In order to attract different species of bird into your garden you may want to place some special wild bird food out for them to eat. Different species of birds will eat different types of bird food. By understanding what type of food each species of bird prefers to eat you will be helping to attract more varieties of bird into your garden, while also keeping the local birds happy. This article takes a look at several of the most common types of bird food.
Sunflower Seeds
Sunflower seeds are a popular choice for feeding wild birds. They are enjoyed by a variety of bird species as the seeds contain a lot of nutrients. Sunflower seeds are available with their shells on or hulled. Hulled seeds are more expensive, therefore it is best to place them in a squirrel proof bird feeder so that the squirrels don’t eat them all!
Safflower
This type of seed is the preferred food of choice for northern cardinals, plus it is eaten by finches and mourning doves.
Corn
Corn is use to attract jays, pheasants, bluebirds and other types of game birds. It is available in cracked or whole corn varieties. This type of food can also attract other mammals such as raccoons and rodents, so you may want to place it on a high feeding platform to prevent this from happening.
Thistle Seed
If you want to attract a variety of finches then you should try putting out some thistle seed wild bird food. Also known as nyjer seed, this tiny seed requires a special bird feeder to prevent it from spilling out.
Mixed Feed
If you want to attract a range of bird types to your garden then you can try purchasing a bag of mixed seeds which will contain several of the above types of wild bird food.
You can purchase bird food from some large supermarkets or garden centres, or you can buy it directly from specialist online retailers. Make sure that you use the appropriate type of feeder for the food too.