Do Finches Eat Insects? + What Do Finches Like To Eat?

Birds are classified as herbivores, carnivores, and omnivores. Birds that are herbivores live on seeds, fruits, and nectar.

Then some carnivores kill and eat rodents, small mammals, and other birds. But most birds are omnivores, with diets including seeds, fruits, nectar, insects, worms, fish, and small rodents.

So, are you wondering under which category do your pet finches fall?

Yes. Finches eat insects. Being an omnivore, besides insects, the adult finch’s diet includes a variety of seeds, fruits, berries, nectar, and worms. However, while raising chicks, parent finches begin with feeding insects and worms to their hatchlings, as they are unable to digest seeds at first.

Okay! Now you know that finches are omnivorous birds and eat various seeds, fruits, berries, and insects.

Let us explore to find what are the different kinds of insects that finches like to devour in their meal.

What Kind Of Insects Do Finches Eat?

Finches eat a variety of insects and worms as food. Finches living outdoors forage for food around residential yards and eating insects and worms help keep the pest population in control.

Typically, finches eat small insects and worms. So, aphids, asparagus beetle, caterpillars, Colorado potato beetles, crickets, cucumber beetles, flea beetles, grasshoppers, Japanese beetle, leafhoppers, leaf miners, Mexican bean beetle, moths, spruce budworm, and many more herbivorous insects and arthropods are part of finch’s diet.

Now that you know the list of insects that form part of the finch’s diet. You must also remember that a well-balanced and varied diet will help in overall growth and development.

Let us learn how to maintain a well-balanced diet or how often you should feed your finches.

How Often Should I Feed My Finches?

Finches in captivity are entirely dependent on pet owners for their dietary requirements. Hatchlings do not start eating immediately after birth.

Young ones begin by utilizing the yolk sac for nourishment, which will feed them for a couple of days. After which, parent finches will start feeding their babies to speed up their growth.

Let us understand the nutritional requirements of finches during various stages.

Okay! Now you know how to feed your pet finches at various stages of their life. Let us also understand what food you should feed your finches or what do finches like to eat.

What Do Finches Like To Eat?

In the wild, finches forage across the forest, searching for seeds, fruits, nectar, and berries. They also eat spiders, insects, and worms.

This variation in their diet provides them with the well-balanced nutrition required for maintaining good health and development.

Finches in captivity depend entirely on their pet owners. You must feed them with fresh seeds, vegetables, and fruits, depending on the season and availability. Let us have a look at a list of food items that are suitable for your pet bird.

Fruits: The below list of fruits is suitable for your pet finches. Ensure they are unprocessed, fresh, and wash them before serving.

Apple (remove the seed)	Banana	Blueberries
Grapes	Mango	Melon
Nectarines (remove the pits)	Papaya	Papaya (remove the pits)
Pear (remove the seed)	Raspberries	Strawberries

Greens: The below list of greens are suitable for your pet finches, but you must serve them in small quantities.

Chickweed	Cilantro	Collard greens
Dandelion	Mustard Cress	Nasturtium
Parsley	Spinach	Spring greens

Vegetables: The below list of vegetables is suitable for your pet finches. Again, you must ensure they are organic and fresh.

Beets	Bell peppers	Broccoli
Cabbage	Carrot	Corn
Peas	Pumpkin	Sweet potato
Squash (all types)	Tomatoes (only ripe)	Zucchini

• Dried fruit: You may serve your finches of dried fruits like currants, raisins, and sultanas. They have a particular advantage as they are not easily perishable, unlike fruits and vegetables. Pet owners need to look out for dried fruits that are organic, without color, and preservatives.
• Mealworms: Finches also relish live food in the form of mealworms. Commercially they are sold in containers in a semi-dormant state. Mealworms are natural food for finches, are available throughout the year, and you can breed them at home to fulfill your pet finch’s diet requirement.
• Wax Worms: It is another food option; you may opt for feeding pet finches. Just like mealworms, wax worms, a larva of wax moths are readily available. They have lower nutritional value but can be used to feed young chicks, as they are soft, pulpy, and easy to digest.

Great! Now you know what finches like to eat in their meal, and by maintaining the right balance, you can provide them food with high nutritional value. Let us also look at the other side, i.e., food that you must never feed your finches.

What Should You Avoid Feeding Your Finches?

Just like humans, certain food items are unsuitable for your pet finches. There may be various reasons, like some food can be toxic, some may upset their stomach, and others may have little to absolutely no nutritional value.

Kindly avoid the following list of food for the reasons mentioned above.

Acorns (toxic)	Alcohol (junk)	Aubergine (some parts are toxic)
Avocado (toxic)	Beans (toxic)	Caffeine (junk)
Chocolate (junk)	Confectionary (junk)	Citrus fruits (digestive issues)
Garlic (toxic)	Lettuce (low in nutrition)	Mushrooms (digestive issues)
IPA/Running Alcohol & Disinfectants (toxic)	Onions (toxic)	Peanuts (toxic if eaten raw)
Potato (toxic if eaten raw)	Rhubarb (toxic)	Sweet pea (seeds and fruit)

Alright! So, now you know about the food that is unsafe or unsuitable for your pet finches. Therefore, it is best to keep them away from your bird’s platter.

Recommended Further Reading:

• Do Finches Need To Be Covered At Night (Reasons For Not Covering)
• Are Finches Affectionate? + Do They Like To Be Handled By Humans?
• Do Finches Attack Humans? + How To Handle A Finch’s Aggression?
• Do Finches Lay Unfertilized Eggs? (What Happens To Unfertilized Finch Egg?)

Points To Remember

Finches are omnivores, and their diet includes a variety of seeds, fruits, berries, nectar, greens, vegetables, insects, and worms.

Finches eat small insects and worms. So, beetles, caterpillars, crickets, grasshoppers, moths, and many more herbivorous insects and arthropods are part of their diet.

Finches in captivity depend on pet owners for their food requirements. Pet owners need to be careful about their diet at various stages of their life cycle.

Finally, feed what is suitable to them, keep their platter away from toxic junk food, as they have no nutritional value, and create digestive issues for your pet bird.