However, the wintergreen scent of black birch twigs is very strong. Yellow birch is browsed by moose, white-tailed deer, and snowshoe hares. The deer eat large amounts of seedlings in summer, and prefer the green leaves and woody stems in fall. The seeds are eaten by common redpoll, pine siskin, chickadees, and other songbirds. Ruffed grouse feed on seeds, catkins, and buds.
Red squirrels cut and store mature strobili, eat yellow birch seeds, and also feed on birch sap.
The yellow-bellied sapsucker uses yellow birch as a summer food source. Beaver and porcupine chew the bark of yellow birch. The inner bark is nourishing and can be chewed. It can be tapped for sap which is used to make an edible syrup. A strong, finely grained wood, Yellow Birch is popular for most woodworking projects such as cabinet making, joinery, furniture and turning.