Everything about bird seed: which ones actually attract birds, which ones are a waste of money, and why the cheap stuff usually costs you more in the long run. The right seed for the right feeder makes a bigger difference than most people expect. Start with the complete guide to bird seed if you’re not sure what to put in your feeder.
If there is a practical default seed for a backyard feeding station, black oil sunflower is hard to beat. Cornell Lab and Project FeederWatch both describe sunflower as one of the best choices for attracting a wide range of seed-eating birds, and black oil sunflower combines an energy-rich kernel with a relatively thin shell. That … Read more
Choosing sunflower bird seed is mostly a trade-off between broad bird appeal, shell mess, moisture tolerance, and feeder fit. Black oil sunflower is the safest starting point for attracting a wide range of seed-eating birds, striped sunflower has a thicker shell that some birds handle more easily than others, and hulled sunflower removes the shell … Read more