News — bird seed

How to Choose Bird Seed

When it comes to feeding your garden birds, there’s an incredible selection of bird seed to choose from. Each blend has its own recipe and ingredients. Here are a few of the most common bird seed ingredients you’ll come across and the birds that like to eat them:

Niger Seeds
Niger seeds are small and black and have a high oil content. Goldfinches, siskins, greenfinches, nuthatches, sparrows and tits are all regularly seen tucking into niger seed. However, because niger seeds are so small, a special niger seed bird feeder is required.

Sunflower Seeds
Sunflower seeds are enjoyed by blackbirds, blue tits, chaffinches, goldfinches, greenfinches and house sparrows. They have a high oil and fat content, making them a great food source throughout the whole of the year.

Chopped Peanuts
Tits and greenfinches love to eat peanuts. Robins, dunnocks and wrens are also partial to them. Peanuts in a seed mix should be little more than granules. If you’re choosing a whole peanut bird feed, it’s important to put it in a dedicated peanut feeder, which will prevent birds from choking on bigger chunks of nut.

Safflower Seeds
Because of their hard outer shell, safflower seeds are preferred by birds with a strong beak, such as the house finch. Squirrels don’t like safflower seeds so they’re a good option if you’re trying to deter these animals from your bird feeders.

Millet Seeds
Millet seeds are a favourite amongst doves, dunnocks, finches and sparrows. These seeds are lower in fat than some other varieties. But they are very nutritious, containing high levels of protein. And they’re easy to digest too.

Flaked Maize
Blackbirds and robins love flaked maize. It has the highest oil and energy content of all cereals and it’s perfect for feeding trays.

Why is it important to choose quality bird seed?
The quality of a bird seed depends on the ingredients used. The best seed mixes contain plenty of sunflower seeds, peanuts and flaked maize.  

Cheaper, lower quality bird seeds contain a lot of “filler”. These are seeds and grains, like wheat, dried rice and lentils. This filler content attracts bigger birds, such as rooks and jackdaws, but is often bypassed by smaller birds.

Low quality feed may even include dog biscuits that you’ll see as pink or green lumps in the mix. These are only edible to birds when soaked so should definitely be avoided.

Choosing the best quality bird seed allows you to provide a nutritious meal for your garden birds. It will also see them returning again and again for another tasty treat.

Common Garden Birds and What They Like to Eat

A wide variety of birds visit gardens up and down the country. They’re most likely to visit places that provide shelter, water and food. Their primary diet is made up of the seeds, berries, insects and invertebrates that can be found in most well-tended gardens.

But birds, just like humans, like a little variety. When it comes to treats, not all birds like to eat the same things. Each bird species comes with its own dietary requirements and preferences.

If you’re looking to attract birds to your garden, take a look at our list of common garden birds and the foods they like to eat:

Robin
The red breasted robin appears in gardens all year round, not just in winter at the legend would have us believe. Robins love to eat mealworms. You can grow your own but this is quite an involved process so buying them is an easier, if more expensive, option. Mild grated cheese also proves popular.

Goldfinch
The goldfinch’s red and black markings make it an impressive garden visitor. These birds have a particular soft spot for nyger seeds. In fact, it’s the addition of nyger seeds to feed mixes that have made goldfinches a more common sight in our gardens.

Dunnock
Dunnocks are small, brown birds that tend to hop around on the ground. They like to stay close to cover and can usually be found under hedges. Dunnocks are most likely to peck at millet seeds left on the ground, under the bird feeder.

Collared Dove
Collared doves are soft grey in colour with the black and white collar that gives them their name. Particular favourites for the collared dove include uncooked rice, wheat and barley grains.

Blackbird
Blackbirds are seen all year round. The like to eat insects, worms and berries. Flaked maize seems to be a blackbird’s favourite part of a seed mix whilst dog food can act as a tasty substitute for worms when the ground is dry during summer months.

Blue Tit
The blue tit’s blue and yellow markings make it instantly recognisable. This tiny bird weighs just 11g. It likes to eat sunflower seeds and chopped, unsalted peanuts as well as juicy mealworms.

Learning what wild birds like to eat will help you to create a veritable banquet for your feathered garden guests. Provide a variety of food all year round and your feeders will be a popular gathering spot for a host of garden bird species.

Top 5 Things Not to Feed Your Birds

Providing food is a great way to attract birds to your garden. It can also help them through food shortages and the bleaker winter months. But you should always feed your avian visitors responsibly. Here are the top five things not to feed your birds:

Peanuts
Peanuts are a favourite for many birds but salted peanuts are a big no-no. Most birds can’t process salt and may die if they ingest too much of it. Whole nuts in the spring also pose a hazard as parents may feed them to their young, causing a risk of choking.

Bread
All bread, but particularly white bread, fills a bird’s stomach but provides little nutrition. There are lots of other healthier alternatives to offer.  

Vegetable, chicken or turkey fat
Fat can end up coating a bird’s feathers and making it difficult for them to fly. If you want to make homemade fat balls for your birds, you should avoid using polyunsaturated fat or butter.

Milk
Whilst some birds are partial to a little bit of cheese, milk isn’t a good idea. It can cause severe stomach upsets.

Desiccated Coconut
Fresh coconut is a tasty treat for the birds in your garden but avoid desiccated coconut at all costs. It can swell in the stomach and be fatal to birds unless properly soaked beforehand.

How to Look After Your Garden Wildlife in July

How to Look After Your Garden Wildlife in July

During the height of summer your garden is likely to be in full bloom – bursting with beautiful colour and scent. There’s also lots of wildlife about. Here are a few tips for looking after your garden wildlife in July:

Frogs
Baby frogs are likely to be making an appearance around now. Plant foliage or leave long grass around your pond to provide them with shelter from predators.

Hedgehogs
Baby hedgehogs are also on the move in July. They like meat-based cat or dog food and water. Providing these things will give them the extra food they need to prepare for hibernation in the autumn.

Birds
Avoid trimming your hedges until you’re sure there are no birds nesting there. Blackbirds and thrushes can nest as late as August. Also, keep your bird bath topped up with water on warmer days to provide drinking water.

Bees
Wildflower weeds such as daisies and dandelions provide a good source of nectar for bees. Leave areas of your lawn for these plants to grow. Also consider planting bee friendly biennials that will flower next year.

Plants
Your plants and flowers are a lifeline for bees and butterflies. Be sure to give them plenty of water during dry spells to keep them fighting fit.