Fact is, a lot of birds are crazy about raw, shelled peanuts.
White-Breasted Nuthatches eat some now and hide others for later in winter. Black-Capped and Carolina Chickadees, Tufted Titmice, Red-Bellied Woodpeckers, Carolina and House Wrens, Blue Jays and Northern Cardinals all choose shelled peanuts as a go-to food, especially when it gets cold out. The reason is simple: it takes more calories for birds to stay warm while going about their business in winter. Peanuts are stuffed with “good” energy-rich unsaturated fat in a small package. Use them in your your tube, tray or hopper feeders. Or drop by The Birdwatchers Store for a shelled peanut-only feeder. But a few words to the wise: shelled peanuts will get moldy if they sit too long, so use a feeder cover to keep the rain and snow off. Or just fill your feeder about a quarter of the way, let the birds clean it out quickly then refill. And never use dry-roasted or salted peanuts. They’re bad for birds. (But great for football games.)