Wagner’s is a wild bird food brand, and its Greatest Variety blend is a mixed seed meant to attract many kinds of backyard birds. Retailers list it in several bag sizes, so check the bag you buy for the exact ingredients.
What is in a variety blend?
Variety mixes usually combine several seeds so different birds find something they like. Common ingredients are:
- Black oil sunflower: thin shells, high fat, and a favorite of chickadees, cardinals and finches.
- Striped sunflower: harder to crack, so it is eaten by larger birds such as jays and grosbeaks.
- White millet: attracts mourning doves, sparrows and juncos to the ground.
- Cracked corn and milo: inexpensive fillers that some birds eat and others toss aside.
- Peanuts and nyjer: nyjer (thistle) seed is a favorite of goldfinches and pine siskins, though it is usually fed in a separate fine-mesh feeder.
Reducing waste
Birds often pick out favorites and drop the rest. Use a tray or platform feeder, fill it with only a day or two’s worth, and put a ground tray beneath tube feeders. Some people simply add a second feeder with black oil sunflower to see which seed disappears first. Rake up hulls and spilled seed regularly to prevent mold.
Storage
Keep the bag sealed in a cool, dry container. Moisture and heat cause mold and attract pests, and old seed loses nutrition. Throw out any seed that smells musty or has clumps.
Is it right for you?
A variety blend is useful if you do not yet know which birds visit. After a few weeks, you can switch to the seeds that get eaten. Compare it with Native American Premium wild bird food and Walmart’s 40 lb wild bird seed.
Bottom Line
A variety blend is a good starter food that attracts many species. Watch what your birds actually eat, then adjust to cut waste.
