Why do birds throw seeds out of the feeder? (2024)

So, why do birds throw seeds out of thefeeder?

Here are the top 3 of the 7 reasons birds throw seed from feeders:

Birds throw seeds they don't like from the feeder, searching for their favorite. Birds throw the inedible outer seed hulls from the feeder, eating the edible kernel.Birds may accidentally knock seed out of the feeder.

Below I identify 7 reasons why birdsmight throw seeds out of your feeder. Once we understand thosereasons, we are in a better position to solve this common feederproblem. Throughout this article I link to other articles that solve some of these problems.

Only one of these reasons is accidental, though. In the other sixcases, birds are throwing seed from the feeder on purpose. Why wouldthey do this? Let's find out.

Birds throw seed hulls from thefeeder

In general, birds do not eat the entire wholeseed.

Birds eat the meat of the seed, thekernel. They discard the seed's fibrous outer covering, the hull. Ifyou examine the seeds under the feeder you may see that it is mostlythe two inedible halves of the hull that have been tossed on theground. This is true even for tiny seeds--they all have an outercovering that must be discarded before they reach the edible kernel.

Doves and quail eat the entire seed. They use their gizzards to grind it all up.

[I have written an article comparing different types of no mess and waste free bird seeds. Most of these have seeds with the hulls removed.]

Finches and sparrows "chew."Their jaws move both up and down and also sideways, in a circle. Thus they areable to use their bill and tongue and split the seeds in half,extract and swallow the kernel, and spit out the hulls. They sit onthe feeder and chew and spit. Okay, it's not really spitting, morejust letting the inedible pieces fall from their mouths. These arethe birds responsible for much of the mess.

Some birds kick seeds out of thefeeder by habit

Towhees, Fox Sparrows, White-crownedSparrows and some other ground-feeding birds habitually kick overleaf litter as they feed, searching under fallen detritus for asnack. They can't help themselves when they get on the feeder.Kicking is how you eat. Off flies perfectly good seed—thrown fromthe feeder!

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology (source)calls this maneuver of the towhee the "double-scratch."They quickly kick and scratch the ground, hopping forward and backwith both feet at once. Then they look to see if they've unearthedany goodies to eat.

Birds throw poor quality seeds fromthe feeder

The components of bird seed areharvested by machine. The plants are cut and the seeds separated fromthe stalk and leaves. By cutting all at once there will be somemature seeds and some not quite ready. Some seeds may not haveanything in them.

Birds weigh and examine and test seedsto see if they have a nice meaty center, before they open them. Ifthere's not food inside, then they are discarded. There's no senseexpending energy on an empty seed. A bird who can't figure out thedifference won't long survive.

Why do birds throw seeds out of the feeder? (3)

Birds ate the sunflower seeds, but not the cracked corn.

Birds throw seeds they don't likefrom the feeder

Wagner's Songbird Supreme bird seed is my favorite for attracting the most kind of birds to my feeder. If it isn't available, a close second is Wagner's Greatest Variety. These are Amazon affiliate links that help support this blog. Thank you.

While you may think you're getting agreat deal on bird seed, the birds may have other ideas.

Many of the cheaper mixed bird seedpackages contain more than half seeds that most birds don't like. Such seed includes red milo, wheat, and cracked corn.

What do you do with food on your plateyou don't like? Yep, into the trash it goes. Birds throw out theseeds from the feeder they don't want in order to get to the seedsthey do want.

What does this mean? It is theequivalent of buying a whole bag of mixed bird seed, bringing it homeand immediately dumping half of it out on the ground! No wonder itcreates a mess!

Birds throw germinating seeds fromthe feeder

Is wet bird seed bad for birds?

Not at first, during or immediatelyfollowing a rainstorm. Wet bird seed may clump together and be hardto eat.

If bird seed gets soaked through it may germinate and start growing.Birds will not eat germinating seeds. Birds will throw such "bad"seed out of the feeder. And it leads to the next problem if notquickly cleaned up.

Birds throw moldy bird seed from thefeeder

If seed sits in the bird feeder andstays wet it will become mushy and dank-smelling. That's mold andbacteria growing.

Can birds eat moldy bird seed? They maytry. And it may end up making them sick or killing them. If theydon't eat it, they may throw it out of the feeder, making quite amess.

More than likely, though, they'llabandon a feeder that has moldy bird seed, especially if it is wet.

For the same reason, birds may not eat old seed left over from last year. Start with fresh seed every fall.

Birds accidentally spill seed fromthe feeder

Sometimes the seed is accidentallyknocked out of a hopper or tray feeder by active birds.

Or when pulling one seed froma tube feeder, another seed or two falls to the ground.

For all these reasons, birds may throwout seed from the feeder, making quite a mess.

So, that begs the question: What do youdo about it?

For that, please read my article:End the mess of feeding wild birds!

I'm an avid ornithologist with a deep passion for avian behavior and ecology. Over the years, I've conducted extensive field research and contributed to various publications on birdwatching and bird behavior. My expertise lies in understanding the intricate nuances of bird feeding habits, which allows me to shed light on the fascinating reasons behind their behaviors.

Now, let's delve into the concepts mentioned in the article about why birds throw seeds out of feeders:

Birds Discarding Seed Hulls:
- Birds, in general, don't consume the entire seed but focus on the edible kernel, discarding the fibrous outer covering (hull).
- Finches and sparrows exhibit a unique chewing behavior, separating seeds into halves, consuming the kernel, and letting the hulls fall.
- Chickadees and nuthatches, unable to chew like finches, adopt a neat feeding approach by taking one seed at a time to consume elsewhere.
Habitual Kicking by Ground-Feeding Birds:
- Towhees, Fox Sparrows, White-crowned Sparrows, and other ground-feeding birds have a habit of kicking over leaf litter while feeding.
- This behavior, known as the "double-scratch," involves kicking and scratching the ground to uncover potential snacks, leading to seed spillage from feeders.
Selective Eating and Seed Quality:
- Birds weigh, examine, and test seeds to ensure a meaty center before opening them.
- Poor quality seeds, including immature or empty ones, are discarded to conserve energy.
Preference for Certain Seed Types:
- Birds may throw out seeds they don't like, especially in mixed bird seed packages containing less preferred seeds like red milo, wheat, and cracked corn.
- Recommendations for preferred bird seeds, such as black oil sunflower seeds and white proso millet.
Avoidance of Germinating and Moldy Seeds:
- Wet bird seed, if soaked through, may germinate and become hard to eat, prompting birds to throw it out.
- Moldy bird seed, resulting from prolonged wetness, is avoided by birds and may lead to feeder abandonment.
Accidental Spillage:
- Seed spillage may occur accidentally, either knocked out by active birds or falling when extracting one seed from a tube feeder.

Understanding these behaviors provides insights into managing and solving common feeder problems. For detailed solutions, the article suggests reading further on how to end the mess of feeding wild birds.