Attract an array of backyard feathered friends with this economical year-round bird seed. A classic blend, including white proso millet, cracked corn and black oil sunflower seeds – ideal for use in hopper, platform and tube feeders.
Avoid cheap mixes of seed that contain milo and other grains unsuitable for birds, and instead opt for quality seeds like black oil and striped sunflowers.
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Sunflower Seed
Sunflower seeds are the go-to bird seed for backyard feeders, providing protein and oil while offering key vitamins such as Vitamin E, Thiamine and Manganese. Sunflower seeds draw cardinals, chickadees, nuthatches mourning doves towhees and finches alike; you can use these in hopper, large tube and covered fly-through feeders.
Sunflower seeds are rich in monounsaturated fat (linoleic acid) while being low in saturated fat content, also providing polyunsaturated oleic acid as well. Their hard husks may remain or be removed for easier consumption; in either form they come striped, plain, or flavored varieties – with confectionary style sunflower seeds typically featuring black-and-white stripes for decoration purposes.
Sunflower seeds and sprouts provide an abundance of health-promoting phenolic acids, with flavonoids such as ferulic and galic acids playing an especially vital role in this regard. Studies have revealed these compounds to inhibit growth of various microorganisms including Salmonella typhi, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Vibrio cholera and Aspergillus fumigates [52]. Additionally, sunflower seeds also offer soluble fiber.
Millet Seed
Millets are annual plants that offer wildlife high-quality feed. Bird seed mixtures frequently include millets to offer birds a more varied and balanced diet, since millets contain higher concentrations of niacin for easier digestible energy production than many other seed crops.
Pearl millet (Panicum miliaceum) is one of the most commonly fed birds in the US. This crop can withstand various climate conditions and has shown excellent drought tolerance as well as pathogen tolerance and soil acidity tolerance. Ideal conditions would include a moderate to rich, well-drained soil pH between 5.5-7.5 for success in growing Pearl millet.
Other species of millet include the foxtail millet (Setaria italica), which produces small pointed seeds that are popularly grown as hay in Asia; browntop millet (Eleusine coracana), which boasts 4 to 5 millimeter long grains, making this variety suitable for warm humid regions; Teff (Eragrostis tef) is sometimes included as part of this group of millets, but more appropriately classified as grass.
Peanuts
Peanuts are an ideal food to attract woodpeckers, chickadees, titmice and jays as they contain both protein and fat that these animals require to thrive.
Birds enjoy snacking on whole or shelled peanuts or peanut chips, but be wary when offering too much at one time; in hot and humid weather they may go rancid quickly and spoil. Also keep squirrels and chipmunks from raiding the feeders with baffles for safety!
Offering a mixture of whole and shelled peanuts without salt or other filler ingredients will draw in more species to your feeding station. Titmice are particularly fond of this combination, while Carolina Wrens can often be seen hanging off of hanging feeders waiting to grab one before flying away again.
Corn
Cracked corn is a favorite food among wild birds, including quail, woodpeckers, chickadees and jays. This inexpensive yet high-energy treat can be offered year round as it is enjoyed by squirrels, chipmunks and ground-feeding birds such as towhees, juncos and sparrows. However, since corn can quickly spoil and become dangerous when exposed to moisture it should only be given in small doses on tray or platform feeders with any wasted kernels being raked up by hand or platform feeders before placing back out. Corn can quickly spoil and contain potentially dangerous aflatoxins if left sitting too long; therefore its use should be limited or avoided altogether.
Stop feeding rapeseed and canary seed to House Sparrows, blackbirds and cowbirds as these seeds are their favorites. Plus they attract squirrels that may quickly take over your feeders. Furthermore, these seeds tend to spoil faster than other varieties and waste seed can become breeding grounds for bacteria and fungus that contaminates fresh seed supplies; so try switching out seed mixes that contain them with thick-shelled striped sunflower seeds that House Sparrows won’t easily crack open!
