What Makes a Good Bird Seed?

A good bird seed is the type of seed that birds love. Decide what kinds of birds you want to attract. You can buy pre-packaged bird seed, but many of them have fillers added. Fillers are seeds that birds do not like. They just pick them out and throw them onto the ground
    • Feeding birds with bird seed.

    Black Oil Sunflower Seeds

    • Most wild birds love the high oil content that black oil sunflower seeds provide. This will provide birds with the heat and energy they need to live. Cardinals, chickadees, nuthatches and finches prefer black oil sunflower seeds.

    Safflower Seeds

    • Safflower seeds are small, white seeds packed with protein and fat. Squirrels usually avoid these seeds because they taste bitter. Nuthatches, chickadees, woodpeckers, finches, cardinals, grosbeaks and titmice prefer the safflower seed.

    Cracked Corn

    • Cracked corn is good for ground birds. Therefore, if the other birds kick it out of the feeder, the ground birds will eat. Sparrows, blackbirds, jays, pigeons and doves enjoy cracked corn.

    Millet Seed

    • Millet is a small round grain loved by the smaller ground birds. Finches, sparrows, blackbirds, juncos, pigeons and doves enjoy millet.

    Nyjer Seed

    • Nyjer or thistle seed is popular with many birds. If you chose this seed, you will need a special feeder because the seeds are much smaller. This seed attracts finches, Pine Siskin and Common Redpoll to eat.

    Seeds to Avoid

    • Try to avoid pre-packaged mixtures that contain buckwheat, rice, oats, flax, rapeseed and milo. These are cheap fillers and usually end up on the ground.