Yes, most birds, including garden birds, can eat carrots.
Even better, if you have a pet parrot, budgie, cockatiel, finch, or lovebird, you can feed them carrots, too.
Did you know? Many birds (including finches) find the bright colors of carrots appealing.
With that in mind, let’s take a closer look at this excellent root vegetable. We’ll also learn the following:
- Are carrots safe for birds?
- Do birds like carrots?
- The benefits of carrots for birds.
- How to prepare carrots for birds?
- What to avoid when feeding birds carrots?
We’ll also look at the species of birds that enjoy carrots the most.
Are Carrots Safe for Birds?
Yes, carrots are safe for birds, and most backyard birds (including those that fall into the frugivore category) can safely eat them and other vegetables.
Let’s take a look at which birds like carrots in particular. We’ve already mentioned pet birds above, so we’ll focus on backyard birds in this table.
Backyard Birds That Enjoy Carrots | Where and How to Spot Them | What Else They Eat |
European starling
| You can find European starlings in Asia, Africa, Europe, America, and Puerto Rico. They stand at around 19 cm, and you can recognize them by the beautiful iridescent color of their features. |
Note: Starlings find raw carrots quite tough, so if you’re growing veggies, don’t worry about them digging up the carrots in your backyard. |
Blue Jays
| You can spot Blue Jays throughout the Eastern and Central parts of the United States. You can recognize them from their bright blue colors and round tail. |
|
Rock Dove
| This is your everyday pigeon, also known as a common pigeon. You can spot them everywhere, but they particularly like rocky cliffs. The best way to recognize them is from the black bars on their wings and the blue/purple streaks on their head. |
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| Crows can be seen in most places, including the lower 48 states of the US. You can recognize them from their deep black colors, broad wings, and straight beaks. |
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Bonus: Toucans
Toucans don’t quite make the above table because they’re tropical birds and not backyard birds — but they love carrots too.
Toucans are instantly recognizable from their large orange bills and bright colors. If you want to see one, you’ll need to travel to your local zoo or visit the Caribbean — Costa Rica is a common place to spot toucans.
Do Birds Like Carrots?
Yes, birds like carrots, and there are multiple ways to prepare them.
For example, peel and cook the carrots first or throw them outside raw (this might lead to more significant health benefits for the bird). You can also buy shredded carrots if you’re feeding a small bird, like a finch.
Finally, you can mash the carrots until they’re nice and soft.
Whatever you decide, ensure there’s no salt on the carrot, as backyard birds struggle to process it.
Here’s a fun tip: Birds will eat leftover crumbs from fruitcakes, including carrot cake. Just make sure there’s no chocolate on the cake crumbs before you prepare them, as that can be toxic to birds.
Benefits of Carrots for Birds?
There are many health benefits to feeding birds carrots. Here are a few:
- Supports bird’s eye health. Carrots contain a carotenoid called beta-carotene. In humans, this carotenoid is converted into vitamin A and plays a huge role in eye health. The same applies to birds.
- Contains vitamin C. Birds don’t usually need vitamin C (they can synthesize it themselves), but if a bird is suffering from liver disease, having a diet containing vitamin C is important.
- Contains antioxidants. This prevents birds from getting free radicals in their system. Free radicals can cause several problems and cause a bird to age faster.
- Lowers cholesterol. Birds can suffer from fatty liver disease. Therefore, feeding them foods that lowers or maintains their cholesterol is important.
These are just a few of the key benefits of feeding birds carrots. However, like any fruit or vegetable, there are tons more advantages to it that support a bird’s health — so you should definitely do it.
With that in mind, let’s look at how to prepare carrots for birds
How to Prepare Carrots for Birds?
As mentioned above, there are multiple ways to prepare carrots for birds, from peeling, cooking, and tossing them outside to shredding them.
If you’re preparing carrots for your pet birds (including parrots), you can shred them and put them in a metallic bowl. You can also cut small chunks of carrot (depending on the bird’s size) and hand-feed it to your bird.
If you’re feeding backyard birds, just put the chopped carrots in the bird feeder, but ensure they’re small enough for the bird to get them out of the feeder.
Bonus: You can make your bird Chop Mix. This is a processed mix of vegetables, such as carrots, pumpkin, parsley, broccoli, corn, and oats.
What to Avoid with Feeding Birds Carrots?
Honestly, there isn’t much that you should avoid when feeding birds carrots. The biggest consideration is to ensure that the chunks you’re giving the bird are the right size for them to eat. For example, don’t try to feed a finch a huge piece of carrot.
Also, ensure there’s nothing on the carrots that’s difficult for the bird to digest (such as salt).
And, of course, don’t overfeed the bird. Only give it carrots once a day.
Attract More Birds to Your Garden Now
Now that you’ve prepared your carrots, you’re ready to get more birds in your garden.
Check out our beginner’s guide on bird watching and visit our blog for the latest hints and tips.
James has always been an avid outdoorsman. Since a kid, he kept a journal of all the different birds and species he saw. Now he wants to share his passion with other birders with Happy Birding!
