Birdseed

Grow a garden of healthy birds

So you're getting your garden ready for winter - weeding the flowerbeds, raking the leaves and making sure the bird feeder is full. One of the best ways to keep birds fat and sassy is to provide them a variety of seed during the cold season. However, you may find that not all birds will eat from your feeder or worse, it's being taken over by big nuisance birds and squirrels. You want to see a variety of colorful visitors in your garden - is a generic bag of seed the answer?

To be honest, a generic bag of seed will attract a lot of different birds, but if you're dying to attract finches or really want to see a cardinal, then serving only a mixed bag will lower your chances of seeing these wanted birds and raise the chances of seeing grackles, starlings and squirrels. Different birds eat different kinds of seed, so it's good to do your research to attract the ones you want.

Types of Seed

Contrary to some beliefs, you need more than one type of birdseed to attract certain birds to your feeder. What's in your mixed seed bag? Some of the choices include:

Black Oil Sunflower Seeds

You will find these seeds in pretty much any seed mix, and they're considered to be the number one choice of seed for birds. Rich in oil and protein, these seeds seem to give birds the energy to keep their strength up in the cold season. You will attract many birds, including cardinals, nuthatches, different finches and more. Offer the seed in a hopper feeder or tube feeder and watch the birds flock to your garden.

Hulled Sunflower Seeds

These seeds are the hearts of sunflower seeds, or the “chips.” They offer birds a yummy, no-effort-needed meal. You can attract birds that like black oil seeds, and sometimes other birds who want a quick snack. Because these seeds are more expensive, you will want to serve them in a squirrel-proof feeder to prevent rodent theft. If you're tired of black oil hulls all over your lawn, hulled seeds may be a better choice and a bigger attraction.

Striped Sunflower Seeds

Striped seeds are harder than black oil seeds, so this makes them a cheaper seed option. However, you probably won't see too many small birds, as the hull is extremely hard for them to split open. Bigger birds, like cardinals, blue jays and woodpeckers do like these seeds and will come to the feeder. They are messy - so if you don't want hulls all over your lawn or garden, don't choose this seed. Offer this seed on platform feeders, away from raccoons or squirrels.

Thistle or Nyjer Seeds

These seeds are the delicacy of finches everywhere! Most small finches, like goldfinches and purple finches, really love the taste of thistle, or more accurately, Nyjer seeds. These seeds are imported from India and Africa and are small, soft and black. They've long been used in canary seed mixes. You'll find not only finches will visit your feeder - pine siskins may come as well, depending on where you live. The best thing about Nyjer seed is that it's not messy. Finches can't get enough of it and special finch feeders can be bought to keep the squirrels and other birds out.

Cracked Corn

If you're looking to attract birds that normally wouldn't visit feeders, cracked corn is a good option. You'll see eastern bluebirds, jays, pheasants and other game birds if you leave this seed on a platform feeder all year round. However, beware - cracked corn will attract other animals like squirrels and mice, so if you don't want these visitors to your yard, then don't serve this seed. It can also be a bit messy under your feeders.

Premium Seed

This bag of mixed seed will attract the birds you want, but will also attract the undesirable birds. If you want a certain type of bird at your feeder or if you want certain birds to stay away, then offer seeds separately, since bigger birds will probably bully the smaller ones away from your feeder. As a rule, you will see all of the seeds listed above in your premium mix and it will also include other food like millet and peanuts.

Cheap Seed

Generally not a good choice of bird food, this seed mix is for those birders who really don't mind who comes to the feeder. You will see a lot of mess and nuisance birds around this feeder and probably none of the smaller, more desirable birds. Your best bet is to feed seeds separately and watch the birds flock in.