Seed Feeders

Goldfinch - photo by John York

The following guide indicates which birds like what kind of seed. Also, this page contains information on how to keep your bird feeder safe for the birds and a list of books that will inform you on plants for your yard and on bird feeding in general. If you are interested in planting flowers, trees or shrubs that will attract birds to your yard, check our page on Planting for Birds.

XX=favorite

X = eaten

- = not usually eaten

BIRD ATTRACTED	OIL SUNFLOWER	SAFFLOWER	NIGER/THISTLE	CRACKED CORN
Cardinal	XX	X	X	X
Carolina Chickadee	XX	X	-	-
House Finch	XX	X	X	-
Blue Jay	X	X	-	X
Goldfinch	X	-	XX	-
White Breasted Nuthatch	XX	X	-	-
White Throated Sparrow	XX	-	X	X
Dark-eyed Junco	X	-	X	X
Mourning Dove	X	X	X	X
Pine Siskin	X	-	XX	-
Tufted Titmouse	X	X	-	-
Downy Woodpecker	X	-	-	-
Hairy Woodpecker	X	-	-	-
Red Bellied Woodpecker	X	X	-	X
Purple Finch	X	-	X	-
Evening Grosbeak	X	-	-	-
House Sparrow	X	X	X	X
Brown Thrasher	-	-	-	X
Eastern Bluebird	-	-	-	X

To attract the greatest variety of birds put seed at varying levels, e.g. on the ground for doves, from hanging feeders for finches.
Safflower is more expensive, but squirrels and blackbirds don't like it much, so it maybe worth the cost.

Is your bird feeder safe?

Bird feeding is steadily gaining in popularity particularly in the colder months, and this can help the birds through some very difficult times of poor natural food supplies. However, if the feeder is not kept clean it may contribute to the spread of diseases among your visitors. The causative organisms include viruses, fungi, parasites and bacteria.
Don�t let your pleasure of seeing our songbirds up close be marred by finding sick or dead birds in your yard. Here are 8 ways you can minimize any disease problem:

Give them space: Provide plenty of feeders

Clean up wastes: Remove wasted seed and droppings with broom.

Make feeders safe: Use feeders without sharp edges. Don't place them so that cats can sneak up on them as they feed. If you have a potential hawk problem, place the feeder under an overhanging structure so that hawks can't hit them from above as they feed.

Keep feeders clean: Clean and disinfect feeders regularly using one part chlorine bleach to nine parts of tepid water. Make enough solution to immerse an empty cleaned feeder completely for 3 minutes. Allow to air dry. Once a month should do, but weekly cleaning could help more if you notice sick birds at your feeders.

Use good food: Discard food that smells musty, is wet, looks moldy or has fungus growing on it. Disinfect any container that holds spoiled food and the scoop used to fill feeders.

Prevent contamination: Keep rodents out of stored food. Mice can be carriers of bird diseases without being affected themselves.

Act early: Don�t wait until you see sick birds. Act now.

Spread the word: Encourage your bird feeding friends and neighbors to do the same.

Excellent sources on landscaping for birds and attracting backyard birds include the following.

Audubon Book's website at http://www.audubon.org/market/publish/ has many of these books and more.

Landscaping for wildlife Non-game Wildlife Program, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. For copies, contact: Minnesota's Bookstore, 117 University Ave., St. Paul, MN 55155. Phone (612) 297-3000 or 1(800) 657-3757. $10.95.

National Audubon Society, The Bird Garden: A Comprehensive Guide' to Attracting Birds to Your Backyard Throughout the Year. Stephen Kress; Foreword by Roger Tory Petereson. DK Publishing. 1995. $24.95.

National Audubon Society North American Birdfeeder Handbook by Robert Burton; Introduction by Stephen Kress. DK Publishing. Rev. Ed. 1995. $24.95.

National Audubon Society Concise Birdfeeder Handbook Robert Burton; Introduction by Stephen Kress. DK Publishing. 1997. $24.95.

You can also check out our page on plants that you can grow in your garden to attract birds.

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