6 Best Birdseed Blends For Attracting Diverse Species Old-Timers Swear By
Discover 6 time-tested birdseed blends that seasoned birders recommend. These classic mixes are proven to attract a diverse array of species to your feeder.
You look out the window at your bird feeder and see the same sparrows and starlings, day after day. You know there are more interesting birds in your area—the flash of a cardinal, the chatter of a finch—but they never seem to visit. The secret isn’t a fancier feeder; it’s what you put inside it.
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Beyond Millet: The Old-Timer’s Seed Philosophy
Cheap birdseed from the big-box store is mostly filler. It’s packed with red milo, golden millet, and other grains that most of the colorful, desirable birds will just kick to the ground. They’re looking for high-energy food, not empty calories.
This ground-tossed seed doesn’t just disappear. It piles up, gets moldy, and attracts pests you don’t want, like mice and rats. You end up paying to feed rodents while the birds you want to see fly right on by.
The real philosophy is simple: buy seed for the birds you want, not for the bag’s weight. Focus on blends rich in black oil sunflower, nuts, and fruit. You might pay a bit more per pound, but less of it ends up as waste on the ground, making it a better value in the long run.
Think of it like feeding your livestock. You wouldn’t give them poor-quality hay and expect good health. Your wild birds deserve the same consideration.
Wagner’s Greatest Variety Blend for All Seasons
If you’re looking for a single, reliable blend to get started, Wagner’s is the old standby. It’s a true multi-purpose mix that acts as a great foundation for any backyard feeding station. It has something for almost everyone.
The strength of this blend lies in its balanced ingredients. It’s heavy on black oil and striped sunflower seeds, which attract everything from chickadees to cardinals. It also includes safflower seed—a bitter-tasting seed that cardinals love but squirrels and grackles often ignore—and cracked corn for ground-feeders like jays and doves.
This is your workhorse blend. It won’t necessarily bring in the rarest birds, but it will guarantee a steady, diverse flow of traffic to your feeders year-round. It’s the perfect starting point before you decide to specialize.
Lyric Supreme Wild Bird Mix: A No-Waste Favorite
The term "no-waste" gets thrown around a lot, but Lyric Supreme comes closest to earning it. This blend is formulated with hulled seeds and nuts, which means no messy shells piling up under your feeder. This is a huge advantage if your feeder is near a deck, patio, or manicured garden bed.
The ingredient list is what sets it apart. It’s packed with high-value foods like shelled peanuts, pecans, sunflower kernels, and pistachios. This isn’t just bird food; it’s high-octane fuel that attracts birds that often skip standard mixes, like titmice, nuthatches, and even bluebirds looking for a protein boost.
The tradeoff, of course, is cost. You are paying a premium for the convenience of no mess and the high-quality ingredients. But because every single piece is edible, you may find you use less seed over time, balancing out the initial expense.
Kaytee Finch Station for Attracting Goldfinches
Sometimes, you have a specific goal. If your aim is to attract the brilliant yellow of American Goldfinches, you need a specialized tool for the job. A general blend won’t cut it.
This mix is almost entirely Nyjer (often called thistle) seed and finely chopped sunflower chips. These tiny, oil-rich seeds are exactly what finches are built to eat. You can’t just put this in any feeder, though. You must use a dedicated finch feeder, like a mesh sock or a tube feeder with very small ports, to dispense the seed properly.
Using a finch-specific blend and feeder system is a perfect example of targeted feeding. You won’t get cardinals or jays at this station, and that’s the point. You are creating a dedicated space that makes finches feel safe and catered to, dramatically increasing your chances of hosting a flock.
Audubon Park Woodpecker Blend for Clinging Birds
Woodpeckers, nuthatches, and chickadees are a different class of visitor. They are "clinging" birds, adapted to foraging on tree trunks, and their dietary needs reflect that high-energy lifestyle. A standard seed mix often isn’t enough to hold their interest.
This blend is heavy, dense, and packed with the fat and protein these birds crave. It’s loaded with peanuts, tree nuts, sunflower kernels, and suet nuggets. These ingredients provide the long-lasting energy needed for drilling into bark and surviving cold nights.
Like the finch blend, the delivery method is critical. This coarse mix works best in a platform feeder or a suet cage, where birds can easily cling and pick out the large pieces. Don’t try to cram it into a standard tube feeder; it will just clog the ports.
Wild Delight Nut N’ Berry for Year-Round Color
If you want to attract birds that don’t typically visit seed feeders, you have to offer something different. This blend is the key to bringing in fruit-loving species like robins, cedar waxwings, and mockingbirds. It’s your best bet for adding a splash of unexpected color to your yard.
The magic is in the mix of nuts and dried fruit. Alongside the standard sunflower kernels and peanuts, it contains raisins and dried cherries. This combination appeals to both traditional seed-eaters and insect-and-fruit specialists, especially during late winter and early spring when natural food sources are at their lowest.
Be aware that this rich blend is highly attractive to squirrels and chipmunks. You’ll need to deploy it in a squirrel-proof feeder or be prepared to share. The reward, however, is a more vibrant and varied bird population throughout the year.
Pennington Black Oil Sunflower: The Classic Staple
When all else fails, black oil sunflower seed is the one thing you can always count on. If you were to choose only one type of seed to offer, this should be it. It is the undisputed king of the birdseed world for a reason.
Its universal appeal comes from its high fat content and thin shell. Nearly every seed-eating bird, from the tiniest finch to the burliest grosbeak, can easily crack open the shell to get to the nutritious kernel inside. It provides maximum energy for minimum effort.
While it creates a mess of empty hulls beneath the feeder, its cost-effectiveness and popularity with the birds are unmatched. Use it on its own for guaranteed action, or use it as a base and mix in other seeds like safflower or peanuts to create your own custom blend. It’s the foundational element of any serious backyard feeding strategy.
Proper Seed Storage: Keeping Your Blends Fresh
Buying good seed is only half the battle. Storing it improperly is like leaving cash out in the rain—it ruins the value and can even cause harm. Moldy, damp seed can make birds sick, and insect-infested seed offers poor nutrition.
Your best defense is a simple, old-school solution: a galvanized steel trash can with a tight-fitting lid. It’s completely rodent-proof, waterproof, and will last a lifetime. Store the can in a cool, dry place like a garage or shed, never outside where it’s exposed to the elements.
Never store seed in the paper or plastic bag it came in. Mice will chew through it in a single night. Proper storage protects your investment, but more importantly, it protects the health of the very birds you’re trying to attract. It’s a non-negotiable part of the responsibility.
Ultimately, feeding birds is about more than just filling a feeder. It’s an act of observation and intention, much like tending to a garden or managing a pasture. By choosing your seed wisely, you’re not just feeding birds—you’re curating a healthier, more vibrant ecosystem right outside your door.
