Entertaining isn't just for people! Build a tasty bird charcuterie board stocked with birdseed, nuts and more for your feathered friends.
Build a Charcuterie Board for Your Backyard Birds
Published on May 21, 2025
There’s nothing quite like a good charcuterie board. With a tasty mix of meats, cheeses, fruits and breads, it’s a choose-your-own adventure, entertaining-style — and there are plenty of culinary paths to take. But why should we humans have all the fun at mealtime? Turns out, your backyard birds appreciate a platter of their favorite foods, too. Here’s how to build your own bird charcuterie board.
Foods to Serve on a Bird Charcuterie Board
As with our charcuterie boards, you’re mostly limited here by the boundaries of your own imagination (and what’s safe for birds to eat). If you would put it in a bird feeder, you can put it on a platter for your birds.
Safe options include bird-favorite seeds like black oil sunflower, safflower or white-striped sunflower. To that, you might add suet nuggets, dried or live mealworms, peanut butter, or peanuts in or out of the shell.
For fruit-eating birds like orioles, consider a small dish of grape jelly, dried fruit such as raisins or cranberries, or even a few fresh orange, apple or pear slices.
Then put your mix of seeds and treats outside on a wooden board or another flat surface (a tray feeder or cookie sheet would work, too), and watch your feathered backyard visitors find it! Keep in mind that birds don’t always spot new feeders right away, so it might take a bit for them to notice your birdy buffet.
Foods Not to Put on Your Bird Board
There are a few foods you should not to add to a bird charcuterie board.
Always make sure you’re serving unsalted, raw peanuts packaged as bird food, and not flavored peanuts sold for human consumption. While bread is a staple of human charcuterie boards, it’s best not to feed bread to your birds. Consider cracked corn as a substitute.
Never feed birds potato chips, bacon fat, honey, or old pet food. Skip the meats, cheeses, pickles and salty crackers, too.
Bird charcuterie boards are easy, fun, and a delight for your backyard critters. Have fun building one, and give your feathered visitors a taste of the fancy life!
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