Whether you are trying your hand at feeding wild birds for the first time or you have been at it for some time, you might not be getting the kinds of birds you want at your bird feeder. Many people don't realize that birdseed doesn't offer a one-size-fits-all solution to all species of birds. Knowing the types of seeds a bird likes will help you have greater success at getting the visitors that you want. Our bird food chart will provide you with some basic information about feeding popular bird species on the west coast.

A Unanimous Favorite

One type of seed that nearly all birds like is sunflower, which comes in three different types — gray, striped, and black oil. While most birds will happily eat all three, black oil sunflower seeds have the higher percentage of oil, the thinnest hulls, and are a good buy if you’re looking for cheap bird seed. You might feed pure black oil sunflower seed if you want to attract a variety of birds to your yard.

You can feed finches all three types of sunflowers too. The birds use their strong beaks to quickly open the seeds and retrieve the soft, nutritious interior. As an added convenience, you can give them hulled sunflower seeds or sunflower chips. The smaller pieces fit through the holes in finch feeders, and there’s no mess or waste.

Bird Food Chart

If you want to attract a variety of birds to your yard, our Rogue Deluxe contains something for every seed eater.

There are two challenges to attracting the right birds to your backyard feeder: getting the right birds to visit and keeping nuisance birds out. It isn’t as simple as putting seed in the bird feeder and waiting to see who shows up.

Western bluebirds are one of the most sought-after birds for bird feeders. They are also one of the most elusive. This is because they don’t eat bird seed and they prefer to eat from the ground or platform feeders. These beautiful birds, along with chickadees and woodpeckers, are insect eaters.

Offering dried mealworms bird feed is less messy than feeding live mealworms, and it usually appeals to all types of insect eaters. Buy a mealworm bird feeder to offer mealworms, seeds, and fruit. Or, use a pre-filled mealworm sock feeder that is easy to hang from a branch, hook, or pole.

Birds also have preferences about how they eat. Some, such as juncos and bluebirds, like to eat off the ground. You can either provide a ground feeder or simply scatter mixed seed beneath the bird feeder.

Dealing with Nuisance Birds

The presence of nuisance birds could keep you from attracting the birds you want to your feeder. On the west coast, the biggest nuisances include:

1. Pigeons
2. Starlings
3. Crows
4. House Sparrows
5. Seagulls

While some people try to attract doves to their bird feeders, many consider them nuisance birds. Despite their peaceful appearance and gentle cooing, they often grow in number and are aggressive toward other birds.

Birds become a nuisance when they occur in large numbers, create safety hazards from their droppings, and cause damage to property. Unlike other members of their species, house sparrows are considered a nuisance bird. It takes more than changing bird seed if you want to attract desirable sparrows without getting overrun with house sparrows. Once they show up at your bird feeder, stop feeding until they move on.

These birds are the primary reason that it isn’t just what you feed but how you feed. For example:

• Nuisance birds can wipe out suet cakes in no time! When feeding jays, chickadees, or woodpeckers, hang a suet bird feeder high above the ground. This protects smaller birds not only from nuisance birds but also from animal predators.
• When you feed finches, use a finch bird feeder made with wire mesh.
• When feeding Nyger (thistle), use a special thistle feeder.
• Caged feeders that are designed to keep out squirrels can also keep larger nuisance birds out of the feed so that smaller birds feed in peace.
• Try to find bird feeders with shorter perches or shorten those you already have. Larger birds need the balance of a perch to feed, while smaller birds don’t. You can also use bird feeders with removable perches to keep larger birds away.
• Use specialty foods whenever possible. Nuisance birds like cheap bird seeds such as sunflower seeds and cracked corn. Switch to feeds like safflower and nyjer that will attract the birds you want without encouraging those you don’t to eat the feeder clean. Use low-waste feed that doesn’t end up on the ground where nuisance birds like to eat.

With some effort, you can make your backyard bird feeder more appealing to the birds you want to attract.

Shop Grange Co-op for All Your Bird Feeding Needs

Grange Co-op has a wide range of wild bird feeders, bird food, and accessories. If you need help choosing the right products, contact us. A Grange Co-op expert will help you get better results for your bird-watching entertainment.