Black-oil seeds rank as the single best wild bird food.
These small. thin-shelled seeds are easy to open and are rich in fat and
protein. Virtually every bird that visits backyard bird feeders eats black-oil
seeds. They work well by themselves or as the primary ingredient in quality
mixes.
Striped sunflower seeds are larger and thicker shelled than
black-oil seeds. Consequently, only birds physically able to crack open these
seeds can eat them. Grosbeaks, Finches, Jays, Nuthatches and Woodpeckers can
handle them. Hulled sunflower seeds - kernels mechanically stripped of their
shells are ideal for most birds because they are pure food. Birds need not
spend any time or energy cracking the seeds to remove the meat. In fact,
sunflower kernels are the best of the best. If we offered only one food in our
backyard, it would be hulled sun-flower seeds.
Peanuts, walnuts, pecans, almonds and other nuts are
natural, nutritious, energy foods for many birds, especially woodpeckers, jays,
chickadees, and nuthatches. Nuts are more expensive than sunflower seeds. But
after you discover how much birds love nuts, there's no turning back! But
squirrels and chipmunks love nuts, too, so nut feeders must be as
squirrel-resistant as possible. Peanut hearts the embryos removed during the
manufacture of peanut butter -are overrated as bird food and often attract
starlings.
3. Nyjer (thistle)
Nyjer is a high-calorie finch magnet. Imported from Africa
and Asia, again it can be pricey. Doves and many native sparrows clean up the
spillage from the tiny seed ports of finch feeders, which are designed to
exclude larger birds. Contrary to its popular nickname, nyjer is not a thistle,
It will not germinate and invade backyards and gardens. Nyjer is sterilized
before it enters the USA.
4. Live Food
Live food is a real treat to most birds during winter.
Woodpeckers, chickadees, titmice and nuthatches ignore nuts and sunflower seeds
when live food is available. Even birds such as bluebirds and robins, which
rarely visit feeders, enjoy live food. Mealworms (beetle larva) and wax worms
(bee moth larva) are available from several suppliers.
5. Suet
In the wild, high energy animal fat or suet from carcasses
sustains many wild birds. Fortunately commercially packaged suet cakes serve
the same purpose. Suet cakes come in many pure suet, suet-peanut butter blends
and suet mixed with a variety of seeds and nuts. Birds love them all. No winter
feeding station is complete without a suet feeder. Suet lovers include
woodpeckers, chickadees, titmice, nuthatches, jays, wrens and some
6. Millet
Several varieties of millet, including white, red, golden
and Japanese are eaten by a variety of ground-feeding sparrows and waterfowl.
When given a choice, these species usually prefer white millet, so it's a major
ingredient in many seed mixes.
One of millet's best qualities is that its seed coat is hard
enough to resisting, but not too hard for birds to crack. It is best offered on
the ground or on low platform feeders. Among the more exciting birds that eat
millet are Painted Buntings in the southeast and Harris' Sparrows on the Great
Plains.
7. Corn
Birds such as doves, quail, turkeys and ducks love corn. At
back-yard feeders whole corn kernels attract Red-bellied Woodpeckers, crows and
squirrels. Unfortunately, it also attracts and grackles. Nutritionally, corn is
high carbohydrate and fat, but low in protein. In urban settings where pigeons
are a problem, whole corn is best avoided. Cracked corn, and especially finely
cracked corn (also called chick chops or chick corn), appeals to many backyard
birds but it does have some serious disadvantages. Cracked corn is dusty,
spoils quickly when wet and attracts many undesirable birds. Pigeons,
starlings, House cowbirds and grackles quickly find feeders filled with cracked
corn, so use it sparingly where these birds are a problem.
8. Safflower:
Safflower is often advertised as a magnet, but many birds
don't prefer it to sunflower seeds. Safflower is an oil seed and makes a fine
minor ingredient in a quality seed. Doves, titmice and house finches safflower
seed. It is also touted as being distasteful to squirrels. We have no
experience to back that up.
9. Fruits:
Fruits may seem like
a summer food but across the sunbelt and on warm winter days in the north,
woopdpeckers, jays, robins, bluebirds, catbirds and mockingbirds can be coaxed
to a feeding tray with fruit. Raisins, craisins, sliced apples and oranges and
bananas all work well. Scatter on an open tray or impale on small brances or
nails.
10. Nectar
Birders across the southern states can be feed humming birds
all year but over the past decade Rufous Hummingbirds have been appearing in
winter throughout the east. Nectar provides the calories that hummingbirds
need. Hummingbird Nectar Recipe
