Aphids are a favorite food source for songbirds. These tiny sap-sucking insects are extremely small, but also quite plentiful. A single plant can hosts thousands of them, making them a great food source for insect-eating birds. Because of the small size of this meal portion, birds must consume enormous numbers of them to satisfy their hunger.

Below is a Black-throated Blue Warbler reaching for an aphid:

Black-throated Blue Warbler, feeding on aphid

And here he as about to consume his tiny meal:

Black-throated Blue Warbler, with aphidSan Bruno, CA

A Lazuli Bunting picking off one of many aphids:

Lazuli Bunting, feeding on aphid

A Prothonotary Warbler targets a tiny morsel sitting upon a nearby leaf ...

Prothonotary Warbler, feeding on aphidSanta Cruz, Ca

... which was quickly consumed:

Prothonotary Warbler, feeding on aphidSanta Cruz, Ca