Lure American goldfinches, pine siskins, dark-eyed juncos and chickadees with nyjer, a tiny black seed that is sometimes called thistle. They have a good mix of protein, fat and fiber, so they're a good high-calorie option for winter birds. Bully birds like grackles, starlings and blackbirds tend to leave nyjer seed alone. Make sure the seed stays dry, and replace uneaten food every few weeks. Serve nyjer seed in a tube or mesh feeder hung away from other feeders, so tiny birds can feed without disruption from larger species like blue jays. Nyjer is a small, thin, black seed from the African yellow daisy .
Depending on crops, import prices, and retailer options, however, it can also be one of the most expensive birdseeds. To lower the cost, many backyard birders prefer to offer Nyjer in limited quantities or will choose specialized feeders to ensure the seed is not accidentally spilled and wasted. Nyjer is also often found in finch mix or canary birdseed blends, often with sunflower chips or small millet seeds that also appeal to the birds that eat Nyjer. Because these mixes have smaller proportions of Nyjer, they are often less expensive than pure thistle seed. Native to Ethiopia, Eritrea and Malawi, niger seeds are also grown in India.
Niger seeds resemble sunflower seeds in shape, but are smaller in size and black. It bears a fairly thick, adherent seed coat and can be stored for up to a year without deterioration. Commercial niger seed is grown in Africa, India and other areas of southeast Asia, and the seed is imported around the world as a popular type of birdseed. Before it is imported, however, niger seed is sterilized by intense heat to prevent germination of any additional seeds that may be part of the mix. Treated niger seed may germinate but would typically be stunted, limiting its spread and offering less of a threat to native plants.
Nyjer seed, also commonly known as thistle seed, is not related to the actual thistle plant but comes from the African yellow daisy . Native to Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Malawi and also grown in India, nyjer seed is a small, thin black seed that is high in oil and a nutritious source of energy for backyard birds. Although the nyjer seed is not at all related to the thistle plant, it is commonly called thistle seed. Nyjer seed is one of the most popular bird seeds found in a backyard feeder. ; Niger seeds belongs to group of the oilseeds because of its fat content of about 35 %. Other popular names are Niger seeds or thistle and one can find these tiny seeds in many winter bird food mixtures.
But also many pet birds such as budgies like to eat Niger seeds. The plant that produces these tiny seeds is the African yellow daisy which is native to Ethiopia and other countries in this part of Africa. Many common seed mixtures for budgies do not contain Niger seeds. Due to the fact that they contain about 18 % of proteins, these seeds are quite healthy and therefore adding them to your bird's food is a good idea.
Please note that many small pet birds first have to get used to nyjer seeds. Nyjer seed, also known as niger seed or thistle seed, is a high oil content seed used frequently in backyard bird feeders to attract a variety of finches. The name Nyjer is a registered trademark of the Wild Bird Feeding Institute, created as a way to differentiate it from the term niger which is offensive when mispronounced.
To attract birds by offering Nyjer, select appropriate bird feeders that have small mesh or tiny feeding ports to release the seed without spilling. Either soft mesh sock-style feeders or more durable metal mesh feeders can be suitable. Birders who have not offered Nyjer before may choose mixed seed that includes Nyjer first to help the birds get accustomed to the new seed.
Tricks to attract birds to a new feeder can also be useful for introducing birds to Nyjer. Putting out black oil sunflower seeds, peanuts, or suet is much more desired by the chickadee and will help keep chickadees from competing with goldfinches at your nyjer seed feeders. Thistle or Nyjer® seed is a popular seed choice offered at bird feeders.
Finches particularly love thistle because it's high in oil and provides them with a great source of energy. Finch feeders are specifically designed with small, thin ports to hold thistle seed. In several previous bird posts, I have been pretty positive that black oil sunflower seed and suet were the only bird foods I needed to keep my feeder birds happy. Then, on an impulse the other day, I bought a nyjer seedbag. As you can see, the American goldfinches like the nyjer seed, as is so often reported in bird literature, but they like the black oil sunflower seed next feeder over as well.
To attract the widest possible diversity of birds to your garden, offering different seeds will attract many different species. Niger seed is a favourite of goldfinches and siskins and can be used to attract these bird species to your garden. Nyjer is a black seed from the African yellow daisy and is a nutritious source of energy for garden birds as it is high in oil. Safflower is a thistle-like annual with bright orange and yellow flowers that's grown to make cooking oils. The seeds, which are high in protein and fat, are slightly smaller than sunflower seeds.
A hard white shell protects the meat and has a slightly bitter flavor. Serve safflower seed in a hopper feeder or a platform feeder for Northern cardinals, grosbeaks and house finches to devour. Or sprinkle some on the ground for mourning doves to find, too. The seed of the African yellow daisy, Guizotia abyssinica, Nyjer is known by many names. The birdseed was originally called niger in reference to Nigeria and the plant's geographic origin.
The name was trademarked as Nyjer ® in 1998 by the Wild Bird Feeding Industry, however, to clarify proper pronunciation (NYE-jerr). Many birders also call it thistle seed, but Nyjer is not related to thistle plants, flowers, or seeds. It is believed that calling the seed thistle may have become popular because goldfinches, which adore Nyjer, also feed on thistle and use thistle down to construct their nests. That, plus the costs of ocean shipping and import duties, means that nyjer is expensive bird seed. But, even after all that toasting, it remains a high-oil content seed (about 35% fat and 18% protein)and an excellent wintertime bird food for the birds who eat it. Around our house both the House finches and the sparrows also eat it.
Thistle seeds, also called niger or nyjer seeds, are the most common food source for bringing yellow finches to feeders. Most other birds and squirrels don't eat this type of seed, so they will leave your feeder alone. Because niger seed is rich in oil and high in nutrition, it makes it an outstanding food for garden birds all year round. It's even better used as winter bird food as it will give garden birds an extra calorie hit that will help them store fat to keep them warm.
The high protein count will help with the regeneration of feathers when moulting throughout the year. We highly recommend presenting Nyjer in a specialized feeder that discourages birds other than the intended feeder birds, i.e. Keeping a Nyjer seed feeder well supplied is a recipe for successful goldfinch feeding. Part of the goldfinch strategy to avoid predators is that they establish a few birds that watch for birds like Cooper's hawks from nearby perches while the main body of the flock feeds. For this reason, a full thistle feeder that allows as many Goldfinches to feed at one time as possible is much more successful than one with only enough seed left to feed one or two birds.
Nyjer seed is a tiny black bird seed cultivated in Africa and Asia. Used for over 40 years as a seed for wild birds, it is attractive to goldfinches, House finches, Purple finches, Pine siskins and redpolls. Given a choice between Nyjer and black oil sunflowers, the Goldfinches prefer Nyjer because it is much higher in calories and protein. We find that feeding Nyjer seed is the only way to assure the everyday presence of Lesser goldfinches at our home feeding station in Tucson.
Sometimes we see American goldfinch and Lawrence's goldfinch, but they are much rarer in the southwest than the diminutive Lesser. We have suet, black-oiled sunflower seeds, nyjer seeds—the seed of the African yellow daisy which are loved by finches—and sunflower kernels. I used to dislike the messiness of millet, but then I learned lazuli buntings love it. When you put it in a hanging platform feeder, you can see eight or ten gorgeous bluebirds, lazuli buntings, all at once in late fall.
Recently, we started using shelled sunflower seeds and have seen some incredible results. One of the best things I have added to my garden in recent years has been a bird feeder designed to hold Nyjer seeds. The seeds of this African yellow daisy are rich in oil and protein. Their fat content gives small birds the energy they need to survive the winter and the protein helps them renew their plumage for the breeding season. Sometimes up to ten at a time will surround it waiting to access the seeds while making their characteristic trilling song.
The collective noun for Goldfinches, a charm, is said to be derived from the Old English word describing the birds' twittering repertoire. Birders can make the seed even more affordable by adding Nyjer to a birdseed mix rather than feeding it straight. Another popular option is to offer Nyjer in specialized feeders to prevent spills and restrict access to the seeds to only the most desirable birds.
Commercial Nyjer is grown in Africa, particularly Ethiopia and Kenya, as well as in India, Nepal, and Myanmar. In some areas the oil and seed are eaten in different recipes, including curries, chutneys, and gruel, and Nyjer has several medicinal uses as well. The most widely known use is for feeding birds, however, and the seed is imported around the world as a popular type of birdseed. Before it is imported, however, Nyjer seed is sterilized by intense heat to prevent germination of any additional seeds that may be part of the mix. This is required by many countries to prevent the introduction of invasive weeds or other unwanted plants into the environment.
Treated Nyjer may germinate but would typically be stunted, limiting its spread and offering less of a threat to native plants. Nyjer is a black, thin, small seed from the African yellow daisy . With no relation to the thistle plant, Nyjer is aka "thistle seed." It's high in oil and nutritious source of energy for backyard birds.
The high-fat content of this seed will provide a great energy source to the active little finch birds and will help them to store enough energy to survive cold winters. Nyjer seed is a great winter bird seed for your feeder if you want to attract this type of bird. In the early spring and again in the fall, these birds molt and the high protein content helps with feather regeneration. Thistle can be used in almost any type of seed feeder, but some feeders are designed more for this type of bird food than others. If you don't use the right type of feeder with nyjer seed, then you run the risk of attracting unwanted species to the feeder and, as a result, wasting a lot of seed. If given the choice, most birds will eat nothing but nyjer seed.
Because nyjer seed is so small and tiny, it is perfect for smaller seed-eating birds such as finches. These types of bird have smaller, sharp and pointed beaks, which are perfect for cracking open the shells of the nyjer seed. They are also very acrobatic when they are eating from feeders, often clinging to the sides or even upside down!
This type of behaviour will encourage the birds to do this in the wild, when they need to find feed for themselves. Our most popular backyard blend concocted by our former Wild About Birds owner Peggie Flierl! Contains black oil sunflower seed, sunflower chips, white millet, and peanut pieces.
Patio mix is a mixture of sunflower chips, diced peanuts, Nyjer thistle seed, and cracked corn. It is ideal for patio and deck feeders, as it contains shelled and hulled ingredients, creating less waste. This blend appeals to chickadees, finches, nuthatches, sparrows, and others. What I'm referring to is a tiny, black seed that comes from the African yellow daisy. Niger , Nyjer – a trademark name given in 1998 to clarify pronunciation, and Thistle.
The last is a misnomer because the African yellow daisy is not in the thistle family. One explanation given for this name is that Nyjer is highly popular with the goldfinches that naturally eat thistle seeds and use its fluffy down to line their nests. One of the best things I have added to my garden in recent years has been a bird feeder holding Nyjer seeds. Goldfinches adore my Nyjer feeder and queue up in numbers to eat their fill. Sunflower seeds, both in the shell and out-of-shell meats appeal to finches, chickadees, nuthatches, grosbeaks, Northern cardinals, blue jays and even some woodpeckers.
As the seeds are so small, specialized bird feeders are manufactured for niger seed. In the United Kingdom the seeds attract finches and siskins. Because of its high cost, some bird enthusiasts offer pure hulled sunflower seed in feeders that prevent flocking birds such as grackles and starlings from hastily eating the feeders' content. Because shelled sunflower seeds are fairly expensive, we don't exclusively feed them and will start to only add them to our wild bird feeding during the winter months. This American goldfinch is having some black oil sunflower seed along with a male house sparrow.
The house sparrows weren't coming to the feeders during the frigid March weather. Many birds are coming back to the feeders now who were absent during the coldest weather. I will leave it up but will not buy another one when this one is gone. When black oil sunflower seed feeds so many birds so well, why buy expensive imported seed that has to be sterilized and may still contain invasive plant seeds. Nyjer seed is sterilized to prevent germination of any seed that may be present in the birdseed. Although finches are supposed to be crazy about nyjer, the finches at my feeders seem equally interested in black oil sunflower seed.
Nyjer seed is rich in oil and is highly nutritious, and is great energy source for garden birds. It will give wild birds the high calories that will help store fat to keep them warm, and the lasting energy they need to survive the cold winter season. The high protein count will also benefit the regeneration of feathers when malting throughout the year.
Knowing the types of birds that enjoy eating the nyjer seed can help birders choose the right birdseed feeders for the backyard. In all honesty, we actually put out the thistle seed just for the goldfinches, but we do indeed welcome any and all other birds that come to the feeder. We just never expected such a response from the chickadee as this was the first time I have ever seen such activity with nyjer seed from this species of bird before. Animal fat plus peanut butter, ground cornmeal, wheat flour, a variety of bird seeds, dry mealworms, chopped peanuts hearts, and a variety of dry fruit includes the entire spectrum of nutritional needs.
Most birds that eat black oils sunflower seeds need a stable surface and space to handle this relatively large seed. Some use large and small hopper feeders, and some put sunflower seed directly on the ground. Birds that favor black oil sunflower seeds are those with strong beaks to crack open the shell.
