What Are Insectivorous Birds?
Insectivorous birds feed mainly on insects and other small invertebrates such as spiders. Some eat almost nothing else, while others eat insects seasonally. Even birds known as seed eaters usually feed insects to their nestlings, since young birds need protein to grow. That is why it is hard to draw a hard line, and why lists like this one are best treated as a guide. To compare, see our article on seed-eating birds.
Insectivorous Birds by Feeding Style
Grouping by hunting method is more useful than a flat alphabetical list, since it also tells you where to look for each bird.
Aerial Insectivores (Catch Insects in Flight)
- Barn Swallow and Tree Swallow
- Purple Martin
- Chimney Swift
- Common Nighthawk
- Eastern Phoebe, Eastern Kingbird, and other flycatchers, which often sit on a perch and dart out to snatch insects
Foliage Gleaners
- Warblers, such as Yellow Warbler and Yellow-rumped Warbler
- Vireos
- Kinglets
- Chickadees and titmice, which also eat seeds
- Wrens, such as House Wren and Carolina Wren
Bark Foragers
- Woodpeckers, including Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers
- Nuthatches
- Brown Creeper
Ground Foragers
- American Robin, which eats earthworms, insects, and fruit
- Eastern Bluebird
- Northern Flicker, a woodpecker that often feeds on ants on the ground
- Thrashers and some sparrows during the breeding season
Other Insect Eaters
- Bushtits, gnatcatchers, and tanagers, some of which also eat fruit
- Orioles, which eat insects and also fruit and nectar
- Hummingbirds, which drink nectar but also catch small insects
Which Species Are Common in Backyards?
For many readers in North America, the most familiar insect eaters are robins, bluebirds, wrens, chickadees, nuthatches, woodpeckers, and swallows. Your own list depends on where you live. Local field guides or apps and your state or provincial birding groups can narrow it down. Many insect eaters migrate in fall because insects become scarce, so a species that is common in summer may not stay through winter.
How to Help Insect-Eating Birds
Most insectivores do not visit seed feeders, but you can still support them.
- Offer mealworms or suet. Bluebirds, wrens, woodpeckers, nuthatches, and chickadees may take live or dried mealworms and suet. Use fresh food and clean feeders.
- Plant native plants. Native trees and shrubs usually host more insects than many non-native ornamentals, which gives birds more to eat.
- Reduce pesticides. Spraying lawns and gardens removes the food birds rely on and can harm them directly.
- Leave some leaf litter and dead wood where practical, since insects and spiders shelter there.
- Provide water. A shallow, clean bird bath attracts many insect eaters that will not come for seed.
- Provide nest sites. Some species, such as bluebirds, chickadees, and wrens, use nest boxes.
Fruit can also draw insect eaters that enjoy a sweet snack, such as robins, catbirds, and orioles. See feeding apples to birds for how to offer it. For woodpeckers and jays, nuts such as walnuts are another option.
Common Questions
What are some examples of insectivorous species? Barn Swallows, Eastern Phoebes, Yellow Warblers, House Wrens, and Downy Woodpeckers are all typical examples.
Do insect eaters only eat insects? Often not. Many also eat spiders, caterpillars, worms, fruit, or seeds depending on the season.