If you want to attract a specific variety of birds to your feeders, choosing the right bird seed is key.
Different types of seeds appeal to different birds, so knowing which seeds attract specific species can help you create a bird-friendly backyard. The right mix can make your feeders a popular spot for many feathered friends.
1. Safflower Seeds for Cardinals & House Finches
Cardinals: These striking birds are known for their preference for safflower seeds. Safflower seeds have a hard shell, which is ideal for cardinals’ strong beaks.
Additionally, safflower seeds are less attractive to squirrels and other unwanted pests, making them a great choice for feeding cardinals while reducing competition from non-target animals.
House Finches: House finches also enjoy safflower seeds. These seeds provide essential nutrients and are particularly appealing to finches due to their high oil content.
The seeds’ high-fat content helps provide the energy needed for these birds, especially during colder months.
2. Cracked Corn for Sparrows & Mourning Doves
Sparrows: Cracked corn is a favorite among sparrows. The cracked kernels are easy for them to eat, and the corn provides a good source of carbohydrates.
They will often forage on the ground, making cracked corn an excellent choice as it can be scattered for easy access.
Mourning Doves: Mourning doves also prefer cracked corn, which they can easily pick up from the ground. The corn’s texture and size are suitable for their feeding habits, and it provides the necessary energy and nutrients for these birds.
3. Suet for Woodpeckers & Nuthatches
Woodpeckers: Suet is a high-energy food that is particularly beneficial for woodpeckers. It provides essential fats and proteins needed for their active lifestyle and helps them maintain energy levels.
Suet is especially important during colder months when other food sources might be scarce.
Nuthatches: Nuthatches are also fond of suet. They are agile birds that will cling to feeders and enjoy pecking at suet to get the rich nutrients it offers.
Suet is an excellent food source for nuthatches, providing them with the fat and energy they need to sustain their busy foraging activities.
4. Peanuts for Jays & Titmice
Jays: Peanuts are a favorite treat for jays, particularly blue jays. They have strong, sturdy beaks that can easily crack open peanut shells to access the rich, high-fat nut inside.
Peanuts provide essential protein and fats that are crucial for jays, especially during the breeding season and colder months. Offering peanuts can also attract other birds like woodpeckers and nuthatches that enjoy nuts.
Titmice: Titmice also enjoy peanuts, though they may prefer them shelled or in smaller pieces. Peanuts offer a high-energy food source that supports their active lifestyle.
Titmice are agile birds that can handle peanuts and benefit from the protein and fat content, which is important for their overall health and energy levels.
5. Millet for Sparrows & Juncos
Sparrows: Millet is a popular choice for sparrows, who are fond of its small, round seeds. Millet is an excellent source of carbohydrates and provides essential nutrients.
Sparrows often feed on the ground or from feeders designed for small seeds, making millet an accessible and nutritious option for them.
Juncos: Juncos also prefer millet, particularly during the winter months. They are ground feeders that will readily consume millet scattered on the ground or offered in feeders.
Millet provides the necessary energy and nutrients to keep juncos active and healthy, especially as they forage for food in colder weather.
6. Nyjer (Thistle) Seeds for Goldfinches & Pine Siskins
Goldfinches: Goldfinches are especially fond of nyjer (thistle) seeds. These small, oily seeds are perfect for goldfinches’ tiny beaks.
Nyjer seeds provide essential fats and proteins that support their high metabolism, particularly during the breeding season and migration. Goldfinches are often seen feeding from specialized nyjer feeders with small mesh.
Pine Siskins: Pine siskins also enjoy nyjer seeds. Like goldfinches, they have small beaks suited for extracting tiny seeds from feeders. Nyjer seeds offer the high fat content needed to sustain their energy levels, especially in colder weather.
7. Black Oil Sunflower Seeds for Cardinals & Chickadees
Cardinals: Black oil sunflower seeds are a favorite of cardinals. The seeds have a thin shell, making them easier for cardinals to crack open. These seeds are high in fat and protein, which are important for cardinals’ energy needs, particularly during colder months or breeding seasons.
Chickadees: Chickadees also enjoy black oil sunflower seeds. They are small, agile birds that can handle the seeds and benefit from the high-fat content. Chickadees often use feeders designed for sunflower seeds and will store some in caches for later consumption.
With a little knowledge and the right seeds, you can turn your backyard into a lively haven for many different types of birds.
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Davin is a jack-of-all-trades but has professional training and experience in various home and garden subjects. He leans on other experts when needed and edits and fact-checks all articles.