Which Bird Seed Is Best?

Are you just setting off on the adventure of bird feeding? Are you a pro bird feeder but want to switch bird seed? Have you started attracting new wild bird species into your garden? This blog aims to break down the benefits of different seeds to answer your question as to which is best.

In short, the answer, as we’re sure you guessed is that different bird seeds are best for different birds, in different seasons! We aim to break down for you, in this blog, which species benefit the most from which seed and when we advise you to put them out into your feeders.

The extra calories from bird seed offer wild birds an energy store. This is particularly important when they visit your garden during migration, nesting season or breeding season.

Advantages Of Bird Seeds

There are a number of different seeds and types of bird food out there on the market, and it's difficult to know which bird seed is best. Despite their popularity on the market, it’s important that you tailor the bird seed to what wild birds are visiting your garden.

Sunflower Seeds

Sunflower seeds attract a large variety of birds and are a firm favourite amongst many species of wild birds. There are a number of benefits to sunflowers seeds and sunflower hearts which makes them arguable, the best bird seed on the market.

• No mess.
• Attracts an abundance of wild garden birds.
• Can be fed in multiple ways.
• Birds can feed on them quickly.

Sunflowers seeds and sunflower hearts are up there with the most popular bird seed on the market. They're a great source of nutrition for birds year-round, fuelling them during the nesting season and the winter months.

We think of sunflower seeds as a bird's super food’.

Peanuts

Peanuts for birds are highly versatile and again an all-around energy source, providing wild garden birds with the appropriate nutrition from breeding season to the winter.

Although peanuts can offer great benefits to birds, they’re hard to find on the market. Not all nuts are good for birds and can cause more damage than good.

Further Reading: Is Bird Food A Choking Risk To Fledglings

To avoid getting wet and harbouring aflatoxins, peanuts should be used up quickly. When buying peanuts be sure to buy from a trusted provider to ensure you get safe and good-quality peanuts for birds.

Nyger Seeds

A small seed popular amongst smaller birds such as finches. Nyger seeds are a firm favourite due to their high oil content, offering great nutrients. There are also among the most expensive wild bird seeds due to their quality.

Suet

Suet is particularly best during the winter months due to its high-fat content. We advise against offering suet for birds during summer as they can easily go rotten in the heat. You’ll be doing your flying visitors a huge favour during winter by offering suet balls due to them being such a high-energy source.

The layer of fat beneath a bird's feathers and skin is crucial for keeping them warm and safe. So suet is arguably one of the most important forms of bird food. Mixing suet with other bird seeds is best when wanting to offer an all-around balanced diet to your garden visitors.

Live Bird Food

Not a bird seed, but up there with the best of bird food. Replicating what birds eat in the wild, live bird food such as mealworms and calciworms are popular amongst garden birds. 

This bird food is best due to it being the freshest treat possible, and the most like bird's prey in the wild. They can be served dried or rehydrated with water to attract a variety of birds.

Kennedy Wild Bird Food

At Kennedy Wild Bird Food, we believe that all bird seed is best, so long as it is of premium quality and comes from a certified supplier – like ourselves. We suggest a mix of bird seeds to ensure that you are offering all your garden visitors the nutrients that are right for them.

Our mixes and blends are the results of 20 years of continuous research, meaning we have some of the best quality blended bird feeds on the market. They meet all the essential bird feeding requirements and are perfect for all-year bird feeding.

Get In Touch

Want some more advice on what bird seed is best? Get in touch! Our team of professionals are happy to answer any queries regarding bird seed or your garden visitors.

Call us on 01778 342665

Alternatively, email info@kennedywildbirdfood.co.uk