Scrub Hub: What's the best seed to attract Indiana songbirds to backyard feeders?

Backyard bird feeders give Hoosiers a front row seat to enjoy the state’s songbirds while allowing chickadees, finches, cardinals and other species to supplement their foraged diets.

Many retailers offer large bags of mixed birdseed that make refilling feeders easy, but some of those bags contain fillers and dyes that might not be best for Indiana’s birds.

So for this edition of Scrub Hub, we turned to the experts to answer the question: What’s the best bird seed for Indiana’s songbirds?

Seek high quality bird feed without the filler

Large bags of mixed seeds can be appealing to Hoosiers who want to easily refill their backyard bird feeders, but some contain a lot of fillers, such as cracked corn and oats. These aren’t appealing to most songbirds and are left uneaten and typically make a mess in the yard, Whitney Yoerger with Indiana Audubon said.

“Moreover," Yoerger said, "those fillers are just lacking in nutritional value for the birds and what they need."

Some of these bulk seed blends also contain dyes that might look appealing for people, but aren’t good or nutritionally beneficial for birds, Yoerger said.

Instead, there are seed blends that offer blended mixes with more of what birds want, Yoerger said. These blends will not only attract songbirds but provide them with the nutritional quality they need in a food source.

Generally, Indiana Audubon suggests Hoosiers use black oil sunflower seeds in their feeders. These have a great high-energy content and oil-rich seeds that a lot of birds will like. The only downside to these are the cracked shells that may be left behind, but those biodegrade over time.

Nyjer, advertised as thistle seed in some brands, is ideal for finches, Yoerger said. Finches and other itinerant birds that move around to find food sources are always looking for specific foods. This seed is nongerminating, so there is no risk of seeding lawns and gardens with unwanted plants, and they have a high oil content that finches prefer. The seed, however, is on the more expensive side and Hoosiers will need to refresh feeders regularly if they stock nyjer since it can tend to get moldy.

Safflower seed is another food Hoosiers may want to stock in their feeders, especially if they are having trouble with squirrels or starlings. Replace sunflower seeds with safflower to attract grosbeaks, cardinals and chickadees.

“Use safflower for a couple weeks and wait for the undesirable birds to move on,” Yoerger said. “Then you can switch back to black oil sunflower seeds for a good, high-quality blend.”

How to attract winter birds? Lay out a buffet

As feeders are stocked with higher quality feeds, it’s a good idea for backyard birders to put out multiple types of food to attract a variety of birds. When using multiple feeders with different seeds in them, space them out a bit to give the birds room.

Titmice and chickadees are caching birds and will grab a single seed from a feeder and fly away, Yoerger said. They don’t stay on the feeders long, so keeping them spaced out keeps the birds from crowding in one area. This helps them feed more naturally rather than having to queue up for food.

Once your feeders are well stocked and spaced, it’s a good idea to maintain the cleanliness of the feeders. Check out some online tips on keeping them clean here: Keep bird feeders clean and don't forget the baths either.

Karl Schneider is an IndyStar environment reporter. You can reach him at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @karlstartswithk

IndyStar's environmental reporting project is made possible through the generous support of the nonprofit Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Scrub Hub: Indiana songbirds prefer these seeds in backyard feeders