I’ve witnessed several times that the birds were pecking on the unopened blooms of my plum tree. I thought that they were just feeding on the scale insects, but then I went under the tree as they were feeding and I see some young unopened blooms raining down on me.
Are they feeding on these flower buds and eating them like salad or it was just accidental as they go hunting for bugs?
They eat the flower buds. Around here it’s the finches. Usually it’s a happening when other food is scarce. Like during a big snow storm.
I think they eat tomato and pepper blossoms too. 
Nature’s way of thinning I guess
Man! My suspicions are right. After the hail, whatever buds left are now being feasted upon by the finches!
Its amazing we all don’t starve.
In the old Gardenweb forum, Konrad from Far North, posted a pic of a bird eating a flower petal. It’s a beautiful picture of a bird with the petal in its beak. Caught red-beaked!!!
Around here the finches like black walnut flowers . I think they eat the pollen .
Up here the Cedar Waxwings eat my apple blossoms
Squirrels have been known to eat all the bud off a service berry (amelanchier).
I’ve seen them devour exactly two spurs full of buds. Thankfully not more!
I’ve seen squirrels eat whole branches off my fig trees. Never knew birds also feasted on flower buds.
Shot guns are very useful- birds seem to learn from the sad fates of a few members of their flock. Of course, you cannot keep a starving animal from a food source without killing it.
Squirrels and various other animals are over-populating in cities. (Just wait until they begin carrying Bubonic Plague or Rabies.) But the powers that be frown on both shotguns and rifles in cities. Hence, the problem continues to grow.
Isn’t it more a problem in suburbia?
The best “Bing” cherries I ever ate occurred after a night of heavy partying in Manhattan and spending the night in someone’s Apt. whose name I may have known for a few days. What I remember is her terrace over a courtyard that allowed us to reach and gobble dead ripe cherries from an unsprayed and unprotected tree growing down there. Pigeons must not eat cherries.
I suppose you’re right. (But, if the houses are all close enough for the postman to walk the route, it’ a city as far as I’m concerned. )
Put up a bird house in the yard, figured the sparrows might help me out with bug pressure. What do I see today, but the sparrow couple picking flowers off the Evans cherry tree! Rethinking the bird house…
We had a Ruffed Grouse eating Serviceberry blooms this spring.
Did they do any noticeable damage? I scared these birds off but am worried. Not sure how much they can eat! Everything is green now and there are bugs out, so I’m kind of confused by their choice too.
They’re wild Servicberry and the fruits are too high to pick, so I wouldn’t notice. The ripe fruits do bring in the Cedar Waxwings when ripe though! Sorry I’m not more help.