
Attract more birds, like this nuthatch with the seed they love, like sunflower seeds.
Sunflower Seed: This is at the top of the list of all seed for feeding birds. If you want to rely on just one type of seed that is most attractive to the greatest number of backyard birds, hands down sunflower seed is the right pick in any form—in the shell (black oil or white striped) or medium cracked out-of-the-shell meats. All forms of sunflower seeds are relished by finches, chickadees, nuthatches, grosbeaks, cardinals, jays and even some species of woodpeckers.
There’s only one problem with sunflower seed—bully birds, such as blackbirds, European starlings and grackles, also love it, especially if it’s served in a tray feeder.
There’s a simple solution. Serve sunflower seeds from a feeder that allows only the smaller birds to enter the feeding chamber. These feeders are often called “exclusion feeders,” with smaller perches, weight mechanisms or fencing to keep the larger birds out.
Nyjer Seed (Thistle): If finches are your fancy, like the brilliant-yellow American goldfinches that frequent my area, then you’ll want to serve up this tiny black seed some people call thistle. It’s best served in a special tube feeder that has very tiny ports to keep the small seeds from pouring out.
Chickadees love nyjer seed, too, and their acrobatic behavior allows them to extract the seeds from the tiny food ports. It’s also a good choice if you’re overrun by larger bully birds. They have a problem feeding from the tiny ports.
Sugar Water: During spring and summer, sugar water mixed in the kitchen (one part sugar to four parts water, boil and cool before serving) is dynamite for feeding birds like hummingbirds and orioles. Because most hummingbird feeders are made of red plastic, and oriole feeders of orange plastic, the sugar water doesn’t even need to be colored to attract the birds’ attention. Once these desirable birds find the feeder, it will be a challenge keeping it filled.
Suet Cakes: One of my pet peeves is the commercial suet cake selection in bird stores. Most suet cakes contain a smorgasbord of foods other than suet, such as berries, oranges and even insects. The most common extra ingredient in suet cakes is birdseed. Birds that eat suet, including woodpeckers, nuthatches, chickadees and titmice, eat it to get the energy that the suet offers, so all the extras are virtually useless. If they require seeds, berries or insects, they’ll find those food items elsewhere.
For my backyard, I purchase only pure suet cakes.
Safflower Seeds: Though it may take some birds a little time to get acquainted with safflower seeds, cardinals, grosbeaks, mourning doves and house finches will frequent feeders serving it. Because northern cardinals prefer a flat surface to stand on when eating, a tray feeder or hopper feeder with a wide rim makes it easier for them to eat safflower seed. Even chickadees will remove a single safflower seed and fly to a nearby branch to crack it open.
Perhaps best of all, squirrels don’t like safflower seed! Consider switching to it if you’re pestered by these furry rascals.
Wild Birdseed Mixes: This is often the “mystery mix” you’ll find at grocery stores or on sale at the local discount store. It’s usually a mix of lots of millet, cracked corn and very few sunflower seeds. The basic problem with these feed-all mixes is that they’re not discriminating and may attract mostly undesirable birds and night critters, such as rats and raccoons. I recommend avoiding these do-all mixes, and stick with the specialty foods listed.
Feeding the most desired birds is probably much easier than you thought. Order off the right menu and you’re likely to see the birds you want feasting right outside your favorite picture window.
Feeders Hold More Than Food There’s more to filling feeders with the right seed to attract the birds you want. A feeder’s shape, placement in the yard and distance above the ground will determine what kinds of birds actually use it. And yes, proper cover and habitat play an equally important role.
Here’s a quick rundown of the most effective bird feeders:
Tray feeders, on a post or hanging, are open pantry shelves that attract most seed-eating birds. Problem is they also attract rain, snow and ice, so you have to maintain them more than other feeders.
Certain birds, such as cardinals, grosbeaks, bluebirds, woodpeckers and robins, will basically feed from only these types of feeders. Try to get one with screening or holes in the bottom for drainage to keep seed from spoiling.
Tube feeders are hanging cylinders with portholes and perches that are favored by small finches. Chickadees and nuthatches will use them, too.
If the bully birds figure out how to eat from a tube feeder, you may want to shorten the perches slightly, or enclose the feeder in a wire mesh that will allow only the little birds to get to the food. Commercially made exclusion feeders are available.
Hopper feeders, either on a post or hanging, are targeted to most kinds of seed-eating birds. They usually have an enclosed reservoir for seeds that slides food down to the open feeding tray below. The advantage is that the hopper keeps the seeds dry and always available to birds.
Suet feeders are usually small square laminated cages that hold blocks of suet. They can hang on a tree trunk or be suspended from a branch. They’re great for attracting woodpeckers, as well as titmice, chickadees and nuthatches.
Sugar-water feeders are for hummingbirds and orioles. Tanagers, finches and other birds may also use them. Simply keep them topped off with fresh homemade sugar water…and stand back.
Jean Matty says
Where does one buy plain suet cakes?
Tamara says
I buy blocks of lard in the supermarket, melt it in a pot and add a variety of seeds and dried fruit. Then, wrap a suet cage with aluminum foil, leaving the one side that opens unwrapped. Then pack the cage with the seed mixture and refrigerate or freeze until it hardens up again. Then remove the foil and hang.
nancy depalo says
Thanks so much for this info as I strive to attract more birds in my new home in Port Royal SC.
This article has been very helpful
Chris says
For plain suet cakes, try your local Wild Birds Unlimited or their on-line store. My local store, in Ontario, Canada, carries them. My woodpeckers love the plain suet!
Great article, thanks!
Jeanne says
I try to find year round duet that doesn’t spoil as fast in warmer temps although all suet will go rancid in 90 degree temps so take care in the hotter months about serving suet. I usually switch to only sunflower and Niger seed in the warmer months cause there are always fat juicy bugs for the high energy eaters!
Barbara Trueheart says
Another great thing about plain suet is that squirrels don’t touch it! As for safflower seed, I had a few squirrels this past winter that cultivated a taste for it. It was a tough, cold winter and I guess food in the wild was scarce.
Jackie Fowler says
Enjoyed the article. I am just starting with feeding birds. In the article you mentioned cracked corn. What birds eat that? thank you.
S Fred Taylor Jr says
Mourning Doves eat it off the ground
Dan Storey says
Jackie, in my area (southeast Washington state) the mourning doves like cracked corn and wheat I can glean from grain silos when available.
Debbie says
Our squirrels love safflower seed! They still go for peanuts first, but when they are gone, they head straight for the safflower. The chipmunks love the safflower too! There is definite bullying for the safflower between the squirrels, chipmunks and the various birds that want to eat! And sometimes surprising to see who wins!
Stephen says
I hang 2 suet cakes. One on each side of a 4×4 post. They hang all year. I have seem Woodpeckers, Blue Jays, Thrashers, Grackles, Starlings and Tufted Titmouse all eating from the suet cakes all year long. I think in general the most popular seed is Sunflower seed. I go through about 50 lbs every ten days. It feeds the biggest variety of birds as well as squirrels, deer, ravens, chipmunks and skunks. I feed my mourning doves scratch (Chicken Feed) from the feed store. I give the squirrels their own feeder and never bother them. I chase them off the other bird feeders and they have learned to stay off. It’s just the young ones that need to learn that.
Cindy B says
Those baby squirrels can be quite troublesome…but they are SO cute!
Helen says
I have cleaned all of my feeders and I have NOI BIRDS. I have a few hummers but not like I used to. I have various types of feeders with what I feel is quality food of all types. Why do I have no birds?
Thank you
Rose says
Helen, did you use bleach in your cleaning? This can definitely keep birds of every variety away. You might try rinsing the feeders with plain old white vinegar. If the feeders have the odor of bleach, you may have to use it in a concentrated form (with very little water to dilute). After the vinegar, plain water should take care of its odor, but usually the birds do not seem to notice it as much as humans do.
Kirk says
I can’t get any of the birds here to eat safflower. I buy the more expensive bird feed at Walmart and it contains a lot of safflower seeds. I have to go out once in a while and clean it up. I buy the mixed suet cakes and have a variety of birds that go for them including robins, thrushes, and flickers. The robins prefer the cherry and berry variety’s. They also like the fruit and berry blend bird feed.
Melanie from SE Tx says
I’ve been feeding birds for years and “our” squirrels will eat most anything from tubes feeders, trays, even with wire cages. Sunflower seed is messy in TX wet areas and attracts masses of flies so I feed seed without shells except hold raw peanuts for jays and squirrels. With 2 feeding stations I put out seed for small birds: titmice, wrens, etc.; hangers for suet I buy online from upstate NY by the case and another station is tray feeders and cake baskets for jays doves, mockingbirds, etc. The squirrels will try and eat everything. I found a mixture with corn attracts rats, coons, and other night feeders. The more you feed, the more the words gets out and the more birds come. We love to sit on the patio and watch the action.
Dave Hoff EN2, CG says
After years of feeding thistle seed, the price went sky high, also finches quit eating what was being passed off. So it ‘s been sunflower seeds for all. When the Grackles hit I tried safflower seed. Nobody but chipmunks will touch the stuff. Everybody eats grape jelly, the Robins act like bullies over it.,
Dave Hoff EN2, CG says
By everybody eating grape jelly, I include a Brown Thresher.. So neat to see him up with the Orioles.
Rose says
If you live in an area where there are Rural King stores, they also have plain suet. And I don’t know about that lard thing. Lard is hog fat, and suet if from beef. I used to buy raw suet from our local butcher, but the big box stores do not carry it (or if they do, they hide it behind the counter someplace), so now I just go to Rural King. The raw suet is melted in a cast iron skillet with low heat (it’ll smoke up your house if it’s too high), and you can dip wired-pine cones, like candles, several times after it cools. Hang it high enough that a wandering dog or ‘coon cannot steal it and run off with all your hard work.
Lisa Adams says
I buy the sunflower seeds but the shells are always all over my deck. Any solution ?
Rose says
Lisa, the best solution is to buy shelled sunflower seeds. They cost a little more, but there really is NO waste to them. Also, you may not know that sunflower shells are toxic to plant growth. Don’t know for sure what they have in them, but they will kill grass and other green stuff that you might want to keep growing. They also stop other seeds from germinating, so don’t put them in your compost.
Susanne taylor says
I have hummingbirds that winter over, so I keep my feeder out all winter. I bring it in overnight so it doesn’t freeze.
One thing not mentioned, is that we have to be vigilant to keep the feeders clean. Seeds and sugar water can get moldy.
Kris says
Thanks a lot of good information in here…you can also get suet at Walmart or local Ace Hdwr here in Ga mts…..I LOVE feeding and watching the birds…in the house before we lived here I had SO many and so many species … took me awhile to attract here…my sister said in her area “you” had to put feeders on a pole away from the house (not on deck as in the other house) it worked, finally….slow but still enjoying
Rosemary says
If you cook a ham. Take the cooked rind and fat, put in an onion mesh bag, put in freezer over night and then hang outside. Lots of chickadees and woodpeckers will eat the fat. Only hang during cold months so you t will not go rancid.
Greg Meissner says
What is an “undesirable bird” or a “bully bird?” How does it differ from an “undesirable blogger” or a “biased birdseed writer?” Seriously. They are all birds, and they are all surviving to the best of their ability; not toys.