Many types of nuts are great foods for birds, with a high fat content that provides easy calories and a hard shell that makes them easy to cache for winter food supplies. But how can you provide nuts to birds in your backyard without attracting other pests or problems?

Types of Nuts

While peanuts are one of the most popular nuts to feed backyard birds because they are inexpensive and widely available, birds will also enjoy acorns, walnuts, pecans, macadamia nuts, beech nuts and other varieties.

Avoid flavored or salted nuts, however, as they are less healthy for the birds.

Nuts can be offered as whole nuts, shelled nuts, pieces and bits or even as butters, and birds will like them all the same. Larger birds, such as jays and woodpeckers, appreciate whole nuts that can be easily cached – blue jays and acorn woodpeckers are expert hoarders – while chickadees, titmice, tits and nuthatches can better handle shelled nuts or nut butters. Many birds eat nuts, however, and are likely to take a taste of whatever nuts may be offered.

Nut Feeders

There are several types of specialized nut feeders or different ways backyard birders can add nuts to their bird buffets.

• Tray Feeders: An open tray, dish or platform is the easiest way for offering nuts and allowing all interested birds to enjoy them. Birds will be able to take the nuts quickly, however, which could mean more frequent refills, but backyard birders can easily ration their hungry guests to just a few at a time in a small dish such as the Pole Mount Trio or any similar small feeder.

• Mesh Feeders: A mesh feeder has a screen reservoir that birds can wedge nuts through a piece at a time. Tube shapes are popular, and these feeders are often used for whole sunflower seeds as well. Because of the smaller screen size, however, only nut kernels or pieces can be used with these feeders. Depending on the feeder's size and shape, it may or may not include perches, but many of the birds that would visit can easily cling to the mesh even without a dedicated perch.

• Cage Feeders: A wide, open mesh feeder is useful for larger whole nuts or peanuts in the shell. Some feeder designs feature circular holes designed just for nuts, while others have diamond- or square-shaped mesh with wide openings. A suet feeder can also be used as a cage feeder to offer nuts to birds.

• Spring Feeders: Feeders with a spring-like structure are popular for nuts because they can hold a good quantity but give birds plenty of perching space all along the feeder's surface. Loop or wreath styles are the most popular, but cone, heart or other novelty shapes are also available. The tension and spacing in the feeder's surface varies with each design but is typically best for large, whole nuts.

While using a dedicated nut feeder can be a great way to offer nuts to birds, nuts can easily be just sprinkled on the ground or along a railing or outdoor furniture for the birds to find if a special feeder is not available.

Problems With Feeding Nuts

Nuts are an easy food to offer birds, but they do come with problems that backyard birders should consider.

• Shells: Offering whole peanuts can be easy and economical, but the litter of shells is an unsightly consequence. These shells can be easily composted, however, or offer shelled nuts instead and avoid paying for the debris birds won't eat. If the backyard birds leave a large quantity of peanut shells behind, they can be used as garden mulch as well.

• Growth: Raw peanuts or other nuts may take root and grow in a lawn once they've been cached there by an enterprising bird. The runners and foliage can be troublesome, and while it is possible to grow peanuts in the garden, they require very specific conditions to be productive. Offering roasted, unsalted nuts or shelled nuts will minimize the possibility of growth no matter where the birds store their supply.

• Choking: Nuts are hard bits of food with sharp corners, and they can cause choking or injuries to very young birds. While it is rare that birds will offer peanuts to their hatchlings – most young birds get a high-protein diet of insects – to avoid any risk, it is best to minimize nut offering during the early part of the breeding season or choose nut butters instead.

• Squirrels: Squirrels and other bird feeder pests can't resist nuts or nut butters, but taking steps to make bird feeders squirrel-resistant can help. Offering some nuts, corn and scraps in dedicated squirrel feeders, such as the Hanging Squirrel Jar Feeder, can also distract these critters from nut feeders and they will instead pay attention to their own stash. Offering just a few nuts at a time is another way to ensure the birds get the bulk of the bounty instead of squirrels.

• Stains: Nut butters have a high oil content that can quickly stain and discolor wood surfaces, including feeders or decks. Offer butters in recycled plastic feeders or ceramic dishes, or else use one dedicated feeder where stains aren't a problem, and avoid smearing the butters on a wooden deck or railing.

Nuts are a fantastic food to offer birds, particularly in fall and winter, and there are many ways to add different types of nuts to a backyard buffet to give birds great nutrition and energy.

Photo – Nuthatch on a Peanut Feeder © Thomas Quine