Various birds are omnivorous, with diets varying from berries and nectar to insects, worms, fish, and small rodents. Examples include cranes, cassowaries, chickens, crows and related corvids, kea, rallidae, and rheas.

By the broadest definition, most birds could be classified as omnivores because they eat insects for a protein source even if much of their diet is plant-based.

While some birds depend mainly on plant diets, such as seeds, fruits, and nectar, others feed as carnivores on animal prey, or as omnivores on a mixed diet of plant/animal matter. Most bird species (more than 6,000 species) are insectivores that depend for the most part on insects as prey.

According to an article at Quora.com, not all birds eat worms. Just as there are carnivorous and herbivorous mammals, there are also many classes or orders of birds. “Most sea birds and freshwater wading types dine almost exclusively on fish, so worms would rarely figure into their diet,” the article states.

Some of the most popular items on birds’ menus include beetles, flies, ants, moths, aphids, grasshoppers and crickets. Most, but not all, birds eat insects.

The birds are able to see worms that are close to the surface in their tunnels, but they also can hear them digging and moving about. Most birds, with notable exceptions, have a poor sense of smell. Tests done on robins indicate their noses are of no help in finding worms.

To add insult to injury, jumping worm droppings are not soil amendments but rather reduce the quality of the soils. In one study, it was discovered that jumping worms can uptake and store large amounts of lead and mercury and pass them along to the birds and other wildlife that eat these worms.

Worms are the ideal food for omnivorous birds such as robins and other thrushes. While birds will eat just about any type of worm they can catch, earthworms and insect larvae are the most common food.

The babies eat more each day. Soon parents give them whole worms and large insects. Each young robin may eat 14 feet of earthworms in a two-week nest life—and worms are not even their main food!

Earth worms or nightcrawlers. Crickets. Mealworms or waxworms. Canned or Soaked dry cat food.

Nestlings can live 24 hours without food. See more on widows/widowers and what to do if one or both parents are gone. If the bird is clearly orphaned, and does need to be rescued bring it to a licensed wildlife rehabilitator as soon as possible.

If you do not want the details, here is a simplified answer for how long a bird can survive without food: a medium-sized songbird can survive 1 – 3 days without food under optimal conditions. However, in adverse conditions, a typical songbird cannot survive more than a day.

Do I Need to Feed This Baby Bird? Baby birds have very demanding dietary needs. Depending on their age and species, baby birds may eat every 10 to 20 minutes for 12 to 14 hours per day, consuming a diet rich in insects for sufficient protein to ensure healthy growth.

Chicks that have not yet opened their eyes may take 5-6 feedings per day (every 3-4 hours). Once birds’ eyes open, they can have 3-5 feedings (one every 5 hours). As their feathers start to grow in, they may be fed 2-3 times per day (every 6 hours).