Do Birds Eat Poppy Seeds?

With their small yet nutritious seeds, poppies can provide an excellent food source for many species of birds. While poppy seeds are not a significant part of most birds’ diets, they do regularly consume them when given the opportunity. Understanding which birds enjoy poppy seeds can help you attract more wildlife to your garden.

Poppy Seeds as Bird Food

Poppy seeds offer nutritional value to birds in the form of carbohydrates and oils. Some key facts

• Many seed-eating bird species relish poppy seeds and will readily feed on them,

• The tiny, kidney-shaped seeds provide birds with energy and fat content.

• Poppies produce hundreds of nutrient-dense seeds once flowering finishes.

• The seeds remain on dried seed heads, allowing birds to naturally forage on them.

• Poppy seeds are incorporated into various commercial bird seed mixes.

• Offered in feeders, poppy seeds draw in seed-loving birds like finches, sparrows, and doves.

Bird Species That Eat Poppy Seeds

Many backyard birds will feast on poppy seeds when the opportunity arises:

• House sparrows and other sparrow species are known to feed on seeds straight from poppy seed heads.

• American goldfinches use their pointed beaks to extract poppy seeds.

• Common grackles will gorge on poppy seeds offered in feeders or found in fields.

• Mourning doves and Eurasian collared doves will eat poppy seeds as part of their varied diet.

• Songbirds like chickadees, titmice, and buntings will sample poppy seeds among mixed feed.

• Larger birds like doves, grosbeaks, and blackbirds may eat poppy seeds but don’t depend on them.

• Quail and Pheasant will eat any poppy seeds they find while foraging on the ground.

• In urban areas, pigeons may feed on poppy seeds but they likely aren’t attracted by them specifically.

Attracting Birds With Poppies

You can encourage bird activity by incorporating poppies into your garden:

• Plant heirloom poppies from seed in garden beds, allowing some to go to seed.

• Scatter poppy seeds under bushes and trees to attract ground-feeding species.

• Mix dried poppy seeds into existing bird feeders to add variety.

• Create a specially blended bird seed mix with poppy seeds featured.

• Let wild poppies grow in unused sections of your yard and watch to see who feeds.

• Maintain some distance so feeding birds don’t feel threatened by human activity.

• Avoid spraying or removing seed heads that birds are actively feeding on.

Offer Poppy Seeds With Caution

While nutritious, poppy seeds do contain trace amounts of opiates. Limit potential issues by:

• Mixing poppy seeds with other seeds to dilute their concentration.

• Only putting small amounts in feeders at a time.

• Not making poppy seeds the sole food source for any extended period.

• Monitoring feeders to ensure normal bird behavior.

• Removing any old or moldy seeds promptly.

With their tiny, protein-packed seeds perfectly suited for small beaks, poppies can attract an array of bird species to your backyard. A small amount of seeds goes a long way to add diversity. Just be cautious not to offer them in excess. In moderation, poppy seeds can give birds an extra boost of nutrition and energy.