Wild Bird Seed – Not all is created equal
There are many different types of bird seed for sale but it is important to understand that not all of it is created equal.
The specific sort of wild bird seed that you end up buying will be largely dependent upon the exact birds that you want to attract into your backyard, and there is a right way and a wrong way to go about getting the best seed possible.
How to buy the right wild bird seed if you are just starting off
Should you be unaware of the sort of bids that you may be able to attract to your specific location then you may want to look at buying a general purpose wild bird seed mixture that will appeal to a wide range of species.
Try to avoid the generic, no-name and lower priced bird seed as this can contain large amounts of filler which the birds simply won’t eat. All you serve to do when buying low quality wild bird seed is encourage rodents, squirrels and other animals who aren’t so picky about eating free handouts.
Buying a good quality general seed mix is a great way to get an idea of the sort of birds in your area and take further steps to encourage more of the birds you would like to see in your backyard on a regular basis.
For instance you might take a real liking to 1 or 2 particualr species. You could do a bit of research on them and learn about their feeding habits and general behavior. Once this has been established you could buy a feeder that is catered to that type of bird and set it apart from the original feeding station
Often bird related guide books can have outdated information in a sense that some birds may have been pushed out of your area by human habitation or gone extinct completely. This is a terrific way to test the waters and accurately verify that certain birds still live in your area.
Different components of a good wild bird seed will appeal to different birds
One of the most popular ingredients is black oil sunflower seeds. Some birds go absolutely crazy over them and you will find that the fussiest of birds will eat sunflower seeds and nothing else if given the opportunity.
As a food these seeds appeal to a wide range of birds because they are easy to crack open, even for small birds with equally small beaks.
As far as attracting specific birds is concerned, listed below are some general ingredients you should be on the lookout for and which birds eat them:
- Safflower seeds (cardinals).
- Cracked corn (pheasants, doves and blackbirds).
- Peanuts (woodpeckers, nuthatches and wrens).
- Black oil sunflower seeds (cardinals, chickadees, rufus-sided towhee and some finches).
- Thistle (certain types of finches, siskins and redpolls).
Getting the most out of your wild bird seed
It is important to store your seed in a cool, dry environment away from the reach of rodents and insects.
Also make sure that you regularly clean the feeding station to make sure that disease is not spread around the local bird population and replenish the seed regularly to ensure that it does not go rotten and encourage mold and bacteria to proliferate.