Sunflower Seeds for Birds



Just what is so appealing about sunflower seeds anyway? Why is it perhaps the best liked seed of all? Sunflowers belong to the family Asteraceae , better known as the Compositae family. This is perhaps the most useful plant family in wildlife gardening and includes echiancea, thistle, marigolds, lettuce, dandelion, daisies, and chrysanthemums. Two popular varieties for bird feeding are striped and black oil. Striped seeds are larger, but the black oil seeds have a thinner shell and much higher fat content. Many studies indicate that most birds prefer the black oil variety. It is rich in energy providing protein, and unsaturated oils necessary to keep a birds feathers in good condition. Most any kind of feeder or feeding table will accommodate them. Since most birds prefer them, there is little to no waste at the feeder. It is a good idea to keep the hulls cleaned up from underneath the feeder.

Black Oil	Striped

Nuthatch* Red Poll Red-winged Blackbird Mourning Dove Grackle Finches* Goldfinches Junco Chickadee* Cardinals Pine Siskins Grosbeaks* Song Sparrow House Sparrow	Steller's Jay* Woodpeckers Evening Grosbeaks Titmouse* Cardinals Grackle Chickadee White-breasted Nuthatch White-crowned Sparrow House Sparrow House Finch Purple Finch
*Favorite Food