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Bird Feeder Buyer's Guide by Species


Drs. Foster & Smith Educational Staff
Food & Feeder Favorites of Backyard Birds
Have you ever noticed lovely birds in a neighbor's yard that you would love to see in yours? You'll have the best luck at attracting your favorite native birds when you feed them their preferred foods in a feeder that accommodates their feeding style.

Take the guesswork out this process by using the guide we've provided below. It gives you the most preferred foods by species, as well as recommended feeders. Keep in mind, these are only favorites and not the only foods a species may eat.

For your part, take some time to observe the feeding height of your favorite birds and whether they eat near cover or out in the open. This will help you determine where to place your food and feeders in your yard. Also, you'll get more visitors if you keep your feeders meticulously clean to help prevent the spread of bacteria and disease.

  MOST PREFERRED FOOD TYPE
SPECIES Black Oil Sunflower Striped Sunflower Safflower Sunflower Chips White Millet Nyjer Thistle Cracked Corn Whole Peanuts Shelled Peanuts Suet Mealworms Insects Fruit Nectar
Bluebirds                    
yes
      
     Recommended Food/Feeder: Live Mealworms in the Mealworm Feeder with Guard
Bushtits              
yes
  
yes
  
yes
    
     Recommended Food/Feeder: Suet Plus Blend Cakes in the Copper Roof Double Suet Feeder
Cardinals
yes
  
yes
                
yes
    
     Recommended Food/Feeder: Black Oil Sunflower Seed in the Cardinal No/No Feeder
Chickadees
yes
                
yes
        
     Recommended Food/Feeder: Never Melt Suet in the Squirrelproof Double Suet Feeder
Doves    
yes
  
yes
                  
     Recommended Food/Feeder: Safflower Seed in the Covered Ground Feeder
Finches
yes
yes
      
yes
                
     Recommended Food/Feeder: No/No Finch Tube Feeder in the Metal Mesh Feeder
Flickers      
yes
      
yes
  
yes
        
     Recommended Food/Feeder: Whole Peanuts in the Hanging Platform Feeder
Goldfinches      
yes
  
yes
                
     Recommended Food/Feeder: Nyjer Thistle Seed in the Finch Flocker Tube Feeder
Grosbeaks
yes
yes
                        
     Recommended Food/Feeder: Black Oil Sunflower Seed in the Giant Combo Feeder
Hummingbirds                          
yes
     Recommended Food/Feeder: Ultimate Blend Nectar in the Colibri Hummingbird Feeder
Jays              
yes
yes
          
     Recommended Food/Feeder: Shelled Peanuts in the 5-Tier No/No Feeder
Juncos        
yes
  
yes
              
     Recommended Food/Feeder: Economy Waste-Free Seed Mix in the Covered Ground Feeder
Kinglets                  
yes
  
yes
    
     Recommended Food/Feeder: Fruit & Berry Cuisine in the Green Steel Magnum Feeder
Nuthatches
yes
              
yes
yes
        
     Recommended Food/Feeder: Nut N' Berry Cuisine in the Squirrel Buster Classic Feeder
Siskin, Pine      
yes
  
yes
                
     Recommended Food/Feeder: Sunflower Chips in the Chalet Deluxe Hopper
Sparrows        
yes
                  
     Recommended Food/Feeder: Basic Blend Bird Seed Mix in the Covered Ground Feeder
Titmouse
yes
                          
     Recommended Food/Feeder: Black Oil Sunflower Seed in the Green Steel Magnum Feeder
Towhees        
yes
                  
     Recommended Food/Feeder: Premium Fruit & Berry Cuisine in the Covered Ground Feeder
Woodpeckers
yes
              
yes
yes
  
yes
    
     Recommended Food/Feeder: Woodpecker Food in the Red Sunflower No/No Feeder
Wrens                  
yes
yes
yes
    
     Recommended Food/Feeder: Insect Log Jammer Suet in the Bevel Cut Pine Post Suet Plug Feeder
Most Preferred
Food Type		 Canine Distemper Distemper (Measles) Hepatitis Parvovirus Adenovirus Cough Parainfluenza Leptospirosis Coronavirus Bordetella Lyme Leptospirosis Coronavirus Bordetella Lyme
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