No more mess and cleanup with this premium mix that features no sunflower hulls – 100% edible to birds! Sure to attract chickadees, robins and other backyard birdlife.
This premium mix contains black oil sunflower seeds, striped sunflower seeds, nyjer (thistle), and shelled peanuts. It does not include milo, wheat, red millet or other filler/waste seeds that many birds do not prefer found in lower cost mixes sold by non-birding stores.
Contents
Sunflower Seed
Sunflower seeds are an easy, no-mess wild bird seed option that should be included in every feeder. Not only are sunflower seeds rich in proteins and fats for birds to eat, they’re also packed with essential vitamins and minerals like Vitamin E, Magnesium Phosphate Phosphorous Iron etc.
Our test birds loved all of the sunflower seeds we offered them, but Kayte Nyjer Thistle Seed proved particularly popular among house, purple and gold finches. Derived from Guizotia abyssinica of Africa’s Guizotia family thistles, these tiny seeds require special mesh tube feeders in order not to sprout according to The Cornell Lab; perching birds such as finches, siskins and indigo buntings all seem attracted by these unique seeds!
Lyric Fruit and Nut High Energy Mix was also tested, consisting largely of black oil sunflower seeds to attract chickadees, blue jays, titmice, cardinals, grosbeaks and nuthatches. We recommend providing various seeds at our feeders in order to prevent undesirable species from driving away those we desired.
Corn
Cracked corn (also called shelled corn) is a tasty treat beloved by grouse, quails, pheasants and wild turkeys, but also draws the interest of doves, sparrows, towhees and other ground feeding birds. An integral component of many homemade mix recipes as well as feeders or tray presentations – it makes an attractive meal option!
Ear corn is whole dried cobs of corn that has been stored and kept dry, used as bait in special eared or hanging feeders and designed to attract crows, jays and other large songbirds as well as squirrels. Ear corn must remain dry to prevent spoilage as well as avoid attracting raccoons or deer and other predators that might consume it.
Birders sometimes prefer mixing whole ear corn with black oil sunflower seeds, peanuts in the shell, and striped sunflower seeds for an all-inclusive high energy feed that will attract backyard birds. Cheap blends from big box stores may contain filler foods such as milo that won’t attract desirable species as much.
Peanuts
Peanuts can help attract blue jays and other ground-feeding birds during winter by offering shelled kernels, whole nuts or even “peanut hearts,” small chips left when two halves have been broken apart. Soaking or boiling may also ease shelling and chewing for small birds.
Peanut mixtures can be effective ways of attracting woodpeckers, chickadees, and titmice. When combined with suet (beef fat), this source of protein and fat provides year-round sustenance that’s difficult to find elsewhere.
Wagner’s Cardinal Candy is a popular blend, containing seeds, fruits and peanuts to attract cardinals. Other popular mixes include Early Bird and Lyric Fruit and Nut High Energy Mix that contain multiple species-attracting ingredients. These mixes can all be purchased from one location.
Pistachios
Pistachios are packed with monounsaturated fat, which has been proven to lower LDL cholesterol. Furthermore, these nuts provide protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants – plus act as natural prebiotics by feeding beneficial bacteria that live within our digestive systems!
Striped sunflower seed makes an excellent addition to any backyard bird feeding mix and will bring woodpeckers, chickadees, nuthatches and tufted titmice to your feeders. Another ingredient often used is white millet, with its high oil content drawing sparrows and finches to your feed bowls.
Kaytee offers this no-mess blend to attract woodpeckers, juncos, cardinals and other songbirds with an appetite for nuts and fruit diets as well as to provide high energy nourishment to woodpeckers, juncos and cardinals – as well as many others that frequent gardens – without creating an unsightly mess! It’s designed specifically to attract woodpeckers, juncos, cardinals and any other songbird that consumes nuts or fruits in addition to other songbird species such as woodpeckers which feed on nuts derived from trees or from seeds such as these. It’s designed specifically to attract woodpeckers juncos cardinals which eat nuts as well as high energy mixes for bird seed mix products containing nuts as well as songbirds that require these as food sources! This combination provides high energy mix.
