North American Robins (birds) and seeds?

[noodles123]

I put out some wild bird seed and these robins are eating it...I am concerned because they do not appear to be eating bugs, but the actual seeds....I don't think they can digest them with the shells though?



I tried putting out chopped up apple, banana and some other stuff but they are literally eating the seeds that the doves/starlings/cardinals are eating...


I also put out a dish of unfrozen water, as it's in the teens here...The robins are drinking a lot of that too.


Do I need to worry?

 

[Laurasea]

no. If you can buy dried meal worms or the no melt crumble suet I'd off that too. When things are tough, everyone eats those sunflower seeds.

 

[noodles123]

no. If you can buy dried meal worms or the no melt crumble suet I'd off that too. When things are tough, everyone eats those sunflower seeds.

okay, good..because one looks huge and I don't want him to get all blocked up...I dk how they eat them with the shells when their beaks aren't designed to break them open, and their bodies can't digest the hulls.



I bought some meal worms this morning online but they won't be here until the 9th --also got a seed/fruit mix (in hopes that they would eat the fruit).


I have suet, but no hanging metal box to put it in. Any suggestions on using it without that cage-like feeder that it normally sits in?



They (robins) are territorial little things though lol! I watched this one chase off grackles, doves, juncos, etc.

 

[Laurasea]

I'm not knowing about robins but I think they can grind up in gizzard??? The doves i have swallow whole and don't crack them...

 

[noodles123]

I'm not knowing about robins but I think they can grind up in gizzard??? The dives i have swallow whole and don't crack them...

From what I understand, doves can do that, but robins are more like insectivore/fruit-eaters etc. They only eat seeds when desperate, but I'm worried they wont be able to digest them in the quantity they are eating

 

[Laurasea]

offer peanut butter,
Yiu can hang suet in a basket, or a strainer, or mush some in a crook of the tree

I have a platform feeder, fir the insect eaters.
Its just a tray on a pole.
You could wrap coat hanger around a shallow dish and make your own...

My insect eaters like thst peanut no melt crumble, shaped like suet block and sold right next to them .they like way better than the greasy suet blocks.n

 

[noodles123]

I just chased a cat out of my yard (same dang cat that may have killed my super sweet bunny)...And now, there is a hawk or a baby owl (can't tell...) I ALMOST threw a tangerine in its direction to scare it off (assuming its a hawk), but then I felt bad because they do have to eat too, but I feel like they have a steady supply of weak animals to prey on in the winter...I left it alone (after standing under the tree and blinding myself in the winter sun), but I have a feeling both it and the cat were drawn here by the many birds gorging themselves.



I have a dove flock of like 30 and this is the first time in a long time that I have supplemented their natural foods. I dk why my house is popular lol!

 

[Laurasea]

Sadly Robins are in decline....
Platform nest shelf might help
https://nestwatch.org/learn/all-about-birdhouses/birds/american-robin/

 

[Laurasea]

Everything i read is the robins probably are desperate, if the are eating seeds..
Glad you are trying to help

 

[noodles123]

I crumbled up some suet and threw it around (including on my garage roof-detached). I feel so bad for them because birds in general seem desperate in these temps!



Water is huge--non-frozen...The robins went up to the dish within 1 minute of me leaving (and it's not a familiar dish or anything)

 

[Laurasea]

This site says, bread
Bird Watcher's General Store.

Since you are taking birds im slipping this in
[ame="https://youtu.be/LjQtRr4CKcc"]OFFICIAL TRAILER THE MESSENGER DOCUMENTARY - YouTube[/ame]