What Bird Seed to Use | Best Seeds by Bird Type

Most bags labeled “wild bird seed” contain mostly filler that birds toss onto the ground. The real answer to what bird seed to use starts with one seed: black oil sunflower. Its thin shell and 40% fat content make it the gold standard for the widest variety of species. Start with nothing else in a hopper or platform feeder, then add specialty seeds in separate feeders as you learn which birds visit.

Why Black Oil Sunflower Leads Every Other Seed

Black oil sunflower brings cardinals, chickadees, finches, nuthatches, and goldfinches to the same feeder. Striped sunflower has a thicker hull that larger birds handle better, but smaller species struggle with it. Safflower offers high energy with a hard white shell that house sparrows and starlings tend to avoid — useful when you want cardinals and grosbeaks without the pushy birds.

• Black oil sunflower — 40% fat, thin hull, smallest variant. Attracts the most species.
• Striped sunflower — Lower oil content, thicker shell. Best for jays and woodpeckers.
• Safflower — Hard white shell. Cardinals, grosbeaks, and downy woodpeckers eat it; house sparrows skip it.

Nyjer (thistle) seed requires a specialized feeder with tiny ports — standard tube feeders dump it on the ground. American goldfinches, pine siskins, and house finches love it, but only in the right feeder. White proso millet works for ground-feeding birds like doves, juncos, and native sparrows, but avoid any blend that’s more than 50% millet.

Bird Seed Prices and Which Blends to Avoid

Sunflower hearts — shell-free, no mess — cost more but work well on patios and decks where you do not want hulls accumulating. Unsalted peanuts attract woodpeckers, nuthatches, and jays, and lightly roasted unsalted peanuts are preferred.

Low-cost mixes that list milo (red millet), wheat, corn, or oats near the top of the ingredient list are mostly filler. Birds kick these seeds aside looking for the sunflower, leaving waste that draws squirrels and rats. Check the “guaranteed analysis” on any bag for protein, fat, and fiber percentages before buying.

How to Set Up Your Feeders

Offer different seeds in separate feeders to control waste and target specific birds. A tube feeder with small ports works for Nyjer or sunflower chips. A hopper or platform feeder handles black oil sunflower and millet. Hang suet cages and peanut nets at least five feet off the ground for woodpeckers and nuthatches. What bird seed works best for Massachusetts covers specific regional recommendations and product picks if you are in that area.

Do not feed salted peanuts — birds cannot process the salt and can be poisoned. Use unsalted peanuts only.

Common Seed Mistakes That Attract Pests

Pre-mixed blends are the most common misstep. They contain excessive milo and cracked corn that birds discard, and that waste attracts raccoons, squirrels, and aggressive birds like jays and starlings that block the species you want. A single feeder with black oil sunflower and a separate Nyjer feeder with a thistle tube will bring more variety with less mess than any all-in-one bag.

Millet works well for ground-feeding birds when placed on a covered tray or feeding table, which also protects them from predators while they eat. Avoid putting Nyjer in a standard feeder — its port holes are too large, and the seed spills faster than birds can eat it.