White Proso Millet

White Proso Millet
White proso millet is a major ingredient in many wild bird seed mixes, but it is also wonderful to offer to birds just by itself. The tiny seeds of white proso millet are desirable to many species of birds but it is a hands-down favorite of some species, especially doves, juncos, native sparrows, towhees, quail and bobwhite. Two of our most colorful songbirds – painted and indigo buntings – adore white proso millet. If they're in your area and you have never seen these amazingly beautiful birds in your backyard, then white proso millet should be high on your list of backyard birdfeeding supplies. Another incredibly beautiful bird species, tanagers, will devour white proso millet even though they are not generally considered to be attracted to seeds at all.

Even birds that prefer black oil sunflower seeds – cardinals, goldfinches, purple finches and pine siskins, for example – will readily eat white proso millet if their seed of first choice is not available.

The outer shell of white proso millet is easily opened by birds with small beaks but is hard enough to protect it from the weather, making it safe to offer it on the ground – exactly where the species it attracts prefer to eat. Or, you can use it liberally in your own custom-blended seed mix, replacing the undesirable fillers found in many of the less expensive commercially available wild bird seed mixes. An added bonus is that there are so many seeds in any size bag of white proso millet, enough to keep your favorite ground-feeding backyard birds happy for quite a long time.

In spite of all the fine qualities of white proso millet, it is usually difficult to find by itself at most backyard birding supply stores. It sometimes can be found in pet supply stores along with other foods for indoor birds, but the cost is usually prohibitive and it is only offered in small quantities.