Food › Mealworms

What birds eat mealworms?

Of the 118 real birds in our field guide, 20 come to feeders for mealworms: American Robin, Carolina Wren, Clay-colored Thrush, Great Kiskadee, Superb Starling, Crested Barbet, Laughing Kookaburra and Superb Fairywren and more.

In North American yards and woods: American Robin, Carolina Wren, Cactus Wren, Curve-billed Thrasher and Pacific Wren.

It is the first choice of American Robin, Laughing Kookaburra, Superb Fairywren, Australian Magpie, Eastern Yellow Robin, Willie Wagtail, Pacific Wren, European Robin, White Wagtail and Eurasian Hoopoe: when several foods are out, they go for this one.

About mealworms

Mealworms are beetle larvae, sold live or dried. They bring insect eaters that never touch seed, such as bluebirds, wrens and robins.

Offer a small handful in a shallow dish or on a platform feeder. Soak dried mealworms in water first in hot, dry weather.

In the game, mealworms goes in the platform feeder.

Backyard Eastern North America

American RobinBackyard

First choice. Also: fruit.

Carolina WrenBackyard

Also: suet, peanuts.

Northwest forest Pacific Northwest, Washington State

Pacific WrenNorthwest forest

First choice. Also: suet.

Desert scrub Sonoran Desert, Arizona and Mexico

Cactus WrenDesert scrub

Also: fruit.

Curve-billed ThrasherDesert scrub

Also: fruit, sunflower seed.

Tropical rainforest Central and South America

Clay-colored ThrushTropical rainforest

Also: fruit.

Great KiskadeeTropical rainforest

Also: fruit.

African savanna Southern and East Africa, at sunset

Superb StarlingAfrican savanna

Also: fruit, millet.

Crested BarbetAfrican savanna

Also: fruit, suet.

Australian bush Eastern Australia, among gum trees

Laughing KookaburraAustralian bush

First choice. Only this food.

Superb FairywrenAustralian bush

First choice. Only this food.

Australian MagpieAustralian bush

First choice. Only this food.

Eastern Yellow RobinAustralian bush

First choice. Only this food.

Willie WagtailAustralian bush

First choice. Only this food.

Garden pond East Asia, at the Summer Palace in Beijing

Azure-winged MagpieGarden pond

Also: peanuts, fruit.

Light-vented BulbulGarden pond

Also: fruit.

City park Europe, in a London park

European RobinCity park

First choice. Also: suet, sunflower seed.

Eurasian BlackbirdCity park

Also: fruit, suet.

Mountain lake Eastern Himalayas, Yunnan, China, at about 3,700 m

White WagtailMountain lake

First choice. Only this food.

Eurasian HoopoeMountain lake

First choice. Only this food.

Other foods

Sunflower seed (39)Nyjer seed (3)Millet (24)Peanuts (18)Suet (21)Fruit (25)Nectar (9)