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Yellow Nectar Diets of Birds

Like any other animal, birds have different diets depending on the species. Most people immediately think of birdseed when they think of what birds eat, but there are plenty of birds that eat other things. Bird diets can consist of seeds and grains, nuts and berries or even insects and nectar. Birds in the wild and in captivity have specific diets, and nectar-feeding birds can be found in both.

Nectar
- Nectar is a sweet juice that is secreted from a plant. It is the raw high-carbohydrate material that forms honey. Nectarivores are birds that feed on the nectar of plants and use it for raw energy. Naturally-occurring nectar is a syrup with some nutrients. However, for bird feeders and captive animals, a formula for artificial nectar can be purchased. It can also be made in the home. Because nectar is essentially sugar water, a basic nectar-like substance can be made from one part table sugar and four parts water. This is a common ingredient in hummingbird feeders.
Types of Birds
- The most common example of a nectarivore is the hummingbird. These animals are built to fly and spend most of their lives in the air. Because they hover by flapping their wings so fast, hummingbirds use a tremendous amount of energy. The sweet nectar powers their flight. Other birds in the wild that feed on nectar include some species of sunbirds, orioles, finches and honeyeaters. Popular captive birds that feed on nectar include lories and lorikeets.
Insects
- In addition to nectar diets, birds must supplement their nutrition from other sources. The most common food that nectarivores like hummingbirds feed upon are insects. While many baby birds feed on insects, the larger species will hunt them for the protein and other nutrients that are not found in their energy-rich nectar diets. This is why there is no reason to supplement sugar water or nectar formula with nutrients in a backyard hummingbird feeder.
Other Bird Food
- Aside from nectarivores, birds can eat a variety of diets. Florivores eat plants, including seeds, fruits, nuts, bark, roots and berries. Granivores eat seeds and other grains. Frugivores feed on fruits and flowers as well as some berries and seeds. Omnivores eat a variety of these foods, mostly seeds, fruits as well as insects and other invertebrates. Another essential element to a bird's diet is grit, which are stones and other hard substances that cannot be digested. Grit is used in a bird's gizzard to grind their food.

Animals & Science