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Types Of Bird Seed
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We will discuss a few of the seed types and which birds you are most likely to see at your bird feeders, should you offer them a particular type of seed.
Use the chart at the bottom of this page to determine the types of birds you can attract to your feeders.
Types Of Bird Seed
Black Oil Sunflower Seed - Considered the #1 choice to feed and attract the greatest variety of birds to your feeders. Rich in oil, black oil sunflower seeds give birds the energy they need to live. The thin shell makes it an easy bird seed to open, even for the smaller birds.Offer this type of food in Hopper or Tube type bird feeder. You'll attract Cardinals, Nuthatches, finches, and a variety of others. If you are going to offer only one type, give black oil sunflower seed a try.
Hulled Sunflower Seed - This type is the same as above except that the shell has been removed. Because it is more expensive, Offer it in a squirrel proof type feeder.
The nice thing about offering sunflower hearts and chips is that there is no mess, since all of the bird seed will be eaten. Sometimes black oil sunflower seed left on the ground prevents some plants from growing.
If this is a concern in the area you are feeding birds try using hulled seed instead. You'll attract the same birds without the mess.
Thistle and/or Nyjer - Thistle or more accurately Nyjer seed, is a finch
 Super Spiral Nyjer Feeder Highly Recommended |
Finches are attracted more to the nyjer than sunflower seed. Every year we present both kinds, and every year the finches arrive. Pine Siskins also like nyjer seed.
A special feeder with small ports will be needed when offering this seed. For a variety of these feeder see: Thistle Feeder
Striped Sunflower - While most birds prefer black oil sunflower to striped sunflower seed, it still remains a cheaper
For Fruit Eating Birds Learn More
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The shell is harder than black oil sunflower seed making it more difficult for small birds to open. Still, Bluejays, Cardinals, and some Woodpeckers will make use of striped sunflower.
Cracked Corn - will attract Eastern Bluebirds, Jays, Pheasants, and other game birds. By offering cracked corn throughout the year, you'll be able to watch birds that normally don't visit your other feeders. Available at feed supply and birdwatching aisles of most stores.
It is best to place cracked corn on platform feeders or scattered on the ground for game birds. Other animals are likely to be attracted to cracked corn also.
Premium Mixes - These are packages of a mixture of bird seeds that are attractive to a variety of birds. Generally consisting of black oil sunflower, peanut, millet, striped sunflower, and others mixed together.
Personally, we prefer to offer each seperately. Less desirable birds may drive the more desirable birds away.
Cheap Mixes - While they won't be labled as such, cheap mixes rarely attract the most desirable birds. Generally consisting of red and white milo, cracked corn, wheat, striped sunflower and other seeds.
Any desirable birds that feed on these types of bird seed, will readily come to eat at any of the other types you place in your yard. Most of the cheaper mixes are derivatives of the poultry industry. And as such, are not suited for bird watching enthusiast.
Suet - While not a bird seed, so many birds are attracted to suet that it must be discussed here. Suet is made from beef fat. Most bird watching stores offer suet with bird seed, berries, and peanut butter mixed in with the suet.
Some of the birds that enjoy suet are: Black Capped Chickadees, Woodpeckers, Nuthaches, and Wrens. Offer suet in a suet feeder, a special wire cage made to hold suet.
Once you decide which birds you want to attract, you'll find the Bird Seed here.
CHART FOR FEEDING BIRDS
Bird Feeding Chart Provided by Dad's Woodshed LLC
Type of Bird |
Food Preference |
| Blue Jays | Sunflower seed, safflower, cracked corn, peanuts, suet, bread, peanut butter, lard mixes, seed mixes |
| House Finch | Mixed seed, peanuts, fruit, suet, niger, sunflower, safflower, thistle |
| Gold Finch | Thistle/niger, sunflower seed, hulled sunflower, millet, fruit, suet, peanuts |
| House Wren | Suet, bread crumbs |
| House Sparrow | Mixed seed, sunflower seeds |
| Wrens | Suet, suet mix, peanut butter, bread, apples |
| Indigo Bunting | Peanuts, millet, variety of seeds |
| Northern Flicker | Suet, peanut butter, sunflower seeds, fruit, meat, bread |
| Oriole | Oranges, apples, grape jelly, oriole jelly, sugar water, soft raisins |
| Painted Bunting | Sunflower seeds, seed mixes |
| Pine Grosbeak | Sunflower seeds, grain |
| Pine Siskin | Nuts, rolled oats, thistle, mixed seeds, sunflower seeds, sunflower chips, millet, suet |
| Purple Finch | Sunflower seeds, thistle |
| Red Crossbills | Sunflower seeds, thistle |
| Red Poll | Suet, bread, sunflower seeds |
| Red Winged Blackbird | Bread, cracked corn, mixed seeds, sunflower seeds, sunflower chips, millet, suet |
| Robins, Bluebirds, Thrushes | Apples, sunflower seed, bread, grapes, suet, mealworms, berries, raisins, nut meal, seed mixes |
| Rose Breasted Grosbeaks | Sunflower seeds, grapes, orange halves |
| American Gold Finch | Sunflower seeds, thistle/niger |
| Black Billed Magpie | Meat, bread |
| Bobwhite Quail | Sunflower seeds, seed mixes |
| Brown Headed Cowbird | Bread, cracked corn, sunflower seeds, seed mixes |
| Bushtit | Bread, sunflower seeds, bird seed mixes |
| Cardinals | Cracked corn, nuts, sunflower seeds, safflower, millet, peanuts, apple, bread |
| Black Capped Chickadees | Sunflower seeds, peanuts, bread, suet |
| Crows | Bread, scraps, corn, suet |
| Magpies | Scraps, suet, peanuts, bread |
| Downy Woodpeckers | Sunflower seeds, corn, cornbread, peanut butter, suet, shelled peanuts, sunflower seeds |
| Grosbeaks | Sunflower seeds, safflower, apple, fruit, suet, millet, bread, peanut kernels |
| Buntings | Sunflower seeds, safflower, apple, fruit, suet, millet, bread, peanut kernels |
| Grackles | Sunflower seeds, bread, scraps |
| Titmouse | Sunflower seeds, suet, bread, safflower, peanuts, peanut kernel |
| Chickadees | Peanut kernel, sunflower seeds, suet, bread, safflower |
| Nuthatches | Suet, suet mix, sunflower seeds, nuts, cracked corn, bread |
| Creepers | Suet, suet mix, sunflower seeds, nuts, cracked corn, bread |
| Mockingbirds | Halved apples, fruit, bread, suet, sunflower seeds, nuts |
| Thrashers | Halved apples, fruit, bread, suet, sunflower seeds, nuts |
| Flycatchers, Phoebes | Bees, wasps, ants, mealworms |
| Kinglets | Suet, bread |
| Waxwings | Berries, raisins, sliced apple, canned peas, currants, grapes |
| Warblers | Suet, suet mix, water, fruit, breads, sugar water, nut pieces |
| Tanagers | Suet, fruit, sugar water, mealworms, bread |
| Song Sparrows | Sunflower seeds, seed mixes, bread, thistle, millet |
| Starlings | Bread, scraps, suet |
| Stellers Jays | Nuts, scraps, suet |
| Tree Sparrows | Wild bird seed mixes, millet |
| Sparrows | Millet, peanut kernels, suet, bread, canary seed, sunflower seed |
| White Breasted Nuthatches | Peanuts, sunflower seeds, suet, safflower |
| Hairy Woodpeckers | Sunflower seeds, nuts, cheese, apples, bananas, suet, peanut butter |
| Yellow Bellied Sapsuckers | Nutmeats, suet, fruit |
| Quail | Cracked corn, millet, berries |
| Pigeons | Cracked corn, sunflower seeds, milo, bread, thistle, nuts |
| Doves | Cracked corn, sunflower seeds, milo, bread, thistle, nuts |
| Roadrunners | Meat scraps, suet |
| Hummingbirds | Plant nectars, small insects, sugar water, instant nectars |
| Woodpeckers | Insects, fruit, sunflower seeds, suet, nuts, sugar water |
| Western Tanagers, Scarlet Tanagers | Orange halves, grapes |
| Juncos | Millet, sunflower seeds, cracked corn, peanuts, bread, nut meats, thistle, suet |
| Towhees | Millet, sunflower seeds, peanuts, grapes, cracked corn, suet |
| Rufhouse Sided Towhee | Bird seed mixes, thistle, sunflower seeds, millet, cracked corn |
| Baltimore Oriole | Suet, orange halves |
| Brown Thrashers | Orange halves, cracked corn |
| Carolina Wrens | Suet, sunflower chips |
| Cat Birds | Raisins, grapes, orange halves, suet |
| Mourning Dove | Millet, thistle, sunflower chips, safflower, cracked corn |
| Pileated Woodpeckers | Suet |
| Red Bellied Woodpeckers | Suet, sunflower seeds, peanuts, orange halves, safflower, cracked corn |
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When choosing wild bird seed to place in your bird feeding station, determine the types of birds you want to attract. Try to set out several varieties and be sure to include a source of water both in summer and winter. Back to top Bird Seed More Information Baking Bird Seed to Prevent Sprouting - A Good Idea? Setting Up A Bird Feeding Station - How To Add A Bird Bath Heater to Attract More Birds
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