What Types of Birds Eat Peanuts From Feeders?

Welcome a new flock of birds that eat peanuts! You’ll be impressed with the species you’ll attract by offering peanuts at your feeders.

Why You Should Offer Peanuts to Birds

Peanuts are a secret weapon for bird enthusiasts. These fat- and protein-packed treats are incredibly easy for backyard birdwatchers to serve, and they’ll delight your feathered friends. While they can be an expensive item to offer regularly, they’ll attract a diverse range of new birds. According to birding expert Kimberly Kaufman, if you’re concerned about the cost, consider mixing out-of-shell peanuts with black oil sunflower seeds. Both can be fed from the same feeder.

In the harsh winter months, peanuts are a lifesaver, but their popularity extends beyond the cold season. Simply put out the peanut feeders, and witness the delightful bird circus unfold!

Don’t get discouraged if you don’t attract peanut eaters right away. Remind yourself that it’s worth the wait. Just look at the variety of birds that eat peanuts you can add to your backyard:

Birds That Eat Peanuts

JAYS:

Blue Jay

Jays appear to have an acute sense of smell, detecting peanuts within a 5-mile radius. While they may not be present in your yard for months or even years, as soon as you offer peanuts in their shell, they can appear within days or even hours! If you’ve ever attempted to grab a large handful of potato chips, you’ll find it amusing to watch jays attempting the same with peanuts. Discarding those that don’t fit, they stuff as many as possible into their throat pouch and bill. All blue-colored jay species are avid peanut eaters and cachers, stashing their treasures under tree bark, in crevices, or beside rocks to retrieve later.

WOODPECKERS:

Downy Woodpecker

Every woodpecker, from the adorable downy to the giant pileated, eagerly snatches peanuts to eat on the spot or store for a later day. Whole, chopped or shelled—when it comes to these snacks, they are not picky.

Small Songbirds:

Tufted Titmouse

Chickadees, titmice and nuthatches may be small, but they’re among the biggest peanut fans, employing assorted techniques for claiming their prizes. Songbirds are known to hammer the shell, holding it down with their feet. They carry off shelled nuts to stash or eat elsewhere, and they also eagerly devour chopped ones. All of these little gray birds usually take their treats to go, but you can bet they come back again and again. All five North American titmice—tufted, black-crested, juniper, bridled and oak—stop by feeders for a peanut snack.

Northern Cardinals:

Female Cardinal

Serve these beauties peanuts out of the shell as whole or half nuts, or chopped to attract cardinals. The pyrrhuloxia, the “desert cardinal” of the Southwest, loves this food just as much as its bright red relative.

Native Sparrows, Juncos, Towhees and Doves:

House Sparrow

Keep an eye on the ground beneath peanut feeders, where white-throated, white-crowned, golden-crowned, song and other native sparrows, plus juncos, towhees and doves, often gather to eagerly peck up bits that other birds have dropped.

Surprise Guests:

White-Breasted Nuthatch

When you serve peanuts, expect the unexpected! Bluebirds, robins, crossbills and other not-so-common feeder birds might visit peanut feeders. “Catbirds, orioles and tanagers happily consume the broken-off pieces from birds pecking the larger nuts,” Scott says. So will thrashers, robins mockingbirds, bluebirds and birds that usually eat insects, fruit and other soft foods.

Shell or No Shell?

At the end of the day, it doesn’t really matter—they’re going to get eaten. Many birds eat peanuts in almost any form. Keep in mind that they do require different types of feeders. So make sure you align your feeder with your feed.

It can be fun to watch birds with those large, in-shell peanuts, taking them off to crack or cache. “Don’t underestimate the attractiveness of peanuts in the shell,” says Scott Edwards, guest editor of the National Bird-Feeding Society. “Blue jays seem to prefer them this way, and woodpeckers, chickadees and titmice will take them on as well.”

Peanuts out of the shell tempt cardinals, mockingbirds and more. Serve them chopped and birds that typically eat soft foods, such as tanagers, wrens, bluebirds and thrashers, come to the peanut feast.

Keep Peanut Feeders Clean

Don’t give birds your leftovers from the ball game. If it’s damp or rainy in your area, clean out those feeders because like other seed, peanuts can get moldy. If you know it’s going to be rainy, conserve by just putting out a few peanuts at a time.

Battling Squirrels

Eastern Grey Squirrel

Yes, it’s true that squirrels love peanuts just as much as birds.

First of all—good luck

They sure can be persistent! However, there are a few peanut feeders designed to be squirrel-proof. Most are for out-of-shell peanuts. Otherwise, find a good squirrel baffle to keep those furry critters away.