American robins will only consume the food they find appealing at a stable bird feeder, as they are not fond of the more clumsy feeders.
Robins consume predominantly dried mealworms at feeders because insects are what they scavenge for in the wild, with suet being a favorite feeder food. Sixty percent of a Robin’s annual diet comes from fruit, so if you don’t have a dedicated fruit feeder but still want to attract Robins, a platform feeder works well because of the birds’ restricted ability to fly.
As unpleasant as it may be to think about handling dried mealworms, they may be the only thing an American Robin will eat.
The best approach to provide Robins with dried mealworms is to place them in a platform feeder or wire mesh dish, but you can still see good usage from a ground bird feeder and still have a neat yard.
Not for the faint of heart, I’ll admit, but if Robins associate the live mealworms with the earthworms they eat in the wild, you can bet they’ll go crazy for them.
Unfortunately, robins can’t use a regular hanging cage suet feeder.
This cage suet bird feeder should be placed on a flat area somewhere in the yard, or better yet, on a platform bird feeder.
If you want to attract Robins by providing them with suet cakes or fat balls, it’s best to use bug or fruit suet.
Robins will eat fresh fruit as well as any dried food you put out for them. Bird watchers have spotted robins snacking on apples and luscious berries.
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Dried mealworms
Due to their natural diet, American Robins will benefit greatly from a supply of insect-based bird food.
The idea of feeding birds live insects in our backyards is not going to appeal to everyone.
Feeding common backyard birds things we don’t like is a bummer, but thankfully there’s a way around it: dried insects.
Robins don’t need just any bugs, though; dried mealworms, which can be purchased at most grocery stores and pet supply stores, are their preferred food.
Live mealworms are the next best thing to feeding Robins earthworms, thus it’s a good idea to do so.
Dried mealworms are a good alternative because they are convenient to handle and may be offered to birds year-round.
In fact, reviving dried mealworms by soaking them in warm water for a few minutes would give them a burst of energy and make them look more attractive.
Mealworm or fruit suet
American Robins can be fed dried mealworms or any other insects meant for wild birds in the form of suet.
Robins respond well to a variety of suet offerings, including traditional suet cakes, suet fat balls and pellets, and the more recently popular suet nuggets.
Almost any typical backyard bird will happily devour a fatty suet cake, and your chances of success will increase if the major ingredient is similar to what the birds eat in the wild.
Robins love suet, but only if it’s been spiked with mealworms.
As a result, given that American Robins are also fruit eaters, you could try feeding them suet that is flavored with fruit.
However, Robins have never been observed correctly using a perch, therefore hanging suet cage bird feeders is not really a device they can get around.
Robins can be fed by placing a suet cage feeder with fruit or dried mealworms on its side on a perch or other easily accessible surface in your yard.
Mix fruits atop of platform
To attract Robins to your yard, you can put out a variety of fruit, but if you don’t have a wild bird fruit bird feeder, you’ll have to get creative.
Only use an open top platform bird feeder for fruits like these; berries and other fresh fruits will quickly become stale and decay in the presence of bacteria.
Robins will eat berries from a platform bird feeder, such as one that is hung, mounted, or perched on a pole. Given that Robins forage for food on the ground, they can easily be fed at a platform feeder placed there.
Robins will like a variety of fruits, including dried fruits like apricots, currents, and raisins, as well as fresh fruits like apples, strawberries, and raspberries.
These fruits can be offered atop a platform bird feeder for a short time before they spoil.
These same fruits can be displayed, if desired, on a sturdy yet easily accessible wire mesh dish, which can be fixed on a pole or hung from a bracket.
Feeders to use
Robins, bless them, will try out any bird feeder if it means access to yummy bird goodies, but it’s important to keep in mind that robins aren’t typically seen at bird feeders and may have difficulty using them.
The American robin, when attempting to dine at a seed feeder, can be observed squirming on the perch and having a hard time reaching the tiny seed ports.
It’s important to only put up bird feeders Robins can use, despite the fact that this behavior is uncommon to see.
Considering all of this, I recommend restricting your platform bird feeder to solely housing American Robins.
Feeders can be mounted in three different ways: atop a pole, suspended from chains, or screwed into the wall. For a feeder that robins may easily reach, use a ground-level platform feeder.
Since robins are classified as ground feeders, they will benefit from a ground bird feeder placed in a secure area of the yard.
On top of this platform, you may put the same foods that robins eat in the wild, including their favorite dried or live mealworms, a few nibbles on seed mixtures, nuts, and any type of fruit you like, fresh or dried.
To conclude
At bird feeders, Robins will consume anything that is nutritionally similar to the food they would find in the wild.
Foraging insects, berries, and earthworms are the main foods of choice for American Robins in the wild.
Because of this information, you can attract Robins by providing them dried mealworms or, even better, by offering them live mealworms to eat instead of their usual earthworms.
While berries are an important part of a robin’s diet in the wild, no such thing as a berry-specific bird feeder currently exists.
The good news is that you only need a platform bird feeder, often made of wood, that is open to the elements and accessible to all.
The open top makes it more versatile than a traditional roofed platform bird feeder. All of this may be added to a platform feeder, and you can continue to try out different kinds of bird food at the same time.
Only platform feeders, not hanging or mounted open wire mesh dishes, may be used to attract American Robins as customers.
Because they are so used to eating from the ground, robins have a hard time using bird feeders and will struggle to do so unless they are easily accessible, stable, and preferably placed on the ground.
