You’ve set up your feeders and you’re all geared up to spot some birds… but where are they? When it comes to their breakfasts many birds have very particular preferences about their choice of food, that’s why it’s always best to put out a good quality range of seeds, suet pellets and mealworms at your feeding stations.
You’ll quickly see an increase in wildlife in your garden if you cater for different types of bird. Here, we have the ultimate bird food guide, and seed at seriously low prices, so you’ll never have a feeding dilemma again!
Niger seed
This is a small black seed rich in oils which provides essential energy in the diets of certain birds. Niger is a common favourite of finches, such as goldfinch, chaffinch, bullfinch, lesser redpoll and greenfinch, which use their large beaks to crack the tiny casings and get at the oily seeds inside. However, this feed is likely to be avoided by most other birds.
Once oily niger seeds have dried out they are completely useless to birds, so make sure you regularly refresh your supply to keep your garden friends sated.
Sunflower hearts
These easy-to-eat seeds are an all-round winner! Many types of birds, particularly small flights ones, like tits, love this seed as it provides a very quick meal. Birds can make a fast getaway after eating sunflower hearts as they do not need to stay on the feeder for a long time while they de-husk the seed. Whole sunflower seeds are also a good investment, although leave much more mess around your bird station!
Peanuts
Peanuts are packed full of energy and you’ll find that great tits, long-tailed tits and siskins can’t get enough of them. They’re also beloved by red and grey squirrels, so invest in a squirrel guard to keep these nuisances off your feeders.
Our peanuts are also tested against harmful aflatoxins so that no dangerous residues will build up inside garden birds. This type of feed is particularly good for birds who are storing up their energy reserves so be plentiful with it during the autumn and winter months.
Seed mixes
Mixed seed is a good bet for attracting a variety of birds. Sparrows, chaffinches, tits and collared doves will stop by your garden if they see our No Grow No Waste Seed Blend. This contains a combination of sunflower hearts, maize, oats, suet pellets and peanut pieces to give any garden bird a hearty meal.
Dried mealworms
Attract blackbirds and robins to your garden with these delicious treats. Mealworms aren’t actually worms at all but rather beetle larvae – they’re great to put out just as they are, but you could also leave them to soak in warm water for a few minutes so birds will have a juicy snack to look forward to.
Also look out for dunnocks, blackcaps, song thrushes and starlings when you have these on the table!
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