Wild Bird Feed Product Basics
Learn the basics about the types of wild bird feeding products! Members of the Wild Bird Feeding Institute use a variety of seed types, and there are alternative feeds, too, that are available for bird feeding hobbyists. Using specific seeds and feed types, as well as accompanying feeders and accessories, will help you attract a wide variety of wild birds. Some examples of common seed types are pictured below!
What Bird Feed Types Are Available?
You can use bird feed to attract either the widest variety of wild birds in your region or the specific wild bird species you want to see by the type of bird feed you use:
- Straight seed is just that - a package that contains only one type of seed like Black Oil Sunflower or Safflower. Use a Straight Seed when you want to attract specific bird species instead of a variety of bird species.
- Mixes are blended by a wild bird feed packer and include multiple types of wild bird feed designed to appeal to a wide variety of wild birds. The wild bird feed packer uses a recipe in order to ensure the consistency of the product year-round.
- Suet products are wonderful sources of fat that wild birds use for energy. You'll find many flavors of suet at your wild bird store, so be sure to reference our Bird Feed Preference Chart to see which flavor you want to offer your birds.
- Seed cakes or bells are a tasty (to the birds) source of wild bird feed that is held together with a safe fixative. These products can be a bird feed mix or a straight seed. Like a straight seed or mix, refer to our Bird Feed Preference Chart to see which bird feeds appeal to the birds you want to feed.
To find a retailer near you visit our #FeedTheBirds page!
SEED TYPES
