BEST TYPES OF SEEDS FOR BIRDS
Sunflower Seeds
- Black-oil sunflower seed is preferred by many small feeder birds, especially in northern latitudes. Striped sunflower seed is also readily eaten, especially by large-beaked birds. Hulled sunflower seed is eaten by the greatest variety of birds; it attracts jays, Red-Bellied Woodpeckers, goldfinches, Northern Cardinals, Pine Grosbeaks, titmice, nuthatches, and grackles
Millet
- White millet is the favorite food of most small-beaked ground-feeding birds; red millet is also readily eaten. Millet attracts quail, doves, juncos, sparrows, towhees, cowbirds, and Red-winged Blackbirds.
Cracked Corn
- Medium cracked corn attracts many kinds of ground-feeding birds, but it is prone to rot, since the interior of the kernel readily soaks up moisture. Feed small amounts, mixed with millet, on feeding tables or from watertight hopper feeders. Avoid fine cracked corn, since it quickly turns to mush; coarse cracked corn is too large for small-beaked birds. Cracked corn attracts quail, doves, jays, juncos, and towhees.
Safflower Seeds
- Safflower seed is readily eaten by cardinals, grosbeaks, sparrows, and doves; starlings, House Sparrows, and squirrels usually find it less appealing than sunflower seed.
Thistle
- A preferred food of American Goldfinches, Lesser Goldfinches, House Finches, and Common Redpolls, Nyjer® is sometimes called “black gold,” because it can be expensive compared with other birdseed. Do not confuse it with prickly thistle, a pink-flowered weed used by goldfinches to line their nests.
Suet
- This mixture attracts insect-eating birds such as woodpeckers, wrens, chickadees, nuthatches, and titmice. Place the suet in special feeders or net onion bags at least five feet above the ground to keep it out of the reach of animals. Although suet is particularly helpful during cold weather and migration, when birds need extra fat reserves, “no melt” suet cakes are now available for use in warmer weather
Peanuts
- Whole and crushed peanuts attract woodpeckers, jays, chickadees, titmice, bushtits, nuthatches, Brown Creepers, wrens, kinglets, Northern Mockingbirds, Brown Thrashers, starlings, and Yellow-rumped and Pine Warblers. Provide these in tube-shaped, metal mesh feeders.
Milo, Wheat, and Oats
- These agricultural products are frequently mixed into lowpriced birdseed blends. Most birds discard the uneaten seed in favor of other food, which leaves it to accumulate under feeders, where they may attract rodents. In the Southwest, however, milo attracts pheasants, quail, and doves.
