 |
Attracting Birds To Your Yard
Preferred Feeding Chart
J
= Preferred
K
= Will eat
L
= Doesn't like
| Bird |
On ground |
Off ground |
Standard mix |
Cracked corn |
Black
oil sunflower |
Hulled sunflower |
Whole sunflower |
Yellow, white, or red millet |
Niger thistle |
Suet |
| Chickadee |
K |
J |
K |
L |
J |
J |
J |
L |
L |
K |
| Goldfinch |
L |
J |
K |
L |
J |
J |
K |
K |
J |
L |
| House finch |
K |
J |
K |
K |
J |
J |
J |
L |
J |
L |
| Purple finch |
K |
J |
K |
L |
J |
J |
J |
L |
J |
L |
| Evening grosbeak |
J |
J |
K |
L |
K |
K |
J |
L |
L |
L |
| Stellar Jay |
J |
K |
K |
K |
K |
J |
J |
L |
L |
K |
| Junco |
J |
K |
K |
K |
K |
J |
L |
J |
K |
L |
| Nuthatches |
J |
J |
K |
L |
K |
K |
J |
L |
L |
L |
| Pine siskin |
J |
J |
K |
L |
J |
J |
L |
J |
J |
L |
| Redpoll |
J |
K |
K |
L |
K |
J |
L |
K |
J |
L |
| Red-winged blackbird |
J |
K |
K |
J |
K |
J |
L |
J |
L |
L |
| House Sparrow |
J |
J |
K |
K |
K |
J |
J |
J |
K |
L |
| Song sparrow |
J |
L |
K |
K |
K |
K |
J |
J |
K |
L |
| White-crowned sparrow |
J |
L |
K |
K |
J |
K |
J |
J |
K |
L |
| White-throated sparrow |
J |
L |
K |
K |
J |
K |
J |
J |
K |
L |
| Woodpeckers |
K |
J |
K |
K |
K |
K |
L |
L |
L |
J |
| Brown-headed cowbird |
J |
L |
K |
K |
L |
K |
L |
J |
J |
L |
| Rock dove |
J |
L |
K |
J |
L |
K |
L |
J |
K |
L |
| Starling |
J |
K |
K |
K |
L |
J |
L |
J |
L |
J |
| Tree Sparrow |
J |
J |
K |
K |
L |
K |
K |
J |
K |
L |
| Golden-crowned sparrow |
J |
K |
K |
K |
L |
K |
J |
J |
K |
L |
| Rufous-sided Towhee |
J |
K |
K |
L |
L |
K |
K |
J |
K |
L |
| Morning dove |
J |
K |
K |
K |
L |
K |
L |
J |
K |
L |
| Titmice |
K |
J |
K |
L |
K |
J |
K |
L |
L |
K |
It should be
noted that none of this is etched in stone. Birds continue to
surprise us every day. If you are trying to attract certain
types of birds to your yard, put out the preferred food in the
preferred location. Some ground feeders will eat from a platform
feeder, and some will even show us their acrobatic skills in an
attempt to snitch the seeds from a perching feeder!
If you are not getting birds at your feeder, but your
neighbour's feeder is constantly busy, it is probably because
he/she is offering the food they like the best. It may also be
because your feeder is not clean with fresh food, or because the
birds see the location as unsafe for some reason. If you are
serving a mix, take a look at the ground under your feeder. The
stuff the birds throw out is the stuff they don't like. It is a
lot of work for the birds to pick out the food they want, and
they will go to the feeder (your neighbour's!) that has it. It
is also a lot of work for you to keep cleaning up those seeds
and pulling the inevitable seedlings.
Back to Attracting
Birds
|
