If you are looking at Ace Premium Wild Bird Food or any other bagged mix at Ace Hardware, judge it by the ingredient list. A good wild bird food has black oil sunflower seed or sunflower hearts near the top of the list, along with smaller amounts of millet, safflower or peanuts. Brands and blends vary by store and over time, so check the bag you are holding.
How to Read a Bird Seed Label
- First ingredient: Black oil sunflower, sunflower hearts or chips are the best signs of a quality mix.
- Cracked corn and wheat: Cheap fillers in large amounts. Cracked corn is fine for ground-feeding birds in small amounts, but it spoils quickly when wet.
- Milo (sorghum), flax and golden or red millet: Many backyard birds skip these, so they end up wasted on the ground.
- Added vitamins or minerals: Wild birds do not need them, so do not pay extra for these claims.
Which Birds Each Seed Attracts
- Black oil sunflower: Cardinals, chickadees, titmice, finches, nuthatches and many others
- White proso millet: Doves, juncos and native sparrows that feed on the ground
- Safflower: Cardinals, grosbeaks and chickadees
- Peanuts: Jays, woodpeckers and titmice
Our sunflower seed guide and Ace Hardware wild bird seed post go into more detail.
Storing and Serving Seed
- Keep seed in a lidded metal or sturdy plastic container in a cool, dry place.
- Fill feeders with only a day or two of seed, especially in wet weather.
- Rake up hulls and old seed under feeders, and clean feeders every couple of weeks.
- Never use red-dyed corn, which is treated and harmful to birds.
Saving Money
Buying a large bag of plain black oil sunflower is usually cheaper per pound than a fancy blend. For ideas, see the cheapest way to feed wild birds and what to feed wild birds besides seed.
Bottom Line
At Ace or anywhere else, choose a mix led by sunflower seed, skip the fillers, and keep seed dry. If you notice sick or fluffed-up birds at your feeder, clean it and take it down for a few days, since crowded feeders can spread disease.
