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Dried Fruits

Dried fruit for birds, like raisins and sultanas, is great for providing a natural burst of energy and calories due to their high sugar content. While dried fruit is generally not a suitable type of bird food, raisins and sultanas are a notable exception and make a nutritious, straight food for birds.

Sultanas need to be soaked in fresh cold water before they're put out for birds, as this rehydrates the fruit and provides the moisture that birds need from their food.

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High-Quality Dried Fruit for Birds

At Vine House Farm, we offer nutritious dried fruit for wild birds, including sultanas and raisins. These are perfect for Blackbirds and Starlings because they are naturally energy-rich, packed with simple sugars and provide essential fibre. Use ground feeders for soaked fruit for birds, matching the low-level foraging habits of thrushes and Blackbirds.

It's important to only buy dried fruit purposed for wild birds due to the additives and vegetable oils used in commercial alternatives. At Vine House Farm, we offer dried fruits as a straight bird food, and they are entirely natural, pure and safe for wildlife consumption.

Nutritious Dried Fruit for Various Species of Wild Birds

While Blackbirds and Starlings are the primary fruit eaters, several other common garden birds will flock to your garden. Visiting winter migrants like Redwings and Fieldfares will eat soaked sultanas.

Dried fruits for wild birds are great for specific times of year, such as winter, when natural resources are likely to be scarce. They're also particularly beneficial during the spring breeding season when parent birds need soft, moisture-rich foods that are easy to digest, to take to nestlings.

All of our premium dried fruits are dispatched right here from our farm to ensure they arrive fresh and full of nutritional value. Available in a variety of convenient sizes to suit your feeding routine, keeping your local wildlife healthy and energised is easy and cost-effective with our free UK delivery on all orders.

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FAQS

What fruits do garden birds eat?

Garden birds enjoy a range of sweet, energy-rich fruits, with raisins and sultanas being among the best fruits that birds can eat. Packed with natural fruit sugars, essential carbohydrates, and key vitamins, these sun-dried fruits provide an immediate energy boost. These are particularly beneficial for soft-billed species like Blackbirds, Song thrushes, Robins and winter visitors like Fieldfares and Redwings.

Dried fruit is small and easy to manage, meaning feeding raisins and sultanas is a clean, waste-free way to offer fruit to your garden birds. Offer a sprinkle of dried fruit alongside your regular seed to ensure soft-billed birds get the tailored, easily digestible nutrition they need to thrive year-round.

Do birds eat fruit in the winter?

Yes, dried fruit is a crucial winter food source for wild birds, providing quick-release natural sugars and essential carbohydrates when insect populations drop and temperatures plunge.

Soft-billed species like Blackbirds, Song thrushes, and Robins rely heavily on fruit during cold snaps to rebuild energy reserves and maintain body temperature. Winter brings migrants such as Fieldfares and Redwings who flock to the UK to search for fallen fruit and berry bushes.

Soak raisins and sultanas in warm water before putting them out on the ground, especially in freezing weather, as it softens the fruit for smaller beaks and provides hydration when natural water sources are iced over.

What fruit do birds not eat?

While garden birds enjoy a wide range of natural produce, they cannot eat several fruits and fruit parts because of toxic compounds or serious health risks. Key fruits and fruit components include:

  • Fruit Pips & Stones: Seeds and pips from apples, pears, cherries, plums and peaches contain small amounts of a cyanide-based compound that is highly toxic to birds. Always remove pips and core fruit before putting it out.
  • Avocado: Avocados contain a fatty acid derivative called persin, which is extremely poisonous to birds and can cause respiratory distress and heart failure, so avoid it in bird feeds.
  • Citrus Fruits: While not strictly toxic in small amounts, the high citric acid content can cause severe stomach upset, digestive distress, and poor iron absorption in songbirds.

Stick to safe, dedicated dried fruits that birds can eat, like clean raisins and sultanas, to give your visiting soft-billed birds a healthy, worry-free treat.

Can you feed blackbirds sultanas?

Yes, Blackbirds love sultanas. Soft-billed species like Blackbirds, Song thrushes and Robins naturally seek out soft, sugary foods like fallen berries and insects rather than hard seeds, making sun-dried fruits like sultanas and raisins one of their favourite garden treats.

Sultanas are packed with natural fruit sugars and essential carbohydrates, providing birds with a quick, rich source of energy year-round.

Keep these tips in mind when feeding sultanas to Blackbirds:

  • Soak them in warm water for 20-30 minutes before serving to soften sultanas for smaller beaks and to provide vital hydration.
  • Blackbirds are natural ground feeders; scatter sultanas on the ground where they can feed comfortably.
  • Keep away from dogs and cats. Sultanas are healthy fruits birds can eat, but are highly toxic, so use with caution if you have pets.