What Type of Seed Do Wild Birds Prefer?

The enjoyment of bird-watching increases when you can attract many species of wild birds to your feeder. There are numerous varieties of wild bird seed available on the market. Choosing the mixture of seed that will attract the most birds can be an art.

  1. Favorite

    • According to the Audubon Society, the most accepted food source for the wild bird population is black sunflower seed. It is high in fat, and has a high meat-to-shell ratio. The shell is thin, making it easy for small birds to crack open with their tiny beaks.

    Preferences

    • Common feeder birds will also come for safflower seed, corn, millet, milo and thistle seed. The birds include chickadees, nuthatches, finches, cardinals, grosbeaks, sparrows, blackbirds, jays, woodpeckers, titmice, pigeons and doves. Somes of these birds will try the seed mixed in suet.

    Tips

    • Wild birds get nervous about new food, so when trying new seed mixtures, use it in the feeder that is most familiar to the flock. Keep it fresh by storing it in a cool place where it cannot grow moldy or rancid.