackbirds in the family Wasps Diet similar to family Tortoise Branch And are flexible omnivores that primarily consume plants and plant matter. Thrushes are sometimes called soft-billed or soft-billed birds, which means they choose softer foods without hard shells.

Read on to learn more about the diet of these much-loved melody birds!

Common blackbird eating rowan berries

What do blackbirds eat in winter?

Blackbirds tend to switch from a summer diet with more insects to a winter diet with more plants. Insects are usually not as abundant in winter because they either die or hibernate. As a result, the birds had to eat more plant food to make up for their losses.

Common, red-winged, and yellow-headed blackbirds consumed significantly less insects in winter, but blackbirds with a range farther south in Asia, Africa, and Central and South America ate roughly the same diet year-round.

Berries, seeds, grains, and other foods are also more scarce in winter, which is why many birds spend longer foraging time than in summer.

Eurasian blackbird in the snow

What do blackbirds eat in summer?

A typical blackbird’s spring and summer diet includes more insects and invertebrates. Insect life is more abundant in summer and the blackbirds have increased their intake to take advantage!

Red-winged blackbirds, the most common blackbird in North America, greatly increase their insect intake in the spring. The same was true for the common blackbird, which ate about 50 percent of the insects compared to only 25 percent for the other species.

How do blackbirds find food and hunt?

Blackbirds forage in trees, bushes, and on the ground. Berries are picked year-round from shrubs and trees—and blackbirds likely spend most of their day foraging in the same places.

Insects and invertebrates such as worms and caterpillars are acquired from the ground or low-lying leaves, but occasionally, blackbirds also prey on flying insects on their wings (during flight). Red-winged blackbirds also love to hunt aquatic insects, preying on rushes, water lily leaves, and other aquatic plants.

In fall and winter, it is not uncommon to see multiple blackbirds feeding in the same spot, which is a little crazy. They are eager to put on weight for the coming winter!

A female blackbird with a mouth full of insects and worms

How do blackbirds catch earthworms?

Blackbirds are particularly fond of earthworms and have developed techniques for foraging from grass.

By watching and waiting on the ground or from a nearby perch, the blackbird’s keen eyes can pick up the faintest surface movement before swooping in to grab the worm with its beak and drag it out of the soil.

Blackbirds also have a keen sense of hearing and can detect tiny vibrations as earthworms move under the soil. Both thrushes and thrushes have very good eyesight. If you observe blackbirds closely, you may notice that their eyes are large compared to their bodies.

blackbird foraging in grass

What time of day do blackbirds eat?

Blackbirds generally prefer to feed at dawn and throughout the day, and less often at dusk or at night. In winter, blackbirds eat longer as they aim to maximize their intake of berries and grains, using whatever resources are available.

While blackbirds are not particularly shy, they are very territorial and prefer to forage alone, especially in summer and throughout the breeding season. In fall, winter, and spring, blackbirds become less territorial and more gregarious, often foraging together from the same berry-rich shrubs and fruit trees.

What do little black birds eat?

Little blackbirds are very small, and naked birds need close parental care for about three weeks, which is a considerable amount of time for a bird of their size.

Both parents feed the chicks soft food, which is usually partially regurgitated. For example, both berries and worms are soft enough for baby blackbirds to eat and digest.

Male blackbird feeding fledgling strawberries

What can I feed a blackbird?

Blackbirds are generally classified as softbills, which include most thrushes, such as robins and blackbirds. Many softbill mixes contain a variety of softer foods such as pinhead oatmeal, peanut chips, rolled oats, sunflower hearts, suet, and berries.

Dried fruits such as currants, raisins, and gooseberries are excellent choices for feeding blackbirds and other thrushes. Blackbirds also love mealworms and will eat fat balls in the fall and winter.

Blackbird’s favorite food:

• Berries; raspberries, blackberries, cherries, grapes, etc.
• Dried fruit; apples, raisins, currants and currants.
• Cereals such as oatmeal.
• Sunflower heart.
• Suet, divided into small pieces or granules.
• flaked or crushed nuts
• Mealworms and Waxworms
• dog food
• fat ball

Male and female blackbirds in a garden feeder

What does the blackbird drink?

Blackbirds only drink water and frequent garden birdbaths. Water shortages can occur during summer and winter when dry conditions or ice prevent freshwater supplies from being replenished. Providing fresh water to birds year-round can help support them and will attract more birds to your garden.

How can I attract blackbirds to my garden?

Blackbirds are not particularly shy and will visit gardens that offer a steady supply of bird food and water. They also like to forage on fruit and fruit trees; wild blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, grapes, and cherries all help attract thrushes and various other birds.

Fresh water and bird food provided on the floor, hanging bird feeders, and bird tables will also attract birds. Don’t forget that some birds like to forage from the ground, including blackbirds.

Close up black bird perched on a fence

Are blackbirds fed from bird feeders?

Like most other thrushes, blackbirds prefer to feed from the ground rather than overhead bird feeders. They are also often too large to feed on hanging bird feeders, but will still feed on larger bird tables.

When offering bird food to the birds in your garden, be sure to sprinkle some on the floor to feed ground-feeding birds such as blackbirds and other thrushes.

What Bird Food Do Blackbirds Eat?

Blackbirds have soft bills and therefore prefer softer bird foods, including raisins, sunflower hearts, rolled oats, hemp seeds, mealworms, and oats. They will not eat hard shelled seeds and nuts.

black bird with mealworms in its mouth

Blackbird Diet FAQs

Are blackbirds ground feeders?

Blackbirds do like to forage on the ground, but also forage from shrubs and trees. They are often too large to hang from a bird feeder, but will happily feed on a large bird table, especially an enclosed bird table.

Do blackbirds eat other birds?

Blackbirds are opportunistic feeders, with some species preying on animals including juvenile birds, lizards, amphibians and small mammals such as mice and shrews. However, this is quite rare. Common and red-winged blackbirds are known not to chase other birds as a food source.

What fruits can blackbirds eat?

The fruit is ideal for the blackbird’s softbill. Berries such as blackberries, holly berries, raspberries, grapes, cherries, rose hips, rowan berries, elderberries, and hawthorn berries are often eaten by blackbirds. They will also eat apples, plums, figs, and other wild and garden fruits.

Female blackbird eating ripe Mahonia aquifolium berries

Do blackbirds eat bread?

Bread is soft, perfect for the soft beaks of blackbirds, but it is poorly nutritious and does not provide the nutrients the birds need to thrive and survive. While bread can be fed to birds, it should only be used to supplement seeds, suet, and other healthier foods.

Do blackbirds eat apples?

Blackbirds eat apples grown in the wild, as well as dried or diced apples placed on the ground or on the bird’s table.

Do blackbirds eat slugs?

Blackbirds do eat invertebrates, including slugs and worms. In fact, blackbirds may even help control garden slug populations, including some invasive species, which is great news for gardeners!

Common blackbird eats an apple on the ground

Do blackbirds eat snails?

Blackbirds do eat snails, and they have been observed dropping snails on their shells for easy consumption.

Do blackbirds eat grapes?

Blackbirds are big fans of berries and other small fruits.

Do blackbirds like sunflower seeds?

Blackbirds have soft beaks, which make sunflower seeds difficult to eat unless they are softened by moisture or rain.

Do blackbirds eat raisins?

Raisins, raisins, and raisins are excellent food for blackbirds and other thrushes, and are one of their favorite foods.

blackbird singing on tree

Do blackbirds eat cheese?

Many birds do like cheese and it is a very nutritious food for them, especially in winter. Hard cheeses are great for thrushes, such as thrushes and robins.

Do blackbirds eat oatmeal?

Oatmeal is very nutritious and ideal for thrushes, robins, and other thrushes. You can find oats in the feed mixes of many thrushes, songbirds and cockroaches.

Do blackbirds eat peanuts?

As long as the peanuts are crushed or sliced, yes, you can definitely feed blackbirds with peanuts.