What Are Black Oil Sunflower Seeds?

Black oil sunflower seeds come from a variety of sunflower cultivated to produce sunflower oil, livestock feed and seed for feeding birds. Songbirds prefer black oil sunflower seeds because the shells are thin and thus easy to crack, and the kernels deliver a powerful nutritional punch in a small package.

  1. Sunflowers

    • Sunflowers are members of the plant genus Helianthus. Horticulturalists have bred sunflowers of many varieties, from small plants with yellow, cream or red flowers, to 10-foot-tall giants with sturdy stems and flowers nearly a foot in diameter. The plants are annuals, meaning that they live for a single season. Sunflowers are native to the Americas. Recent research has proven conclusively that they have been cultivated in Central America since at least 2600 B.C.

    Sunflower Seeds

    • Sunflower seeds grow in the center of the flower, in a tightly packed circle. The seeds are a prime source of cooking oils, livestock feed and seeds for feeding birds. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, most songbirds prefer black oil sunflower seeds and millet over most other seeds.

    Black Oil Sunflower Seeds

    • Black oil sunflowers seeds differ from those of many other types of sunflowers in that the shells are thinner and thus easier to break. The kernel is comparatively larger than other sunflower seeds and unusually high in fat and protein. Thus these seeds are a good source of energy for birds, which have to eat almost constantly to support their high metabolic rates.

    Feeding the Birds

    • Since black oil sunflower seeds are in great demand for making sunflower oil and sunflower cake for feeding livestock, they are quite expensive compared to most seeds commonly used to feed birds. Most birdseed mixtures contain at least some sunflower seeds, and some even have black oil sunflower seeds in with the other seeds, but only truly premium birdseed mixes will incorporate a lot of black oil sunflower seeds.
      The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services suggests that people who stock birdfeeders for their feathered neighbors consider adding extra black oil sunflower seeds to their feeders, because birds prefer these seeds and will actually sort through the food they are offered to pick out black oil sunflower seeds.

    Finding Black Oil Sunflower Seeds

    • Fortunately, you can purchase bags of black oil sunflower seeds from companies that specialize in birdseed, or even from many hardware stores and ranch supply outlets. You can expect to pay more for them than for common birdseed mixtures, but the flocks of birds that will come to your backyard bird feeder will more than reward your efforts.