Attract Songbirds to Your Winter Garden

Nyjer Seed

Besides finches, other species that enjoy Nyjer seed include juncos, sparrows, chickadees, and even woodpeckers. Because tube feeders have perches at several levels, be sure to keep yours filled to the brim

Attract Songbirds to Your Winter Garden

The Garden Swap

Attract Songbirds to Your Winter Garden

Finches

All three of the most common finches -- American goldfinch, purple finch, and house finch -- love Nyjer seed, often mistakenly called thistle seed. Offer it in tube feeders or net bags, and watch these colorful birds swoop in for a visit.

Attract Songbirds to Your Winter Garden

The Garden Swap

Attract Songbirds to Your Winter Garden

• Peanuts

  One way to keep blue jays from intimidating smaller birds is to serve peanuts in a separate feeder. The jays will focus on that feeder and be less aggressive overall. Buy shelled peanuts if you want less mess in your yard.

• Attract Songbirds to Your Winter Garden
• The Garden Swap

Attract Songbirds to Your Winter Garden

Blue Jay

Bold and confident, blue jays will eat almost anything you offer them, including suet and sunflower seeds. But their favorite treat is probably peanuts, either in the shell or hulled. A cousin, the Steller's jay, will also frequent feeders west of the Rocky Mountains.

Attract Songbirds to Your Winter Garden

The Garden Swap

Attract Songbirds to Your Winter Garden

Black Oil Sunflower Seeds

If you only have one feeder available, you should probably fill it with black oil sunflower seeds. These energy-packed seeds are a favorite of a wide variety of bird species. Chickadees are particularly fond of these small, tasty treats; offer the seeds in a tube feeder.

Attract Songbirds to Your Winter Garden

The Garden Swap

Attract Songbirds to Your Winter Garden

Black-Capped Chickadee

One of the cheeriest winter visitors, the black-capped chickadee often travels in small groups, showing up at feeders with friends and family in tow. Each chickadee will grab a sunflower seed and then fly to a nearby branch to devour it.

Attract Songbirds to Your Winter Garden

The Garden Swap

Attract Songbirds to Your Winter Garden

Safflower Seeds

Unlike sunflower seeds, safflower seeds aren't attractive to bossy birds such as grackles and blackbirds, so they're a good choice if you want to invite cardinals to your backyard without the messy freeloaders. For cardinals, serve safflower seeds in a hopper feeder.

Attract Songbirds to Your Winter Garden

The Garden Swap

Attract Songbirds to Your Winter Garden

 

• Northern Cardinal

  In midwinter, the bold red plumage of the northern cardinal is a welcome sight. Frequent visitors to bird feeders east of the Rocky Mountains, cardinals will feast on both sunflower and safflower seeds.

Attract Songbirds to Your Winter Garden

The Garden Swap