Don't Throw Out Pumpkin Guts, Use It To Feed The Birds In Your Yard

There are so many fun aspects to Halloween, from decorating your home and coming up with wild costume ideas to carving pumpkins and eating way too many candies after trick or treating with the kids. Scary outfits can be donated and excess holiday weight dropped, but sadly, the majority of pumpkins go from the porch directly to the landfill. It's time to change that. There are a lot of ways to repurpose your old pumpkin other than tossing it in the trash, such as composting or even feeding it to resident wildlife.

The pumpkin guts you remove when carving your jack-o'-lantern is gloopy gold and should definitely be set aside for your feathered visitors to tuck into. Backyard birds love it, so if they are frequenting or living in your garden, this nutritious snack will keep them coming back for more. Squash, pumpkin, or gourd — birds will happily hoover it up.

We all know pumpkin is good for humans (no, that's not an excuse to overindulge in pie). It turns out it's equally beneficial for our avian counterparts. Pumpkin flesh has lots of nutrients, including vitamins E and B6, iron, thiamine, and niacin. The seeds are packed with protein, healthy fats, and an array of vitamins, and minerals, making them a nutritional all-rounder when it comes to bird health and vitality. In fact, pumpkin seeds are one of the ways to help birds during migration season, as they're full of the healthy goodness needed for their long journey south.

Unlike humans, who risk tummy ache from consuming raw pumpkin, birds can eat it without a problem. That's not to say you can't feed it to them cooked, just make sure not to add any seasoning if you do. You can store the pumpkin innards in the fridge or freezer if you're concerned about it going bad before you've had a chance to give it to your winged guests. Likewise, pumpkin seeds can be roasted to extend their shelf life (but again, don't add anything to spice it up). As for those porch pumpkins, you can keep birds coming to your yard this fall with an easy DIY pumpkin bird feeder. If it's soft, moldy, or smells like it's past its sell-by date, send it to the compost heap. Otherwise, create a makeshift hanger from sturdy string or rope, fill it with bird feed, and hang it up.