![]() Tits, finches, sparrows and nuthatches go wild for whole peanuts in feeders, while robins prefer crushed peanuts on the ground. Peanuts are a bird superfood, rich in protein and essential oils. Some husk-free mixes also contain other foods like dried mealworms and suet pellets to add texture, flavour and nutritional variety. ‘No mess’ seed mixes only contain the edible parts of the seeds, so there’s much less leftover husk under the feeder – and much less need for cleaning. Also avoid any mixture containing green or pink lumps as these are dog biscuit, which can only be eaten (by birds) when soaked.” “These are added to some cheaper seed mixes to bulk them up. “Avoid seed mixtures that have split peas, beans, dried rice or lentils, as only large species can eat them dry,” warns the RSPB. Wheat and barley grains are often included in cheap seed mixtures, but they’re really only suitable for pigeons, doves and pheasants. The best mixes contain a rich variety of small seeds such as millet, which attracts sparrows, dunnocks and finches, along with flaked maize, sunflower seeds and peanut granules, which are beloved by blackbirds and tits. ![]() You can get good and bad bird seed mixes, though, and you tend to get what you pay for. ![]() Seed mixes appeal to the biggest variety of garden birds, and are easy to feed from bird tables and seed feeders (see our article on the best bird feeders). Well, unless you count the price of some top-quality bird food! What types of bird food can I buy? Knowing that you’re helping wild birds survive the cold winter months, and keeping them going while they nest and raise their chicks, is the kind of therapy that money can’t buy. It’s also great for our mental health and our relationship with the natural world. The difference, says the BTO, is the increase in garden bird feeding.Īttracting birds to our gardens isn’t just good for the birds, of course. The BTO’s Garden Bird Feeding Survey reports a much broader range now, with even the glorious goldfinch commonly sighted by survey respondents. In the 70s, before bird feeders became a common sight outside British homes, most garden birds were sparrows or starlings. Or, if you know what you’re looking for, skip down the page for our recommended best bird feed. Read on to find out more about choosing the best bird food for your garden visitors, or for the wild birds you want to support and attract. The best bird feed is carefully selected to provide ample protein, fats and nutrients in a few pecks, and to leave no mess or waste, even if you’re scattering the feed on the ground. Cooked starchy foods can even make little beaks stick together. Not only do they fill up those tiny stomachs without providing nutrition, but they can also do more harm than good by spreading disease and attracting predators. As you probably know, bread and other processed scraps are definitely not the best food to feed birds. The best bird feed attracts birds of many different kinds, and safely supplements their natural food sources all year round – especially during droughts, winter and nesting season, when extra nutrition may be much needed. Feeding wild birds doesn’t just benefit them: it also brings you joy by encouraging flocks of feathered visitors to your garden or balcony.
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