Your local bird seed store likely carries many high-quality seed blends designed to attract songbirds. Choose one or more for optimal bird watching!
House finches, chickadees and titmice all flock to black oil sunflower seeds as their thin shells make them easier for small birds to open than their counterparts, the striped sunflower seeds. Furthermore, black oil sunflower seeds also attract sparrows and doves.
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Sunflower Seed
Sunflower seeds attract the greatest variety of species to bird feeders, making them an essential element in any bird seed mix. Valley Splendor black-oil sunflower seeds provide the ideal way to attract chickadees, jays, woodpeckers, nuthatches and titmice alike – their thin shells making it easier for many seed-eating birds to crack open!
Striped sunflower seeds offer similar health benefits as black-oil seeds, yet are harder for House Sparrows and other common pests to open. Therefore, placing them in a feeder meant for cardinals, woodpeckers or other large beaked visitors may be best.
Avoid “fillers” found in cheaper wild bird feed mixtures that produce heaps of shells and chaff beneath feeders; instead opt for hulled or seed chips, which generate less waste and will less likely attract squirrels.
Nyjer Seed
Nyjer seed, often mistaken for thistle seeds due to their similar look, contains high concentrations of oil which provide vital energy sources for finches.
Seed-eating birds such as pine siskins, goldfinches, indigo buntings and redpolls love this winter feeder seed, while sparrows, chickadees, juncos and doves can also benefit. Furthermore, it makes an ideal option for mesh sock feeders and special tube feeders that allow birds to cling without worry that its seed might fall onto the ground too easily.
Nyjer can dry out quickly and spoil if kept too long, so it is best to purchase only what will be consumed within several months and store it properly in a dark, cool location. Hopper, tube, platform and ground feeders work equally well for feeding it to birds; those designed specifically to allow birds to cling are optimal.
Millet Seed
Millet is a popular ground-feeding bird seed, beloved by cardinals, juncos, towhees and sparrows alike. Millet can often be found offered in tray feeders near the ground and even mixed in with other seeds like black oil sunflower, nyjer thistle or striped sunflower for additional variety.
Pearl millet can attract parasitic cowbirds that lay their eggs into other birds’ nests; therefore many birders avoid it in favor of white proso millet which offers similar features but attracts less cowbirds.
As it’s important to recognize, many inexpensive wild bird seed mixes contain filler ingredients that don’t actually attract birds, these seeds can actually detract from your bird feeding experience by piling up under feeders and sometimes becoming moldy. Filters such as sorghum or red-dyed corn that resemble seeds meant for planting can attract squirrels, raccoons and other mammals – to reduce waste choose a premium wild bird seed mix which does not include them!
Black Oil Seed
Black oil sunflower seeds are the centerpiece of many quality wild bird seed mixes, drawing birds such as chickadees, titmice, jays, woodpeckers and cardinals to their feeders. Their thin shells allow smaller songbirds to easily crack open these tasty seeds.
Safflower seeds feature thick shells that are only accessible by larger birds with stronger bills, like cardinals and grosbeaks, but still attract small birds like juncos, sparrows, towhees and wild turkeys. You can serve these seeds via hopper feeder, tube or platform feeder.
Black seed oil can provide many health benefits, however thymoquinone may interact with certain medications and cause side effects in some individuals. Therefore, before taking supplements it’s advisable to consult a healthcare provider first – particularly if you suffer from diabetes or bleeding disorders; avoid applying the oil directly onto sensitive parts of the body as this could cause skin irritations.
