Seed

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Seed

Black Oil Sunflower Seed:

This little black seed seems to be preferred by almost all of the seed eating birds you might attract to your yard. If you're only going to buy one type of seed, this would be the one to buy. It offers birds a wonderful combination of fat and protein, in a nice little package, plus you can find it just about anywhere that sells bird related products, even in the supermarket. It's not only my personal number one choice, but research has shown it to be also.

Striped Sunflower Seed:

This is another good bird seed although it isn't as preferred as black oil, since it's shell is bigger and a bit harder to crack for some of the smaller songbirds. Cardinals, Grosbeaks, and Blue Jays like it though, so it's definitely a consideration.

One thing to remember with either of these seeds, is after the birds shell them to get at the seed, you'll be left with hulls under the feeder. Also it would be wise to know that sunflower seed hulls are toxic to grass and other plants, so think of that when you decide where you want to put your feeder. Remember to keep the feeder area clean by raking up the shells from time to time.

Sunflower Hearts (or chips):

If you decide you don't want to put up with the mess from regular sunflower seeds, you can buy them already shelled. It's more expensive to buy this way, but you actually end up with more seeds per pound, and the birds eat the whole seed, so there's no mess left behind. The only problem I've found with sunflower hearts is they tend to get damp easily, and then you've got a sticky mess on your hands. Try to put them in a feeder where they'll stay dry.

Mixed Seed:

This is a mixture of various bird seeds, most often the main ingredient is White Proso Millet, a favorite with native sparrows. A good mix will also contain a fair amount of sunflower seed, either Black Oil or Striped, and maybe Cracked Corn. The big problem with mixed seed are the "filler" seeds that go into the bag along with good stuff. You end up paying more for seed that will most likely be thrown aside for the better stuff. Many times you'll see Milo listed as one of the ingredients. In my experience, not too many birds will eat Milo unless they can't get anything else, and they're really hungry. I have read that western songbirds will eat it but, for the Long Island area, steer clear of a mix with Milo in it. Other fillers that are basically a waste are Red Millet, wheat, rape seed, canary seed and flax seed. I like to make up my own mix, containing only White Proso Millet, Black Oil Sunflower Seed and Cracked Corn, but if I don't have the time, I'll buy prepacked mixed seed. What you need to do when buying mixed seed is read the label and try to pick one out that is mostly made up of the better seeds, and possibly some cracked corn.

Cracked Corn:

There are a lot of birds that will eat Cracked Corn, including Blue Jays, Cardinals, and native sparrows, but remember too that it's a favorite of the blackbird family. If you have a problem with Grackles, Red-winged Blackbirds or Crows crowding your feeders, you might want to steer clear of corn. The good thing about Cracked Corn is it's relatively inexpensive, and if the kids want to go feed the ducks (or other water birds) down at the water, it's so much better for the birds than using white bread.

Niger Seed (Thistle):

If you want to attract Goldfinches to your yard, this is the number one way to do it. Goldfinches relish this tiny black seed, and at certain times of the year I've had 25 or more trying to get on my Niger feeders. Other birds that Niger will attract are Pine Siskins, House Finches, and the occasional Junco eating under the feeder. Don't be afraid if you see it called Thistle Seed, because it's not the seed from Thistle plants. Niger seed is an imported seed that is heat treated so it won't grow wild. That's not to say that you won't get a few sprouts under your feeders occasionally, but they won't reach maturity.

Safflower Seed:

This shiny white seed in generally used as a deterrent to Squirrels and blackbirds raiding your feeders. Cardinals, House Finches, Chickadees, Tufted Titmice, and others will adapt to safflower seed if there's no sunflower seed available. They surely don't prefer it, but if you have a problem with squirrels, or blackbirds, eating your sunflower seed, you might want to try it. I use it myself in the fall when the blackbird population swells prior to migration, but I always switch back to the less expensive Black Oil Sunflower seed after that. I've also found that some Grackles and Squirrels will eventually eat Safflower if they can't get anything else, so it's not a miracle cure against unwanted visitors, whether feathered or furred.

Peanuts:

Put out some peanuts (unsalted please!), and you'll be loved by Blue Jays, Woodpeckers, Nuthatches, Chickadees, Tufted Titmice, and more. Peanuts are power packed with great nutritional value for birds. You can put them out in the shell for the bigger birds, or already shelled for smaller ones. Either way you serve them, they'll be appreciated. I will warn you though that peanuts can be a bit expensive, so shop around or look for sales. Maybe you can even find a place that sells peanut rejects. These are peanuts that weren't good enough for human consumption, but are fine for birds.