Attracting different species of birds doesn’t need to cost an arm and a leg – you can keep costs under control by providing cracked corn and striped sunflower seed as offerings in your yard.
Compare your cheap bird seed mix ingredients against what birds prefer – especially those containing red milo as one of its first ingredients, which very few birds like.
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Sunflower Seed
Sunflower seeds are an affordable and accessible bird feed option, providing birds with protein-rich nutrients to regulate body temperature and endure harsh winter conditions. Sunflower seed can easily be found at local feed stores or grocery stores near you.
Sunflower seeds can be quite unruly; their shells may gather beneath feeders and attract mice or other pests. Furthermore, sunflower seeds tend to spoil more quickly than other types of seeds when exposed to moisture; in such circumstances it’s wise to take precautions against such events as possible.
Straight sunflower seeds tend to attract chickadees, cardinals, and goldfinches; however, many bird enthusiasts prefer no-mess seed mixes instead. These mixes typically combine sunflower seed with peanuts, wheat oats, oats and corn to attract sparrows doves juncos as well as other common feeder visitors such as sparrows doves and juncos. Platform feeders work best as these reduce spillage and make cleaning your feeding station simpler; we tested Lyric’s Fruit and Nut High Energy Mix which was enjoyed by blue jays titmice cedar waxwings & indigo buntings who typically don’t visit backyard feeders!
Nyjer Seed
Nyjer seed is a small black seed with a thin outer shell. Due to its high oil content, nyjer attracts finches such as goldfinches, house finches, purple finches and pine siskins as well as juncos, chickadees and sparrows.
Fresh Nyjer can last for four weeks when stored properly, though it can quickly spoil if exposed to moisture or left sitting on its shelf stale and dry for too long. Birds are quick to detect this sign of spoilage by losing its shine. To preserve fresh Nyjer seeds longer, put a feeder tray underneath your feeder to capture any loose seeds or moisture contamination and avoid spoilage.
Pendelton’s Nyjer Seed comes in 4 and 8 pound poly bags as well as 25 and 50 pound paper bags, so you can mix it with other kinds of birdseed to attract a wider variety of wild birds. Tube finch feeders make an excellent use for it while it also works great at drawing in hard-to-reach birds such as clinging birds.
Safflower Seed
Safflower seeds are small white oil seeds popular among cardinals. Chickadees, jays, nuthatches, grosbeaks, titmice (both House and Purple Finches), and doves also find it attractive.
Birds rely on this rich source of energy to maintain themselves and flourish, with its protein-rich seeds supporting feather growth, molting and other important functions of bird maintenance.
Safflower seeds offer another advantage over sunflower hearts and chips; their lightweight shell husks easily crack open for birds to access the seed inside, without creating bulky piles that require yard cleanups afterwards. Safflower husks eventually decompose without hassle, saving you from dealing with an unruly mess left by other feeder seeds.
Safflower seeds have the added advantage of repelling squirrels from bird feeders with their bitter taste and hard shell, providing your feathered friends with ample space to connect with nature as intended.
Shelled Sunflower
Shelled sunflower seed can attract many different bird species without breaking the bank; search for no waste mixes that contain shelled sunflower for maximum savings.
Manufacturers use a process in which seeds are shot against steel plates to separate their empty shells from their seed meat, followed by being put through a series of sifters and electronic eyes to remove any remaining hulls. They’re then ground up into mulch that prevents weed growth while helping retain soil moisture levels.
Some people choose hulled sunflower because it can be used with any feeder (platform, tray, tube or hopper) without leaving large piles of shells behind on the floor. This makes hulled sunflower ideal for apartment dwellers who cannot regularly clear away debris under their feeders or those concerned about squirrels stealing and eating the shells which contain bacteria that could spread disease.
