HIGH QUALITY FOOD
How to Attract a Greater Variety of Birds
Each bird species has food preferences, and these may change seasonally. Offering multiple kinds of foods throughout the year will help attract a greater variety of birds to your bird feeding station on a regular basis.
Recommended Foods
Beyond our regionally-formulated seed blends, we recommend offering a broad selection of foods that attracts a greater variety of birds and meets their nutritional needs.
Sunflower
In our part of the country, sunflower seeds are the #1 base for any bird seed blend. These seeds are nutritionally very similar to what the birds eat in the wild, making them attractive and nutritious to a wide variety of species.
Peanuts and Tree Nuts
The best single source of protein and fat for birds. Some birds will cache nuts to retrieve later, making repeated trips to feeders to gather food.
Nyjer® (thistle)
Nyjer attracts finches of all kinds. Its high-oil content is an excellent energy source for active birds and is best used in our specially-designed finch feeders. It is important to keep the food fresh for our picky little eaters. Once seed starts to dry out and become stale, finches will turn up their beaks for fresher forage. Store your Nyjer in an airtight container for a longer shelf life and buy in quantities that will be used up in a few weeks.
Mealworms
Attracts common and uncommon insect-eating birds like bluebirds and wrens. Because mealworms crawl, place them in a smooth-sided feeder where they cannot crawl out. Dried mealworms are also an excellent choice, and can either be offered on their own or mixed in with a seed blend.
Nectar
Hummingbirds’ favorite food. It’s important to continue offering nectar until two weeks after you see your last hummingbird, as straggling migrants rely on food sources on their way south. In our climate, nectar needs to be changed regularly (if it's above 90 degrees, daily unless you're using products like Sapphire Lab's Nectar Defender™.
Suet
Birds, such as woodpeckers, chickadees and nuthatches, will readily come to suet for its high-fat, high-energy content. We offer a variety of suet flavors to help you attract a wider variety of birds. All Wild Birds Unlimited suet is rendered, meaning impurities that can cause spoilage are removed.
Fruit/Jelly
During spring, Baltimore Orioles can be attracted to your yard using fruit and jelly feeders. Mockingbirds, thrashers, and catbirds will also eat fruit. During the winter, many insect-eating birds naturally add fruit to their diet to make up for the missing insects. Offering dried fruit in your seed blend during winter can encourage these birds to visit more frequently.
Specialty Foods Designed to Bring Even More Birds
Seed Cylinders
The quickest, simplest, longest-lasting way to feed your birds. Available in a variety of flavors, our seed cylinders meet the nutritional needs and feeding behaviors of a number of different birds.
Seed & Suet Stackables
The quickest, simplest way to feed your seed- and suet-eating birds at the same time. Also a great option as the seasons change and you want to evaluate what your birds are now craving.
Jim’s Birdacious® Bark Butter®
The perfect blend of fat and protein, no other single bird food attracts a greater variety of species; over 160 birds and counting.
