Can Birds Eat Kiwi

Can Birds Eat Kiwi? Yes, and They Will Thank You for It!

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Yum, kiwi!

We aren’t talking about the flightless birds, but rather the sweet, oval-shaped fruit with unmistakably fuzzy skin. They are typically between 2 and 3 inches long and weigh between 30 and 150 g.

Fruit-eating birds LOVE kiwi! It is a safe, healthy option that you can provide to the birds that visit your yard.

Is Kiwi Safe for Birds?

Yes, kiwi is safe!

It’s safe for wild birds, domestic chickens, parrots, ducks, captive birds, and more. Birds can get a lot of nutrients from fresh kiwi. Because it has high water content, it is also a hydrating food.

Kiwi is not poisonous or in any way dangerous for birds. However, some adult birds will choose not to eat it because their food habits do not include eating fruit. The ones that do eat fruit? They will probably enjoy kiwi if you offer it to them!

Can Birds Eat Kiwi Skin?

Kiwi skin is not a problem, but the average bird may not be interested in the fruit if you leave the skin intact. Slicing or dicing the kiwi makes it easier for small birds with little beaks to access the flesh of the fruit.

Are Kiwi Seeds Poisonous?

You may have heard about the risks of feeding certain seeds and fruit pits to birds.

Seeds and pits to avoid include:

  • Apples
  • Pears
  • Cherries
  • Apricots
  • Peaches
  • Nectarines
  • Plums

These seeds and pits from stone fruits have small amounts of naturally occurring cyanide, which can sicken birds.

Great news, though! Kiwi is not one of those cyanide-producing fruits. You do not need to remove the seeds from a kiwi before offering it to pet birds, wild birds, or backyard poultry. What a relief that is, because kiwi seeds are tiny!

Plus, there can be anywhere from 500 to 2000 seeds in a single kiwi!

Health Benefits of Kiwifruit

Kiwi is nutritious for both birds and humans.

A single fresh kiwi contains:

  • 64 calories
  • 14 g of carbohydrates
  • 3 g of fiber
  • .0.44 g of fat
  • 1 g of protein
  • 83% of the recommended daily value (DV) of Vitamin C
  • 9% of the DV of Vitamin E
  • 34% of the DV of Vitamin K
  • 7% of the DV of Folate
  • 15% of the DV of Copper
  • 4% of the DV of Potassium
  • 4% of the DV of Magnesium

Birds, like people, benefit from a diet rich in vitamins and minerals. In the wild, birds get their vitamins and other nutrients from eating plants, seeds, and fruits. When people provide food to birds, it’s helpful to think about the nutritional needs of the birds in their area.

If you have a lot of fruit-eating birds in your geographic area, you will probably have more success bringing them to your yard with fruits like kiwi!

Examples of Fruit-Eating Birds

Fruit is a common food for many kinds of birds, including these species that include fruit as a major part of their diet:

  • Catbirds
  • Orioles
  • Robins
  • Grosbeaks
  • Waxwings
  • Woodpeckers
  • Tanagers
  • Thrashers
  • Thrushes

Birds that may add fruit to their diet when other food resource availability is scarce include warblers, titmice, kinglets, sparrows, towhees, and quail.

A general rule is that fruits that are safe for humans to eat are also safe for birds. That includes kiwis. The opposite of this rule is not true: favorite foods for birds may not be safe for humans to eat. Birds can often eat berries and fruits that would make a person sick.

Popular fruits for birds include blueberries, currants, blackberries, chokecherries, mulberries, serviceberries, juniper berries, strawberries, crabapples, cherries, prickly pears, and grapes.

They may also snack on bananas, raisins, pineapple, and watermelon.

Are There Birds That Avoid Fruits?

Some birds don’t eat fruit at all.

Birds of prey, for example, like eagles, hawks, falcons, and owls, are carnivores. They have no need for fruit in their diet.

How to Serve Kiwi

Kiwi

You can serve backyard birds or your bird fruits like kiwi in several different ways.

Some people put whole kiwis out for the birds. You can scatter whole kiwis on the ground and watch to see which birds discover them and start to feast.

You can also slice or dice the kiwi and place it on a platter or birdfeeder tray.

Some people remove the skin altogether as birds probably won’t eat it. If you choose to leave the skin on the kiwi, you may need to go collect it once the birds are finished eating.

If it has fallen on the ground, you don’t need to worry about it. If the kiwi was in a dish or tray, you should clean up the mess when they are done.

Another fun idea is to repurpose an oriole feeder! Oriole feeders usually come with a skewer or stake that holds half an orange. You could always slice a kiwi in half and put each half on an oriole feeder stake. This is a great way to feed kiwis to birds if you just have one piece of fruit to share.

Cleaning Your Feeders After Providing Fruit

Fruit is juicy, sticky, and quick to ferment in the summer heat. It also attracts insects.

For these reasons, you should clean your bird feeders frequently if you use them for fruit. The last thing you want is a messy, moldy, sticky mess that attracts ants, flies, and other nuisance insects.

Feed Kiwi to the Birds & Find Out Who Stops By!

Offering kiwi to backyard birds is a great way to attract new bird species to your yard or garden.

Kiwi is a healthy, nutritious snack that also happens to be quite delicious! It offers hydration, plenty of Vitamin C, and even mental stimulation as the birds try something new.

I hope that if you’re feeding the birds this year, you can give kiwi a try!

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