There are various kinds of seeds that attract different types of birds. Black oil sunflower seed and nyjer thistle seeds are popular because they’re easy for most birds to consume and contain plenty of fat content.
These feeders make ideal additions to platform feeders, hoppers and tubes and will attract finches, chickadees, woodpeckers and titmice alike.
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Sunflower Seed
Sunflower seeds are beloved snacks of many birds, such as cardinals and woodpeckers. Black oil sunflower seeds feature thin shells that make cracking open easier while their thicker counterparts with stripes may take more effort for birds to open.
Some bird feeder owners like to include hulled (shelled) sunflower hearts in their seed mixture, as they’re easier for birds to crack open and offer more nutrition per bite than whole seeds. Unfortunately, however, they tend to spoil quickly under direct sunlight and attract squirrels.
High quality seed blends should include black oil sunflower seeds, nyjer seeds and peanuts to draw in as wide an array of birds as possible. Avoid cheaper blends which include milo, red millet or wheat as birds don’t enjoy these grains as readily. A great blend will also contain small quantities of safflower seeds which attract grosbeaks, sparrows and finches while being unfavorable to European starlings or squirrels.
Nyjer Seed
Nyjer or Thistle seeds from Guizotia abyssinica African daisies, more commonly known as Nyjer or Thistle seeds, are popular with finches, goldfinches, house finches, purple finches and pine siskins as their food of choice due to their small size and high oil content – providing essential energy sources. Also attracting sparrows, juncos and towhees at feeders! For optimal results use special thistle feeders with small ports designed specifically for Nyjer feeders!
Some birders prefer using blends containing thistle and black oil sunflower seeds instead of straight nyjer, as this allows for the addition of more popular seed varieties that attract songbirds more effectively. When selecting such mixes it’s important to avoid those containing excessive quantities of milo (sorghum), as too much milo won’t attract many birds while too much milo may actually scare away desirable species altogether.
Safflower Seed
Safflower seeds are an attractive treat for cardinals and other wild birds alike. These small white seeds feature tapered shapes similar to black oil sunflower seed with higher levels of fat and protein compared to its counterpart, providing a great addition to any backyard bird feeding station and discouraging feeder-hogging species like grackles and blackbirds.
Squirrels tend to avoid safflower seeds, making them perfect for use in similar feeders as black oil sunflower seeds. You can scatter these on the ground to attract mourning doves (also known as Rain Doves or Carolina Pigeons) or use them in ground-feeding tube feeders.
Safflower seed can often be found in blends that combine it with black oil sunflower, nyjer seed, shelled peanuts and other high-fat bird seeds for maximum impact. These combinations may be useful to beginners looking to introduce new birds into their yards or those trying to rid their feeders of unwanted species.
Seed Blends
As an effective means of attracting a wider range of wild birds to backyard bird feeders, owners may wish to purchase seed blends which offer substantial cost savings when compared with purchasing individual seeds.
However, it’s essential to closely inspect the seed proportions in any particular blend – some cheaper mixes contain high concentrations of milo, wheat or other seeds which birds do not prefer.
Birders attracted to feeding blends that contain fruit pieces and non-seed ingredients may be drawn to feeding a blend with fruit pieces and non-seed ingredients, like fruit pieces and non-seed ingredients, in their feeder. While this approach can attract numerous species of wildlife, it should be remembered that such additions contain higher levels of fats and carbohydrates than most seeds; thus consuming these foods sparingly or not at all may be wiser. Furthermore, fruit additions produce additional debris which must be cleaned away regularly from either ground feeder or platform feeder.
