Produced without corn to attract songbirds with natural, nutritional ingredients. Perfect for year round feeding! This filler-free mix offers great value.
Black Oil Sunflower Seeds attract wild song birds such as evening grosbeaks, cardinals, tufted titmice and pine siskins. Our blend contains other seeds and grains to meet your bird’s energetic demands.
Contents
Sunflower Seed
Sunflower seeds (Helianthus annuus) are edible kernels encased by a hard shell, providing a source of nutrition that can be enjoyed raw, sprouted, salted or roasted. Furthermore, sunflower seed butter provides an effective alternative to peanut or almond butter for those with allergies.
Sunflower kernels contain vitamin E, an antioxidative that works to shield cells from free radical damage. Furthermore, these kernels also supply B vitamins folate and b6, as well as being packed with minerals such as copper, magnesium, phosphorus manganese selenium.
Sunflower seeds contain phytoestrogens (lignans and isoflavones), plant compounds which bind with estrogen receptors in the body to help reduce breast cancer risk, osteoporosis and postmenopausal disorders. Furthermore, sunflower seeds provide magnesium which is necessary to balance calcium/potassium ratio and maintain bone health – one three-fourth cup provides about 50% of daily recommended value (1)
White Millet
White proso millet is a high-protein seed that attracts ground birds like doves, juncos, towhees and sparrows. It can be fed alone or as part of a wild bird mix and cardinals in particular seem particularly fond of it! You can throw it directly on the ground or place in low tray feeders; its rich source of proteins, fats and B vitamins make this seed ideal.
Wheatgrass contains an abundance of iron, yet most monogastrics cannot digest it due to being bound up by phytate molecules [76]. Furthermore, eating too much wheatgrass regularly may lead to goitrogenic polyphenols and C-glycosylflavones being released that may lead to an iodine deficiency [77].
White proso millet differs from other millet varieties in that it does not contain gluten and can therefore be safely consumed by people with celiac disease or those who are sensitive to it. Furthermore, this variety may offer nutraceutical health benefits, including reducing cholesterol levels, lowering blood pressure, aiding weight loss, preventing diabetes and protecting against heart disease.
Nyjer (Thistle) Seed
Nyjer seed is a black, oil-rich small seed that attracts finches and other small songbirds with short beaks such as juncos, chickadees, goldfinches, purple finches, pine siskins, redpolls, sparrows and doves. As this food source is so beloved among finch species it often finds itself included in finch mix or canary bird seed mixes as an attractant to these birds.
Nyjer can also be found in feeders designed to attract finches, like the Finch Frenzy feeder. Since finches do not consume old or spoiled thistle feeders, fresh thistle should always be filled in your thistle feeders to ensure an optimal experience for them.
Note that nyjer seed is often hand harvested overseas and therefore more expensive than other varieties of seeds. Also, nyjer will attract squirrels and rats, so make sure your feeder has a baffle or squirrel proof feature to discourage their visits. Another way to limit squirrel-rat visits would be to clean your feeder regularly and only fill it halfway with thistle seeds.
Golden Safflower
Safflower seeds provide your birds with essential proteins and fats, and are easy for them to crack open without leaving behind piles of sunflower hulls which otherwise accumulate at feeders. Safflower attracts cardinals, nuthatches and finches alike.
This product utilizes NutraSaff safflower, with a thinner outer hull than traditional white safflower and easier digestibility for wild birds. Plus, its higher oil, protein and fat content attracts more birds to feeders while deterring squirrels from getting in!
Golden safflower seed can be found in grocery store’s wild bird sections; however, pet stores and online retailers that specialize in bird feed usually offer it more cheaply. Many quality wild bird seed mixes include this seed as an alternative to sunflower seeds that may have become popular at feeders.
