Wagner’s has been helping bird enthusiasts attract songbirds into their yards for over eighty years, offering specialty, regional and deluxe seed blends packed with high-quality ingredients that attract only desired birds while discouraging feeder hogs such as grackles and starlings from feeding too much. Wagner’s premium blends contain more sunflower to attract Cardinals and Finches.
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Sunflower Seeds
Sunflower seeds are a favorite among birders. Packed full of protein, healthy fats and fiber – as well as vitamins and minerals – sunflower seeds offer plenty of nutrition benefits to birders.
These seeds provide birds with the highest amount of energy compared to other seed varieties, helping them quickly gain strength and move off into search of new territory. Furthermore, they contain other essential nutrients such as calcium, iron, vitamin E, vitamin B and potassium for good measure.
Hulled sunflower seeds offer an ideal alternative to whole seeds for smaller seed-eating birds that cannot easily break through their hard outer coating. Plus, they’re easier to scatter on the ground or tray feeder.
Doves, Sparrows and Nuthatches can often be seen at feeders containing hulled sunflower seeds; however, aggressive birds such as grackles and blackbirds will sometimes dominate these seed-laden feeders.
White Millet
White millet is often added to wild bird seed blends to attract ground feeding species like sparrows, juncos, doves and towhees. Additionally, it’s an effective way to attract migratory birds like quail.
Small, round seeds that can easily be consumed by birds make this seed an excellent option for scattering on the ground or placing in low feeders, and can even be mixed with black oil sunflower seeds to add variety.
Bird seed is easy for birds to digest and provides them with essential B vitamins and protein. As an important supplemental food source during droughts or periods of reduced activity, this supplement food may help them build reserves to tide over drought-stricken periods. Unfortunately, it doesn’t contain vitamin A so be sure to supplement it with other seeds to maintain a balanced diet for your pet bird chicks during weaning; its calories make a nutritious source for small creatures!
Safflower Seeds
Safflower seeds’ high fat content makes them an attractive component in many bird seed mixes, especially among Cardinals, jays, chickadees and some grosbeaks. But these seeds also attract doves, titmice and native sparrows – doves in particular seem particularly fond of these thick-shelled seeds with difficulty cracking open their shells – ideal for use in tray or hopper feeders.
Safflower seeds are not particularly attractive to squirrels, making them an excellent way to limit the presence of these annoying pests at your feeder. Furthermore, they won’t entice grackles or starlings that might otherwise crowd out songbirds you want attracted by more traditional foods.
Safflower seeds can be found at most garden centers and pet stores, online, and can be bought in bulk to save money. While not as commonly sold as other types of bird seed, these specialty feed and wild bird stores may carry them.
Corn
Birds love this grain staple found in many feeders; it provides energy as well as essential vitamins and minerals. Plus, its protein-rich composition contributes to muscle growth.
By offering ear corn in your feeders, you can attract many species of birds throughout the year – especially during the cold months when food may be scarcer. Ear corn is especially helpful for grain and seed-eating birds like pigeons, doves, sparrows, finches and blackbirds that benefit from having something they can snack on daily; their beaks stay sharp by pecking at kernels on the cob which naturally conditions its teeth over time and keeps it healthy and sharp.
Corn should only be fed in moderation to avoid nutritional imbalances, along with providing other healthier foods as supplements. Too much corn may pose choking hazards; should you opt for feeding your bird this diet rich in corn, make sure that any larger pieces are crushed first so as to prevent accidents from happening.
