Feeding Wild Birds Year-round
... Wild Bird Seed and Other Foods ...

Contrary to popular belief it is important to offer food to wild birds year-round.  It is often thought that the new growth of Spring offers birds plenty of natural food.  The opposite is true.  Feeding wild birds in Spring is as important as the other seasons.  Here's why ...

 Why Year-round Feeding Helps Wild Birds

Supplementing wild birds with seed and other foods during Spring is especially important because natural foods have not had time to mature.  By Spring most natural foods have been eaten and the new crops won't be fully mature until fall.

Spring feeding is important to permanent resident birds and others that have been using your feeders during the winter.  Providing feeders in the Spring also helps migrant birds that arrive early to breeding areas.  As a bonus, migrating birds will stop in your yard when they see other birds feeding.  If they are species that don't normally go to feeders, they may stop for a drink of water if you offer a Bird Bath.

In late Spring most birds begin nest building.  Extra energy is needed at this time so full feeders are really appreciated.  Males are defining and protecting territories and females are nest building and preparing to lay eggs.  Both need extra energy for these tasks.  You may be rewarded from all this activity by witnessing the rearing of young.  Watching the babies fledge and learn how to feed themselves is an interesting experience.

Birds are Economical Eaters!

The reason bird feeders are popular with birds is they provide a ready source of food ... saving the effort of a searching for their next meal.  Birds are economical eaters.  They choose the best food available ... the seed they like.

While full bird feeders will draw birds, preference tests have shown that just a few seeds score high with  birds.  What does that mean?  If you are feeding a mixed seed with a lot of filler you may experience a lot of seed scattering.  Birds will scratch through the mix searching out desirable seeds and discarding the rest.  It may result in money needlessly spent.

Most seeds packaged as wild bird seed have a good nutritional value.  So offering the most widely-accepted seeds is perhaps the best choice.  It may be helpful to take the following into consideration.

Where Do Wild Birds Prefer to Eat?

Preference for wild bird seed is different for birds that feed above-the-ground than it is for ground-feeding birds.  So the first thing to do is determine what birds you would like to attract.  Then buy the type of bird feeders those birds are known to frequent.  Next, fill the feeders with bird seeds they are known to favor.

The following table provides a list of some of the birds that commonly come to feeders.  The list distinguishes between above-ground and ground-feeding birds.  We've listed them according to their feeding preference; however, some of them will feed in both places.

Which Seeds Do Wild Birds Favor?
Wild Bird Feeding Chart for North American Birds

BLACK OIL SUNFLOWER SEED.  This is the wild bird seed standard.  It is rich in fat and protein and provides twice the calories per pound as other seeds.  The shells are thin and easy to open.  Black oil sunflow is a favorite seed of Chickadees, Finches, Cardinals, Titmice and Grosbeaks.

STRIPED SUNFLOWER SEED.  This is a seed favored by larger birds.  It is a larger seed and has a thicker shell than black oil sunflower.  The birds that prefer striped sunflower are those that are able to open the shell like Jays, Titmice and Woodpeckers.

HULLED SUNFLOWER.  This seed is the answer if you are feeding near a patio, sidewalk or balcony because it leaves no seed hull mess.  Hulled sunflowers are the seed meats without the shells.  They are available in different sizes with the most common being sunflower chips.  Hulled sunflower seeds are favored by most birds, especially Finches and Pine Siskins.

SAFFLOWER SEED.  This seed is very nourishing and can solve problems when squirrels or Blackbirds dominate your feeders.  If you experience that problem offer safflower ... they don't like the taste of it and will leave your feeders alone.  The other good news is that Cardinals, Titmice, Chickadees and Finches do like safflower.

NYJER SEED.  (Also known as Niger and Thistle).  Nyjer seed is favored by birds with small bills like Goldfinches, House and Purple Finches, and Pine Siskins.  This seed is not the same as our native thistle.  It is a sterilized imported seed.  The sterilization does not affect its nutritional value, but rather keeps it from germinating.  This seed is quite small and requires special feeders.

WHITE MILLET SEED.  This seed is high in protein and has a hard hull.  It is the most popular wild bird seed for attracting ground-feeding birds like Juncos, Doves, Towhees and Sparrows.

RED MILLET SEED.   This seed is a great ingredient to add to your custom mix.  It is another favorite of ground-feeding birds and is quite difficult to find.  Fortunately, you can find it here.

CANARY SEED.  Not just for canaries, birds such as Finches, Siskins, Buntings, Juncos and other small birds love it, too.  It's a great staple to add to your own seed blends.

CORN.  Finely cracked corn is good for feeding backyard birds because it is smaller and easier to eat than whole kernels.  Birds that eat cracked corn are Doves, Cardinals, Jays, Sparrows, Grackles and Starlings.  Whole corn kernels and dried ear corn can be offered to ducks, game fowl and squirrels.

PEANUTS.  Peanuts are not seed, but rather a legume that is high in protein and fat.  Peanuts are a real wild bird favorite that are highly nutritious and perfect for year-round feeding.  Offer them in a variety of forms including shelled peanut bits and peanuts in the shell.  Titmice, Chickadees, Nuthatches, Woodpeckers and Jays love shelled peanuts.  Titmice, and also Jays, are quite fond of peanuts in the shell.  We have a lot of fun watching our Blue Jays clean out the peanut feeder ... flying off with every nut to hide it for a later meal.

Learn about the different types of bird feeders.  Shop Wild Bird Feeders and Wild Bird Food.

Other Favorite Foods

SUET.  Suet is a wholesome, high-energy formulation consisting mainly of animal fat.  Commercially available ready-to-use suet cakes come in various flavors (such as peanut, seed, berry or raisin) to appeal to different species of birds.  Suet attracts insect-eating birds to your garden such as Woodpeckers, Nuthatches, Bluebirds, Mockingbirds, Wrens, Warblers, Creepers, Robins, Thrushes, Kinglets, Tanagers, and Sparrows.  Suet is a quick source of heat and energy for birds and consequently is a favorite food when the weather becomes cooler.  At this time insects are not as plentiful so suet is provided as a substitute for them.  However, suet is more commonly offered year-round.  The suet cakes offered on this website are specially formulated for year-round feeding.  Don't forget to purchase a wire basket suet feeder that will prevent your suet cakes from being devoured by squirrels.

• How to Offer Suet - Providing suet to your backyard birds is as putting a suet cake in a mesh bag or even smearing it on the bark of a tree.  Insect eating birds usually cling to the bark in search of insects so this approach works.  The most popular and easy way to provide suet is to put the cake in a basket-type suet feeder which are attractive and easy to fill.  Your suet feeder should be suspended in a tree close to the trunk, about 5 to 6 feet above the ground.  If you have Starlings or other non-clinging birds trying to take over your suet feeder, you might prefer a bottom feeding suet feeder which allows the clinging birds to reach the suet, but prevents the non-clingers from doing so. 

MEALWORMS.  First, its helpful to know exactly what a mealworm is.  They are the larvae of a beetle ... specifically, the Tenebrio molitor and are about 3/4" long.  What they are NOT:  they are not slimy and they certainly don't bite.  The good news is they are a wonderful high-protein and energy source for wild birds and the birds love them. These healthy morsels are great to offer migrating birds and will send them along their way with an extra boost of energy.  The mealworms we offer are easy to store and can be fed from about any feeder.  Instructions are included. 

NECTAR.  Commercially available nectar is formulated to mimic the natural nectar found in the flowers than Hummingbirds and Orioles feed from in the wild.  It is a high energy food with formulations specific to the species being fed ... i.e. Hummers or Orioles.  If you prefer to purchase a commercially prepared product it is recommended to choose one that contains no dyes, coloring, preservatives or artifical sweeteners ... which is the only kind offered at Birdwatchin'.com.  A clear nectar product can be put into a feeder that is red in color (Hummingbirds) or orange (Orioles) and that is enough to attract the birds.  The nectar itself does not have to be colored red or orange.  While Oriole Feeders are typically orange, our personal experience has proven that Hooded Orioles will feed from red colored hummingbird feeders.  The Orioles that visit our backyard every year consistently feed from the red Hummingbird Feeder or our Jelly Feeder.  The Jelly Feeder has also turned out to be a favorite of several other species that are regular visitors to our yard.