Birdseed that you put out in your feeders is an invaluable way to support these gorgeous animals, while simultaneously adding joy to your own life.
As prices for birdseed skyrocketed during the COVID-19 pandemic, more consumers entered the hobby. But will this trend persist?
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Black Oil Sunflower
Sunflower seeds are one of the most versatile types of birdseed. You can use it alone or mix it in with other feeder blends to attract a wide range of wild bird species.
Black oil sunflower seeds offer more nutrition per bite while being easier for small birds to open than their striped counterparts. Furthermore, their thinner shells make for faster eating habits while simultaneously providing more nutrition in each bite.
Wagner’s has combined this high-quality seed with their economy mix, which works well in hoppers, tube feeders and platform feeders. The mix attracts northern cardinals, tufted titmice, mourning doves and house finches and provides essential sources of oil that provide protein and energy for wild birds of all kinds. Used year-round it attracts numerous songbird species. When storing black oil sunflower seeds it is vitally important that these are stored safely away from rodents and insects.
Nyjer Thistle
Nyjer seed is the go-to feed of finches like the Goldfinch. While the two may seem similar, Nyjer is actually made up of small black seeds from African daisies called Guizotia abyssinica that are produced thin enough for shipping to the United States by sterilization at extreme heat before arriving here.
Finches love eating this seed because their sharp bills are perfectly equipped for cracking open its tiny shells. Finches can often be seen flying low overhead while foraging at your feeder and sometimes even hanging upside-down!
Since nyjer is harvested by hand overseas, its cost makes it prohibitive to place on your feeders directly. Therefore, premium finch-specific blends or feeders with ports for nyjer/thistle ports are the only ways to access it. In order to protect its trademarked status and prevent it from being confused with Canada Thistle seeds by mistake. The Wild Bird Feeding Institute trademarked this term Nyjer to eliminate mispronunciations issues as well as reduce confusion over identity issues between Canada Thistle and its seed counterpart.
Lyric Fruit & Nut High Energy Mix
This bird feed offers balanced nutrition with its gourmet blend of all-natural ingredients. This includes nuts to provide long-term energy and fruit as a quick boost. Plus, there are zero fillers to minimize waste and higher quality seeds; use in hopper, tube, or platform feeders and it will attract cardinals, chickadees, juncos, nuthatches, titmice, woodpeckers and many others! Enjoy cherries, cranberries raisins Valencia peanuts almonds pecans cashews sunflower kernels shelled pumpkin seeds plus steamed, crimped corn!
Outdoor Life reports that purchasing wild bird seed in bulk can lower its expense, according to Outdoor Life. It provides an economical alternative to black oil sunflower seeds which may become prohibitively costly due to bad weather or rising demand for ethanol production. Outdoor Life suggests this wild bird seed attracts numerous songbirds while being great value – its 25 pound bag has an easy storage lid!
Kaytee Wild Bird Food
As seasons change, it is essential to provide foods that will attract different species of wild birds. Nyjer seed provides energy-rich energy for finches and other winter species while suet can draw woodpeckers and wrens. Peanuts in-shell or hearts provide protein rich nutrition needed for songbirds during busy nesting seasons.
This basic blend is a go-to choice at many backyard feeders, offering the right combination of ingredients to attract most common backyard birds year-round. Ideal for use with hopper, large tube and covered fly-through feeders.
This regional blend is tailored specifically for songbirds that inhabit Northeastern United States. It consists of black oil sunflower, striped sunflower seeds, milo and cracked corn which can be fed via hopper, large tube and covered feeders and helps reduce waste while drawing more birds than non-regional mixes.
