The best bird feeder and seed for mockingbirds
Fruit and insect eaters that often defend a feeder area aggressively. Fruiting shrubs such as holly and pyracantha hold mockingbirds through winter.
Which feeder types do mockingbirds use?
| Feeder | Holds | Squirrels | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Platform or tray feeder | Anything | None at all | Draws the widest range of species, including ground feeders. Needs a mesh floor for drainage and daily cleanup. |
Feeders mockingbirds use, budget to premium
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What seed do mockingbirds like best?
| Food | Why | Storage |
|---|---|---|
| Fruit (oranges, apples, berries) | Orange halves on a spike are the standard oriole offer. Replace fruit before it ferments. | Fresh only |
| Mealworms | Dried mealworms are easy to store; soaking them briefly in warm water makes them more appealing. Live worms work best for bluebirds. | Dried keep for months; live need refrigeration |
| Suet and suet dough | Rendered suet cakes are the standard; no-melt doughs blend fat with flour or cornmeal to hold shape in heat. | Raw suet goes rancid above about 70 F; use no-melt dough in summer |
Food to buy for mockingbirds
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Where and when should you feed mockingbirds?
- Height and spot: Low tray.
- When: Year round across the South.
- Range: Southern and central US.
- Feeding style: Comfortable feeding on the ground or a low tray, so clear spilled seed and keep cats away.
The same setup also brings cardinals, blue jays, house finches, bluebirds and wrens, which use the same feeder types.
Feeders for other birds
Cardinals · Blue Jays · Goldfinches · House Finches · Chickadees · Titmice · Nuthatches · Woodpeckers · Bluebirds · Wrens · Orioles · Hummingbirds · Mourning Doves · Juncos · Native Sparrows · Towhees · Grosbeaks · Robins · Pine Siskins · Purple Finches · Redpolls · Keeping starlings and grackles away · Red-bellied Woodpeckers · Downy Woodpeckers · Cedar Waxwings · Quail
Get the mockingbirds feeding checklist
Feeder, seed, height and cleaning schedule for mockingbirds on one printable page.
Used only to send the checklist.Frequently asked questions
What is the best bird feeder for mockingbirds?
A platform or tray feeder is the most reliable choice for mockingbirds. Fruit and insect eaters that often defend a feeder area aggressively. Pair it with fruit (oranges, apples, berries), place it low tray, and keep it clean every two weeks. A second feeder type such as a platform or tray feeder widens the appeal without adding much work.
What do mockingbirds eat at feeders?
In order of preference: fruit (oranges, apples, berries), mealworms and suet and suet dough. Orange halves on a spike are the standard oriole offer. Replace fruit before it ferments. Offer one food per feeder rather than a mix, so birds are not flicking unwanted grains onto the ground to get at the one they want.
Where should I put a feeder for mockingbirds?
Low tray. Keep it within 3 feet of a window or beyond 30 feet to avoid collisions, at least 10 feet from anything a squirrel can jump from, and 10 to 12 feet from dense shrubs so mockingbirds can reach cover without cats being able to ambush them.
When do mockingbirds come to feeders?
Year round across the South. Range: Southern and central US. Keep feeders stocked and clean through the season mockingbirds are present in your area, since a feeder that is empty for several days is often abandoned for a neighbour's.
Do mockingbirds use birdhouses?
No. Mockingbirds build open nests in shrubs, trees or on the ground and do not use enclosed nest boxes. Dense native shrubs, brush piles and leaving leaf litter in place do far more for them than any structure.