Do Birds Eat Apples?
Yes, many do. Apples are a common fruit offering, especially in fall and winter when natural fruit and insects are scarcer. Soft, ripe, or slightly overripe apples are the easiest for birds to peck, and windfall apples from a tree can be left out for the same purpose.
Which Birds Eat Apples?
Birds known to eat fruit are the most likely to visit.
- American Robins
- Cedar Waxwings
- Gray Catbirds and Northern Mockingbirds
- Northern Cardinals
- Thrushes
- European Starlings
- Orioles, in areas and seasons where they visit
- Woodpeckers, including Red-bellied Woodpeckers and Northern Flickers
Exactly who shows up depends on your region and season. Many seed-eating birds ignore apples, so fruit is a nice way to bring in different visitors. For those other birds, see our guide to seed-eating birds and what they prefer.
How to Prepare Apples for Birds
- Wash the fruit to remove surface residue, or choose unsprayed apples.
- Cut into thick halves, wedges, or large slices. Scoring the flesh makes it easier for birds to peck.
- Removing the core and seeds is a cautious choice. Apple seeds contain small amounts of a compound that can release cyanide, and although a bird is unlikely to eat enough to matter, there is little reason to offer them.
- Peels are fine. They are not harmful in themselves, and birds will often eat flesh and peel together.
- Skip apples that are moldy or rotten, and avoid sweetened, dried, or processed apple products with added sugar or preservatives.
Ways to Offer Apples
You can use whatever suits your yard.
- Push half an apple onto a spike or a corn-on-the-cob holder.
- Place halves flat on a platform or tray feeder.
- Use a fruit or fat-ball style holder.
- Hang apple halves or rings with garden wire, a coat hanger, or a screw and string. Use sturdy material and check that nothing can trap a bird’s foot.
- Spear apples on a branch or fence post.
Squirrels, Wasps, and Spoilage
Squirrels will eat apples, so they may take them. Raccoons and other wildlife may as well. Wasps and bees are attracted in warm weather. Fruit also spoils fast, particularly in warm or wet conditions, so offer small amounts and take away anything that is soft, moldy, or sour-smelling after a day or two. Clean the surface you use regularly. Avoid placing feeders where fallen fruit might draw rodents.
What Fruits Should Birds Not Eat?
Stick to fresh, plain fruits such as apples, oranges, grapes, and berries. Avocado is commonly cited as hazardous to birds, so it is best avoided. Dried fruit with sulfur or added sugar, and anything moldy, should also be skipped. If you are unsure about a particular food, check with a wildlife rehabilitator or a trusted source, such as a local Audubon chapter. For other foods people ask about, see feeding birds popcorn and whether wild birds eat walnuts.