Encyclopaedia of Birdcare

Insectivorous Birds

Species which feed mainly on insects, spiders and other invertebrates. True insectivores, such as warblers and Robins, have slender bills adapted for grasping these tiny animals, while birds like thrushes possess more robust beaks suitable for larger items. Most insectivores will also eat at least some plant material, as with Blackcaps taking berries in autumn, and conversely most other birds, even seed eaters, feed on insects at times. In feeding birds, most foods suitable for insectivores imitate the nutritional value of insects rather than supplying the actual animals, but in recent years live foods such as mealworms have been introduced and dried insects are sometimes added to foods based on fat.

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A Bird On! Definition from the Encyclopaedia of Birdcare
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