The Best Berries for Birds

In the past we have emphasized the importance of keystone species in supporting bird populations, and by extension broader food webs. These species are larval hosts to a wide variety of lepidoptera, supporting caterpillars that then become food for baby birds in summer. But what do birds eat in the winter when the caterpillars are gone? They eat berries! The berries that grow on native trees and shrubs provide food for wildlife in the fall and winter months when other food sources are scarce.

Migratory songbirds find these berries especially valuable as they make their journey south. But are all berries created equal? In 2015, Susan Smith and Scott McWilliams published the results of a study that analyzed the nutritional value of native berries and ranked their value to migratory birds. They suggest “planting or encouraging the growth of at least two species from the ‘Highly recommended’ list plus plant species from the other lists when possible.” Consider the three lists below when looking for the best berries for birds.

Highly recommended and preferred by migratory birds
Common Name	Scientific Name	Photo
Arrowwood Viburnum	Viburnum dentatum
Virginia Creeper	Parthenocissus quinquefolia
Gray Dogwood	Cornus racemosa
Silky Dogwood	Cornus amomum
Redosier Dogwood	Cornus sericea

Recommended and eaten by many migratory songbirds
Common Name	Scientific Name	Photo
Serviceberry	Amelanchier canadensis
Elderberry	Sambucus canadensis
Spicebush	Lindera benzoin
Pokeweed	Phytolacca americana
Flowering Dogwood	Cornus florida
Chokecherry	Prunus virginiana
Highbush Blueberry	Vaccinium corymbosum

Recommended and eaten by a few migratory songbirds and overwintering birds
Common Name	*Scientific Name*	Photo
Northern Bayberry	Morella pensylvanica
Winterberry	Ilex verticillata
Black Chokeberry	Aronia melanocarpa
Mapleleaf Viburnum	Viburnum acerifolium	Joseph stewart at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons; Cropped
Nannyberry Viburnum	Viburnum lentago