Types of birdseed for backyard feeders
If you’re new to attracting birds to your outdoor feeders, there’s a lot to learn about the types of bird seeds to entice them. Here’s some basic information to get you started on the path to encourage birds returning to the feeders in your yard with good seeds and ingredients to entice them.
- Black Oil Sunflower seed is the most popular seed that attracts the most birds, no matter their species. Often called “oilers” the seeds have thin shells and are preferred by smaller birds. Without shells they don’t cause the mess and clean up that shelled seeds do.
- Striped Sunflower seeds have hard shells and are preferred by larger birds whose large and strong beaks can break through the shells. Their variegated stripes make them easily recognized. Both types of sunflower seeds are a good choice for hopper feeders, open trays or platforms, large mesh feeders and wide-mouth tube feeders.
- Safflower Seed is another popular birdfood preferred by medium size birds and is more expensive than sunflower seeds. It’s often included in a mixture of bird seeds.
- Nyjer seeds are small, lightweight seeds attractive to small birds and usually used in small Nyjer tube feeders with narrow openings.
- Millet is a bird seed that is easily spread on the ground or in a low tray feeder because it attract ground-feeding birds.
- Suet cakes are made from animal fat that is molded into square cakes designed to fit in a suet basket with a hanger to suspend it from a shepherd. Some cages are designed with suction cups for a window. Suet attracts many varieties of birds.
- Mealworms, available live or dried, are especially popular with bluebirds. You’ll find live mealworms sold at retailers like PetSmart and Tractor Supply or dried wherever specialty bird seed is sold.
Learn from locals ( birds and people)
Birdseed can be marketed and labeled for a specific bird species like cardinals, songbirds or wild finch. Some food caters to the location where you feed them and is labeled for “deck, porch and patio.” The choices can be mind bodgling for your first entry into attracting birds.
Going to a local bird lovers retailer like Wild Birds Unlimited or a garden center is a good choice because they know the species of native birds unique to your area and what type of seeds are selling well there. Join a birding group, or a nature center or take a birding class. And ask friends and neighbors who have a yard full of feeders what they use to attract birds to their feeders.
Mix it up
You’ll find birdseed sold as “mixed seed”, which is a good choice to learn what works and what doesn’t. Or start with a small bag of a variety of seeds and use it in different types of feeders to see if it attracts the birds in your neighborhood. If you’re like us, it’ll be hit or miss, until you find what your local birds prefer. The first seeds are the primary seed in a mix of seeds. If you like to experiment, try mixing different seeds together to come up with a home brew that attracts birds and not squirrels.
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Gene and Katie Hamilton are bird watchers who attend birding festivals and events and write about the wonders of the birding world. They are members of the Outdoor Writers Association of America.
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