Birds that eat thistle seed (commonly referred to as niger seeds) include American goldfinches, pine siskins and dark-eyed juncos. Furthermore, thistle seed is popularly mixed into finch mix bird feed and canary seed mixes along with filler seeds like reed canary grass seed or small millet seeds for feeding finch feeders and canaries respectively.
These tiny seeds are expertly sterilized before packaging to prevent them from sprouting and becoming weeds. You can serve them either with special finch feeders or regular clear-sided tube feeders.
Finch
One of the great things about thistle seed is its ability to attract numerous songbirds, particularly finches. These colorful migratory birds can often be seen gathering around backyard feeders in great numbers – adding lively bursts of color and activity. Furthermore, thistle seed helps these small birds maintain their feathers through harsh winter months.
To attract finches to your feeder, offer a mixture of thistle seeds and smaller species they enjoy such as sunflower or millet seeds. When choosing the appropriate feeder such as C&S Nyjer Sack Wild Bird Feeder that features an easy refill feature using its sturdy nylon net which holds 8 ounces of thistle seed and includes clips for hanging, these tactics should help.
Wagner’s Nyjer/Thistle Seeds Wild Bird Food can also help attract finches. Made of premium quality thistle seeds that have been cleaned of debris and contaminants, this blend boasts high oil content that provides important health benefits for many birds – especially finches! Furthermore, other wild species of birds such as sparrows, wrens, towhees, quail woodpeckers and chickadees also appreciate this food source!
Removing the outer shell makes unhulled thistle seeds easier for finches to grip and hold onto, so placing thistle seeds away from larger birds such as blackbirds or grackles could compete with finches for these seeds. Furthermore, offering other kinds of bird feed may attract even more wildlife into your backyard.
Chickadee
These black seeds, commonly referred to as thistle seed or nyjer seed, are high in oil content and a favorite among finches. Other birds like fincos, sparrows, chickadees, towhees, goldfinches siskins and redpolls also enjoy eating thistle seeds! When selecting thistle seed wild bird food products look for those containing high-quality ingredients which have been sterilized during production to reduce sprouting as an invasive weed while packaging should also be resealable so the seeds remain fresh and dry throughout its lifetime.
Birds enjoy eating thistle seed, but some also prefer other feeders such as safflower seeds, which resemble thistle seed in size and shape but possess an outer protective shell protecting the meaty interior. Safflower seeds provide birds with energy as they contain fats and proteins abundantly and serve as an essential food source. Cardinals, grosbeaks, blue jays, and nuthatches regularly consume this energy source as part of their diets.
CountryMax Finch Frenzy Mix is an excellent way to attract finches and other small songbirds, including finches. Made up of 50-50 mixture of nyjer thistle seed and ground sunflower chips, its seeds have been sterilized during production to avoid germinating and it also features a mix of fatty oils which help keep birds’ wings moisturized.
Happy Wings Pre-Filled Thistle Sock offers another great thistle seed food option for birds: its Pre-Filled Thistle Sock contains 150,000 seeds per pound and can be used with tube and sock feeders. USDA and BRC-GS approved seeds won’t become invasive plants in your yard and last longer due to no germinating; plus its unique sock design makes cleaning and refilling much simpler – perfect for drawing finches into your backyard!
