Best Bird Seed for Wild Birds and How to Set Up Feeders

Project FeederWatch calls black-oil sunflower the most common type of seed offered at feeders in North America, describes it as high in energy with thin shells, and lists cardinals, chickadees, finches and sparrows among the birds that favor it, with woodpeckers taking it on occasion. That combination of thin shell and wide appeal is why it outperforms a cheap mixed bag.

Hulled sunflower works for the same birds and leaves no shell litter, but it spoils faster, so keep it dry and put out less at a time.

A seed mix is worth reading before buying. Milo is the usual filler; Project FeederWatch says it appeals more to western birds than eastern ones and that it is not a favorite of most birds, so the seed often goes to waste. A mix that is mostly milo and cracked corn is cheap for a reason.

• Black-oil sunflower: cardinals, chickadees, finches, sparrows, sometimes woodpeckers.
• Nyjer, also sold as thistle: American Goldfinch, Pine Siskin, Common Redpoll.
• Millet: juncos, sparrows and other small ground foragers. A handful scattered on the ground works better than a feeder.
• Safflower: cardinals and other large-billed birds, though most birds prefer sunflower.
• Peanuts and peanut hearts: chickadees, titmice, nuthatches, jays. Avoid salted peanuts and any roasted with coatings or flavorings.
• Suet: insect-eating birds. It can go rancid in hot weather unless it is specially processed.
• Mealworms: chickadees, titmice, wrens, nuthatches and bluebirds; Project FeederWatch calls mealworms one of the only foods that reliably attract bluebirds.
• Fruit: orioles take citrus, and mockingbirds, catbirds, bluebirds, robins and waxwings take other fruit. Throw out any fruit that goes moldy, because some molds produce toxins.
• Cracked corn: doves, quail and sparrows on the ground; whole corn brings in wild turkeys and ducks.

Project FeederWatch describes eight basic feeder styles: ground feeders, large and small hoppers, large and small tube feeders, platform feeders, nectar feeders and suet cages. The design decides who eats. Tube feeders with short perches let small birds such as finches feed while excluding larger birds; platform and ground feeders serve juncos, doves and sparrows, which prefer to feed low down.

Running two or three types beats running one large one. It spreads the birds out, which lowers the aggression at any single feeder and, more importantly, lowers the rate at which a sick bird infects the rest.

Place feeders with the window problem in mind. Collisions are worst at homes and buildings under four stories, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service puts United States glass collisions at more than a billion birds a year.

Project FeederWatch says to clean seed and suet feeders every week or two, and more often during heavy use or wet weather. Clemson University's extension service gives the working method: soak each part in a 10 percent bleach solution, one part bleach to nine parts water, for ten minutes, then rinse every part and let it dry completely before refilling. Clemson notes that research found this the most effective way to get rid of salmonella.

Watch for sick birds. Project FeederWatch describes House Finch eye disease as red, swollen, runny or crusty eyes, in extreme cases swollen shut; salmonellosis as birds that look thin or fluffed up, are lethargic and easy to approach, and may have swollen eyelids; and avian pox as wart-like growths on featherless areas. Its advice when you see a sick bird is to take down the feeders it is using for a couple of weeks and clean the feeders and the area thoroughly.

Do not handle a dead bird with bare hands. Use a bag or gloves, wash your hands afterwards, report unusual numbers of deaths to your state wildlife agency, and see a doctor if you become unwell.

The Smithsonian's National Zoo gives the recipe as one part refined white sugar to four parts water, for example one cup of sugar to four cups of water, stirred until dissolved. It says to avoid honey, corn syrup, raw unprocessed sugars and powdered sugar, and not to add red dye or coloring, which is not necessary to attract hummingbirds and could be harmful. Prepared nectar keeps in the refrigerator for no more than a week.

Clean and refill at least twice a week in hot weather and at least weekly in cool weather. Project FeederWatch is stricter still, recommending cleaning hummingbird feeders every couple of days and ideally every time you refill. Cornell's guidance is to use hot water and a bottle brush rather than soap, and if a deeper clean is needed, no more than one part bleach to nine parts water, rinsed thoroughly and air dried.