Types of Feeder Foods

One of the lessons learned early by anyone feeding backyard birds is that the mixed birdseed you buy in the supermarket is not your only option, and it is rarely your best choice. It is inexpensive, and it does attract birds, so it's a reasonable way to start out, if you don't care what birds you attract. Pigeons, starlings, blackbirds, mourning doves and house sparrows will all be attracted to the mixed seed, and you'll have a fair amount of activity at your feeders. If that is all you're interested in, you'll do fine with a basic, inexpensive mixed seed. But one of the things that you learn when you feed birds is that you can wield a lot of power by controlling the types of feeder foods you offer and that seeds are not your only choice.

Also, remember that although your food offerings may make the job of finding food in the winter easier for birds, it is a myth that they become totally dependent on your feeders. Although it is good to be reliable if you are providing food, it is okay to go on vacation and leave your feeders untended for a couple of weeks. The birds won't starve. They will find natural food sources. In fact, at least one expert advocates NOT keeping full feeders, in part to avoid the potential reliance of birds on an un-natural food source. His advice is to decide on a set amount of food to offer each day rather than just filling the feeder as soon as it is empty. Ideally, you would offer an amount which could be consumed by around mid-day. This will minimize the risk that spilled seed will attract rats during the night. It will also limit your birds' dependence on you and allow them to remain familiar with their natural food sources.

As with many of the other decisions that go into backyard feeding, the amount and type of food to provide is a decision balanced by desired convenience, knowledge of the birds in your yard and their dietary preferences, and the quantity of time you wish to invest. What we hope to do is provide you with is some options, so you can choose what will work best for you and for the birds that you are attracting.

Seed Types

Hands down, the favorite food of feeder birds is black oil sunflower seed ("BOSS," easy to remember because it is the top seed), offered either in-the-shell, shelled, or chipped. Many feeders offer BOSS and nothing else. By switching from mixed seed to BOSS you'll see less wasted seed, because the birds won't be kicking out the less desirable seed. Birds such as pigeons, starlings, blackbirds, house sparrows and mourning doves, which some (but not all) backyard feeders consider less desirable, are not as attracted to black oil sunflower as to mixed seed (particularly corn and millet). So if you're looking to cut down on those species, BOSS may be a good seed to experiment with. It may also attract more finches, titmice and chickadees -- an added incentive to move to the next level if little birds are your passion. But there are lots of other options. I have compiled a list of some popular offerings, followed by the birds that they typically attract: