Last updated on October 23rd, 2022
What animals eat pumpkin seeds? I’m sure this question has crossed your mind at least once when harvesting your pumpkins.
Pumpkin seeds are the perfect source of nutrition for the body, and more often than not, you will find them being recommended by various health experts.
But these seeds are not just utilized by humans. Some animals love to have their dosage of vitamins and minerals in the form of pumpkin seeds.
Most of these animals are usually found on farms and are the usual visitors to almost any garden.
Animals that eat pumpkin seeds:
- Sparrows
- Chipmunks
- Grosbeaks
- Blue Jays
- Squirrels
- Black-capped Chickadees
- Dark-eyed Juncos
- Cardinals
- Purple Finches
- Mourning Doves
Pumpkin seeds are one of those things that you might not pay much attention to but are extremely beneficial for their health.
While you and I might be neglecting the many effects that pumpkin seeds boast of, here are some animals that won’t refrain from making use of the opportunity.
List of animals that eat pumpkin seeds.
1. Sparrows
Sparrows are resourceful when it comes to finding unique food supplies. However, they love seeds and grains the most, apart from insects and bugs.
They are primarily granivorous, and only when they cannot find their favorite food in abundance will they go for other options like sunflower seeds, insects, suets, and fruits.
Pumpkin seeds are like a buffet spread for them. They just love these seeds not only for their taste but also because pumpkin seeds are a storehouse of vitamins, minerals, carbs, and fats.
But, of course, too much of anything good can prove harmful, and pumpkin seeds are no exception since they contain about 29% fat and 18% saturated fat.
2. Chipmunks
Chipmunks aren’t picky eaters. Fresh vegetables, nuts, berries, and seeds, along with some small bugs (for protein), are a great diet for these little sweeties.
And talking of sweets, they love pastries and cakes (but don’t feed them too much junk food).
Pumpkin seeds are an absolute heavenly food for chipmunks (seeing how they gobble them down).
However, too much pumpkin seed intake can be harmful to a chipmunk as these seeds are packed with fat.
On the other hand, the quantum of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients in pumpkin seeds is really good for chipmunks.
Do be cautious and check for any pesticide or insecticide in whatever you feed chipmunks. They can be fatal.
3. Grosbeaks
A grosbeak is quite open to a multitude of food. And pumpkin seeds are no exception.
However, it pays to lay out a lavish spread of pumpkin seeds on a feeder so that these birds may have a good time dining at their favorite spot.
Mix an assortment of seeds and nuts in a paper bag. Shake it well to shake off any extra salt in them.
Then, they lay them out on your feeders and enjoy watching those grosbeaks and other birds visit your pile of seeds all day.
4. Blue Jays
A familiar backyard bird is a blue jay. It has a bold coloration and an even bolder personality. They are omnivorous and opportunistic feeders. So why have they made it to our list?
That’s because they just love to pamper themselves by feeding on pumpkin seeds whenever the opportunity arises.
Of course, they do thrive on various other food like lizards, bird eggs, insects, corn, carrion, berries, seeds, nuts, and more, but they will never let go of pumpkin seeds, come what may.
And these seeds are a boon for these lively birds since pumpkin seeds are a great source for a variety of vitamins, minerals, and other nutritional requisites that blue jays need.
5. Squirrels
Squirrels have a diet of main vegetation, fungi, fruits, and seeds. Pumpkin seeds are also a favorite for these furry creatures.
And if it is white pumpkin seeds, they will simply go berserk over them. They love having some extra bits of pumpkin seeds apart from their regular diet.
You will love to watch them munching away on the softshells and then nibble happily at the rich green seed kernels within the seeds.
However, always try to feed them away from your bird feeders so that those birds can also enjoy some food in peace. They will just love coming back for more each day.
6. Black-capped Chickadees
The petite, round-billed, uniquely-crested black-capped chickadee is mainly found in North America.
Since they are attracted to specific habitats and seeds, it is quite easy to draw these birds over to your feeders.
Keep your seeds fresh and low on moisture; otherwise, these little birds will just never be interested in the spread that you leave out for them.
Sometimes you will be amused to see them come to your feeder, grab a whole seed, and fly away to its hiding spot.
Along with your pumpkin seeds, make sure that you have a variety of insects, too, like beetles, and snails.
7. Dark-eyed Juncos
If you have bird feeders, especially in winter, you will sooner or later notice juncos feeding at your feeders in the backyard.
They have white outer tail feathers and pale bills that distinguish them from the house sparrows but are of the same family.
Of course, you can expect regular visits all year, but they are more regular during winter.
While they mostly prefer cracked corn, hulled sunflower chips and seeds, and white proso millet, they also love the generous helping of pumpkin seeds.
8. Cardinals
The bright red plumage and the unmistakable head crest make the cardinal (also known as Northern Cardinal) uniquely identifiable and one of the most desirable backyard birds.
These predominantly omnivorous birds will love trying a multitude of food options. They mostly love to eat suet, cracked corn, seeds, insects, berries, sap, nuts, and fruit.
Pumpkin seeds are one of their favorite food. Spread some pumpkin seeds on your bird feeders, and these lively red birds will be the first to visit your garden every morning for the lovely breakfast that you have left out for them.
9. Purple Finches
Purple finches are also known as house finches. However, the two are quite different, and only a highly trained eye can distinguish between the two.
Purple finches are more of an old-rose color rather than purple. They feed on the ground in open woods and also up in the trees.
Although they feed mainly on beetles, caterpillars, and other small insects, small fruits, berries, buds, and a whole plethora of seeds, pumpkin seeds will drive them into a happy feeding frenzy.
So spread some pumpkin seeds in your feeders, and you will be amazed to see how ecstatic these birds become.
10. Mourning Doves
One of the most common backyard birds, the mourning dove, is of the same family as pigeons and other doves.
Like any other bird that likes pumpkin seeds, the mourning dove acts the same way. They eat a variety of seeds and grains, insects, snails, mollusks, and lawn grubs.
However, they thrive on whatever other feeders and visitors, including humans, have left behind.
The main reason that they love pumpkin seeds is because of some of the sweet raw pulp that remains with the freshly discarded pumpkin seeds.
The juicy and sweet pulp is a great attraction, and the color of the pumpkin pulp is quite attractive.
What animals eat pumpkin seeds?
The animals that eat pumpkin seeds are sparrows, chipmunks, grosbeaks, blue jays, squirrels, black-capped chickadee, dark-eyed juncos, cardinals, purple finches, and mourning doves.
