Can Birds Eat Grapes?

As you look at your overflowing fruit bowl, you might be wondering whether birds can eat grapes. After all, you’d much rather give your oversupply of fresh fruit to the birds rather than throwing it in the compost.

To answer your question, birds can certainly eat grapes. In fact, most birds will love these delicious morsels because they’re high in fructose and, therefore, nice and sweet. Grapes also contain a multitude of vitamins and minerals and are considered to be high in anti-oxidants as well.

However, as with all individual food items, you need to limit the quantity that you feed to the birds and offer them lots of other foods as part of a well-balanced diet.

Do You Need To Prepare The Grapes That You Give To The Birds?

If you’re going to be placing the grapes out on a feeding table, it is a good idea to cut them in half. This makes it easier for the birds to eat them. This is especially the case if you have a variety of small birds that visit your backyard feeders.

Even the skin and the seeds inside the grapes can be eaten by birds. In fact, these parts of the grape offer the birds a good source of fiber.

Of course, it goes without saying, that you should wash the grapes first before you give them to the birds. This will eliminate any possible pesticide residues that may still be present on the skin.

What Vitamins And Minerals Do Grapes Contain?

One of the most important vitamins that is contained in grapes is Vitamin C. In fact, birds benefit from additional Vitamin C just as much as we humans do. Especially during the colder months.

Another important vitamin contained in grapes is Vitamin K. This is especially good for birds because it helps to keep their blood and bones healthy. Vitamin K is also good at breeding time because it assists in regulating calcium levels in birds. This is important for good eggshell density.

Are Some Grape Varieties Better Than Others?

It doesn’t matter what variety of grapes you have in your fruit bowl as all of them are perfectly suitable to feed to the birds. Just bear in mind, that these delicious little morsels do contain a lot of natural sugar. Therefore, they should only be put out for the birds in small quantities as part of an overall balanced diet.

Giving birds too many foods that are high in sugar can lead to obesity, even in birds. This is because the birds will simply love the sweet taste of the grapes and will keep coming back for more.

Can birds eat grape stems?

It might surprise you to learn that birds absolutely adore grape stems. Especially pet birds like parrots. In fact, giving your pet birds some grape stems will keep them occupied for quite some time as they generally love to shred the stems until only fibers remain.

So, if you have pet birds, try putting some grape stems in their cages and watch them having a great time with them.

What Types Of Birds Enjoy Grapes The Most?

You’ll find that many different types of birds that visit your backyard will enjoy eating grapes. These include:

• Bluebirds
• Mockingbirds
• Catbirds
• Tanagers
• Grosbeaks
• Waxwings
• Robins
• Towhees
• Woodpeckers
• Northern cardinals
• Northern flickers
• Baltimore oriole
• Veery
• Red-eyed vireo

So, if you want to attract these types of birds to your garden, be sure to put out some grapes for them to feast on as well as other fruits and berries that they might enjoy.

What About Grape Jelly?

Much the same way that birds enjoy eating grapes, they absolutely love devouring grape jelly. But take care to only put this out in small quantities because it does contain a high degree of sugar.

It’s recommended that you only put out a spoonful of grape jelly in a shallow dish. This is ideal in wintertime as it gives the birds plenty of energy. Birds that are particularly fond of grape jelly include tanagers, woodpeckers and orioles.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many grapes can a bird eat?

If you plan to feed grapes to a pet bird, feeding them in moderation is best. It’s recommended that you only feed one or two grapes to your bird once or twice a week. Depending in the size of your bird, it’s a good idea to cut large grapes into smaller bite-size pieces.

Can birds eat seedless grapes?

Whether you feed seedless grapes or grapes that contain seeds, makes no difference. Birds can consume both seeded and seedless grapes with ease.

Can birds eat grape skin?

Absolutely! In fact, the skin of the grape contains both nutrients and fiber which is very beneficial to birds.

Are green grapes safe for birds?

Any color of grape is perfectly safe for birds to eat. This includes green grapes, red grapes, purple grapes and even black grapes.

Can you feed grapes to your pet budgerigar?

Pet budgies will love to munch on a grape or two but limit giving them only one or two grapes around once a week.

Final Thoughts

Isn’t it good to know that birds can eat grapes? This is especially handy to know when you have an overflowing fruit bowl and would love to feed some of those excess grapes to your backyard bird visitors. In fact, even pet birds can have the occasional grape as a special treat.

Grapes contain many important vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants that are beneficial to birds. They’re also quite high in natural sugars. This is handy to know in winter when the birds are in need of more high-energy foods.

Just be aware that you should wash the grapes well and perhaps, cut them in half or smaller bit-size pieces to make it easier for the birds to eat them. So, go ahead and put a handful of grapes out onto your feeding table and watch all those happy birds having a feast.