If seed hulls are becoming an issue at your feeders or you live in an area where squirrels have access, offering wild bird seed without sunflower seeds could be the perfect solution. There are a number of premium bird seed mixes designed specifically for this purpose such as Lyric’s Fine Tunes No Waste Wild Bird mix that are available.
Contents
Sunflower Seeds
Sunflower seeds (commonly referred to as sunflower hearts and chips) are popular with most songbirds, and offering them in their unhulled state reduces energy expenditure in cracking the shells with their beaks as well as creating messy piles of seed that could become damp and promote mold or bacteria growth.
Sunflower kernels contain essential vitamins, minerals and plant chemicals such as phytosterols to lower cholesterol levels and assist digestion and blood sugar regulation. Plus they’re high in protein and fiber for improved digestive health and regulation of blood sugar levels.
Hulled sunflower seeds can be distributed using hopper feeders, wide-mouthed tubes, trays and open platform feeders. When mixed with black oil sunflower seed for maximum songbird attraction – such as grackles and purple finches – they provide an excellent source of Omega-6 fatty acids.
Corn
Hulled sunflower seeds (also referred to as sunflower hearts, chips or broken chips) provide a no-mess alternative to whole sunflower seed. Birds enjoy them and the shells won’t germinate into weeds – making hulled sunflower seeds ideal for use as feeders in areas where extra growth might not be desirable.
Companies that provide mixes minus black oil sunflower seeds often include other items in their mix such as hulled peanuts, tree nut pieces and cracked corn that reduce waste by eliminating inedible sunflower hulls that birds leave on the ground. Although more costly than whole sunflower seeds, these mixtures reduce waste through eliminating unwanted hulls that birds discard on the ground.
Black oil sunflower seeds were our tests’ favorite seed among chickadees, titmice, nuthatches, finches and cardinals. Additionally, they may attract House Sparrows or cowbirds which will require frequent cleaning of your feeder.
Millet
If you’re hoping to attract ground-feeding birds such as quail, mourning doves, spotted and canyon towhees, juncos and cardinals then try feeding millet. Millet can either be scattered onto the ground or placed in a tray feeder – some songbirds don’t appreciate milo, so much of it often goes unused! Millet also often appears in pre-mixed bird seed but often goes to waste as many songbirds don’t appreciate its inclusion so this won’t work either!
Milo seeds contain high concentrations of protein that could quickly lead to malnutrition in birds, leading to their death and leading many wild birders away from including them in their feeders.
Some birders use a mix of seeds such as white proso millet and safflower to attract more species of songbirds, while others opt for shelled sunflower seeds placed in a tray feeder, eliminating seed shell clutter while making eating easier for birds.
Peanuts
Peanuts are an excellent source of fat/protein. As a high fat/protein food source, peanuts attract many species of birds. Furthermore, peanuts may serve as a cheap replacement to costly ingredients found in low quality wild bird feed mixes like safflower and niger seed that might otherwise attract unwanted attention from predators.
Peanuts require shelling and chopping before offering, making this task more laborious than with sunflower seeds, which birds can readily crack open without difficulty. A feeder designed specifically to this end will make this task simpler while decreasing the likelihood that squirrels, chipmunks and ground mice accessing your feed source.
Add chopped peanut pieces to your feed for chickadees, nuthatches, and woodpeckers to encourage them. Make sure that the peanuts are unsalted and unroasted so as to prevent dehydration. Alternatively, suet is another highly energy-dense treat which attracts woodpeckers, nuthatches, warblers, and tanagers alike.
Safflower
Safflower seeds (Carthamus tinctorius) are packed with fat and protein, yet are generally ignored by blackbirds and grackles. You could use them in bird feeders to attract specialized backyard birds or turn into cooking oils commercially; research suggests safflower oil might even help prevent “hardening of the arteries” and lower cholesterol.
Safflower seeds can be found in specialty wild bird feeding sections of grocery stores and online retailers, and some high-quality “cardinal blend” mix recipes include this unique seed. Hopper, tube and platform feeders as well as offering it strewn over the ground can all provide access to this nutritious treat for Indigo Buntings as a tasty treat!
