Woodpeckers, siskin and chickadees eagerly devour shelled peanuts. Cardinals and sparrows will break the peanut into smaller pieces and eat those pieces.
Actually there are few seed-eating birds that don't like peanuts. One simple reason is nutritional value: Peanuts are very high in protein, oil and fat, making them especially ideal food when raising chicks or surviving winter.
You can serve peanuts in a variety of ways. I put a handful of peanuts on the platform feeder each morning and it does not take long for the jays to "announce" that breakfast is served.
There are wire mesh feeders specifically for peanuts. The birds, such as the nuthatch, cling on the feeder and peck off pieces of a peanut. It is a great way to lure such birds as Downy Woodpeckers, Red-bellied Woodpeckers, wrens, chickadees and titmice to a specific feeder.
Many seed mixes have split peanuts in them and work very well with most feeders such as tube, hopper or platform.
During hot, damp weather, peanuts can go rancid due to the high oil content. Check peanuts occasionally for signs of black mold or darkening in color. Fill the feeder with fresh peanuts if the they look funny or you see a bird fly away from a feeder without eating any.
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