8 Kitchen Leftovers to Feed Your Garden Birds
Feeding wild birds doesn’t have to be fancy or expensive. Sometimes, the best treats are already hiding in your pantry.
Here are eight simple, budget-friendly scraps that your local birds will love, and a few quick tips to keep them safe while you share.
Silvereye love banana skins.
1. Banana skins
Banana skins are a favourite of the Silvereye (tauhou), especially when they’re soft and spotty, although most of your garden birds will happily snack on these.
Just hang a peel over a branch or spike it on a Kohab Fruit Feeder for the birds to enjoy.
2. Plain mashed potato or kūmara
If you’ve got leftover mash without salt, butter or seasoning, the garden birds you kohabit with will happily dig in. Let it cool completely first, and offer it on a raised dish or feeder.
The Kohab Bird Feeder is perfect for this, as it has a feeding platform. And if you add a bowl, it makes clean up simple.
But remember, no salt or seasoning!
3. Bruised or spoiled fruit
Your garden birds will love any fruit that may be a bit past its best. Soft apples, pears, old grapes, even melon rinds. Birds like Tui, Silvereyes, Starlings, and Blackbirds will gladly tuck into these and they are full of vitamins and natural sugars for a good energy boost.
Simply skewer chunks on a Kohab fruit feeder, a Kohab Branch or pop them in a shallow dish on a Kohab Bird Feeder.
4. Pantry Nuts & Unsalted Peanuts
The Kohab Bird Feeder.
Do you have old nuts in the back of the cupboard? The birds will love them. Crush or chop them up and pop them out for your garden birds to enjoy. Nuts are high-energy and rich in fats, so they will give the birds a great nutritional boost.
Pop them out on a Kohab Bird Feeder. Using a bowl makes cleaning your feeder quick and easy.
But remember, only use natural nuts, nothing with salt or seasonings.
5. Crushed Eggshells
Eggshells are packed with calcium, which is great support for your garden birds’ bone strength. They are especially useful for female birds during nesting seasons, when they require extra calcium for healthy eggs with good, strong shells.
Always rinse and bake the shells for 10-15 minutes at 180°C (this kills any bacteria), then crush them finely.
They are perfect scattered in your bird feeders.
6. Cooked Rice
I often have a little leftover rice when I cook. If you do too, let it cool, and as long as it,s unseasoned pop it out for your birds. Rice is a filling carbohydrate and will provide your NZ birds with lots of energy.
Pop it out on a Kohab Bird Feeder. Using a bowl makes cleaning your feeder quick and easy.
7. Hard Cheese
Grated cheddar or parmesan is a great high-energy treat, especially in cooler weather. Keep portions small and only use plain, hard cheeses.
Don’t use blue cheeses; the mould veins can make birds ill. And don’t use cheese spreads, as these can get sticky on the birds' beaks and in their feathers, which is very dangerous for them.
8. Leftover Corn or Peas
Unsalted, cooked (or thawed from frozen) peas and corn are also a great treat for your birds. Crush them up a little to help the birds of all sizes enjoy them. Or hang a sweetcorn cob up once you have cut away the corn - there is always plenty left for the birds to snack on. The vitamins, carbohydrates and natural sugars will give them a great energy boost.
A Few Safety Rules
Always double-check what you are putting out for the birds. Make sure there isn't any salt or seasonings (remember butter can have salt too). Salt is very damaging to birds and call kill them.
Don't leave food scraps out to go mouldy. If they aren't all eaten, clean them away.
And remember to always clean your feeders to ensure your birds stay healthy. We have tips for that here: How to clear your birdfeeder
Repurposing scraps is a brilliant, budget-friendly way to support the birds you kohabit with. But pairing them with the right feeder setup helps. Here’s a few suggested feeders from the Kohab range:
Simply attach it to a tree or fence. Adding a bowl of your choice means you can easily keep the feeder clean and tidy.
Designed and made right here in NZ, this feeder will attract fruit-eating birds to your garden. Simply hang it up, add some fruit and wait and see who visits.
The Kohab Branch Bird Feeder is a great way to feed the birds you kohabit with if you are limited on space or short on trees. Designed to securely attach to a wall or fence, it offers multiple feeding options to attract and nourish NZ birds.
Looking for a gift or starter set? Try one of our kits they come with everything you need to start supporting your local birds.
If you have any top tips on how to feed the birds without breaking the bank we’d love to hear from you. Send us an email at info@kohab.nz or message us on Instagram or Facebook.
