Tips for Better Bird Feeding

Tips for Better Bird Feeding
Black-oil sunflower seed is the most widely used bird seed, popular with the greatest number of bird species. Its thin shell and large nutmeat are ideal for most feeder species.

Offer a variety of seeds and food in a variety of appropriate feeders (sunflower seed in tube, hopper, or platform feeders, thistle in tube feeders, peanuts in peanut feeders, suet in suet cages, and mixed seed on platform feeders or scattered on dry ground).

Offer the thick-shelled gray-striped sunflower seed to cardinals, grosbeaks, jays, chickadees, titmice, and nuthatches.

Offer safflower seed to cardinals. Squirrels and blackbirds in many parts of the continent do not like it.
If your feeder is overrun with blackbirds, pigeons, or house sparrows, stop offering mixed seed on the ground or on platform feeders. Feed only black-oil sunflower seed in tube or hopper feeders until the problem species disperse.

Don't offer so-called wild bird mixes in tube feeders. These are better fed on platforms or out of hopper feeders. Birds which prefer sunflower seed will just empty the feeder to get at the sunflower seeds.

Make a brushpile near your feeder to make sparrows, towhees, and other shy birds feel more at home, but be sure it won't harbor roaming cats.

Add natural features to your feeding station, such as branches to perch on, to make birds feel more at ease.