Mealworm handouts help hungry birds

A California towhee gathers mealworms to feed its young. Photo by J.J. Meyer

It's baby bird season! That means parents are working dawn to dusk to find food for their hungry broods. Put out a plate of mealworms and they eagerly gather them, grabbing as many as they can hold. Then they take off in the direction of their nests and quickly return for more.

Offering mealworms can be entertaining, especially if you're feeding black phoebes, which can catch them on the fly.

Live mealworms can be purchased at many pet and nature stores such as Wild Birds Unlimited.

Happy Birding!
J.J.