9 Types of Bird Seed for Your Backyard

Choose the right bird seed for your backyard with this guide from Valley Splendor.

While wild birds can find their own food, they also heavily rely on backyard bird feeders and bird seed.

If you love to watch wild birds peck at their favorite seed, sip from a bird bath, or just perch by your windows, it’s important to choose the best bird seed.

Plus, different species like different types of seed. From thistle seed to black oil sunflower, here are nine types of bird seed for your backyard. Follow along with Valley Splendor and Blain’s Farm & Fleet.

1. Black Oil Sunflower Seed

• The number-one choice for the largest variety of birds.
• The most economical seed that will be sure to get birds to your backyard.

2. Striped Sunflower Seed

• The seed preferred by larger birds, such as cardinals and blue jays.

3. Hulled Sunflower Seed

• Sunflower seeds without the hull or shell. Because there is no shell to crack open, a greater variety of birds can enjoy these hulled seeds. This includes mockingbirds, wrens, woodpeckers, chickadees, titmice, nuthatches, gold finches, house finches, cardinals, grosbeaks, sparrows, and jays.
• Great for feeding on decks, patios, and gardens because no messy shells fall beneath the feeder.

4. Thistle (Nyjer Seed)

• The top seed choice of finches.
• Not a favorite of squirrels. So they are less likely to try eating from your feeder if it contains Thistle (Nyjer seed).

5. Safflower Seed

• A highly desirable seed that attracts many of the same birds as Black Oil Sunflower. This includes chickadees, titmice, nuthatches, gold finches, house finches, grosbeaks, and jays.
• Not desired by squirrels and grackles, so your feeders can be left undisturbed.

6. Millet

• A small round seed that has several different types, including Golden, White, and Red Millet.
• Mostly offered in birdseed mixes.
• Enjoyed by ground-feeding birds, including doves, sparrows, juncos, bobwhites, and quails.

7. Milo

• Also known as Sorghum, a less desirable seed often offered in more inexpensive mixes.
• High in carbohydrates—enjoyed by doves, house sparrows, quails, and towhees.

8. Cracked Corn

• Consists of dried corn kernels cracked into smaller pieces.
• Preferred by birds that feed on the ground, including pheasants, quails, doves, sparrows, towhees, blackbirds, grackles, and jays.

9. Suet

• A type of bird food that is high in fat, providing birds with extra protein for energy.
• Comes in a small square block that you can place in a wire mesh suet feeder holder.
• Great for feeding birds that might not come to a regular feeder.
• Great for the cold winter months when birds need that extra energy.

This blog article was originally posted by Valley Splendor.

For more tips on tending to your backyard birds, visit Blain’s Farm and Fleet’s Wild Bird Care Blog.