AVOID These 5 “Filler” Foods Found in Birdseed Mixes!
Unfortunately, not all bird seeds are created equal!
In fact, many bird food manufacturers seem to be actively trying to trick us. Here’s what they do:
So to get the price lower, these companies fill their bags of birdseed with the least expensive food they can find. But here’s the problem:
Most birds DO NOT eat these cheap “filler” seeds.
If you buy birdseed mixes with the below ingredients, much of the food will be wasted. I know this sounds crazy, and honestly, I think it’s pretty evil. But unfortunately, some manufacturers seem to care very little if the seed mixes they sell actually attract birds.
In addition, these companies will put beautiful pictures of Northern Cardinals or Blue Jays on the bag. But in reality, these birds will barely eat ANYTHING that’s inside. Seriously, it seems like their goal is to TRICK people into buying their seed mix.
For example, check out this birdseed blend:
Wagner’s Farmer’s Delight – Ingredients: Milo, Cracked Corn, White Millet, Black-oil Sunflower Seeds
Maybe if everyone stopped buying bird food that contained the following poor ingredients, then they would disappear from the shelves, and we would be left with only quality products. In addition, think of how much food and agricultural resources get wasted.
Here are FIVE types of bird food to avoid!
- *BONUS: Make sure to scroll to the bottom to also see TWO foods you should only feed in moderation.
#1. Milo (aka Sorghum)
Milo, also called sorghum, is the most common “filler” ingredient you will find in birdseed mixes. It’s VERY cheap and does a great job filling up a bag.
The problem is that most birds don’t eat milo!
Almost every species that visits will kick it off the feeder to the ground, where it will sit until it rots and decomposes.
Only a few birds ACTUALLY eat milo:
- Ground-feeding birds, like turkeys, quail, pheasants, and doves.
- European Starlings and House Sparrows, which are both invasive species to North America. Most people want FEWER of these two birds at their feeding station, so it’s not a great idea to buy food that caters explicitly to both of them!
Seriously, you should avoid milo at all costs! Even if the bag of birdseed is cheap, you are wasting your money because the milo is not going to be eaten.
The only exception with milo is if you live in the southwest United States. In this area, a few birds actually enjoy eating milo, such as Curve-billed Thrashers and Stellar’s Jays.
#2. Canary Seed
Canary Grass Seed
Doesn’t the name tell you everything you need to know?
Canary seed is not a great food to use at your feeders; it’s best for pet birds! Only a few types of ground-feeding birds will consume it, along with House Sparrows.
In addition, canary seeds are more expensive by weight than cracked corn or even white proso millet, so it just seems like an expensive alternative that should be eliminated.
What drives me crazy about canary seed is that it’s often included in blends for finches and goldfinches. But the BEST foods to attract these birds are typically hulled sunflower seeds and nyjer seeds, NOT canary seeds. My guess is that canary seed is added as a marketing tactic since many people think that bright and beautiful goldfinches resemble canaries.
#3. Oats
There is really no reason for oats to be offered at your feeding station.
Only a few birds, like European Starlings and grackles, will eat the oats in a birdseed mix. So if you want a lot of both of these birds, go ahead and go crazy with oats! 🙂
#4. Wheat
Birds seem to enjoy eating “gluten-free” because it’s rare for them ever to eat wheat.
#5. Flax Seeds
Personally, I LOVE eating flax seeds. I put this healthy food in my smoothies, yogurt, and oatmeal.
But birds do not share the same appreciation for flax. As a result, this food is rarely eaten when included in birdseed mixtures.
*BONUS – Two Foods You Should Only Use in Moderation:
Corn
A little bit of corn, both cracked and whole kernels, is great to feed birds. It’s inexpensive and can attract a wide variety of species.
But since cracked corn is super cheap, some companies try to stuff as much as possible into their birdseed mixes.
And with corn, too much is NOT a good thing.
The problem is that corn spoils quicker than other seeds when exposed to wet weather. And if mold appears, then you are going to need to conduct a thorough cleaning of your bird feeders.
In addition, corn is not eaten as readily as other foods, like peanuts and sunflower seeds. So if too much corn is offered, it can tend to accumulate on the ground or in your feeders, which enhances the probability that the corn will deteriorate and spoil!
Just remember that a little bit of corn is great, but a lot is not!
Millet
Millet is a great food to use for ground-feeding birds. For example, doves and native sparrows, like Dark-eyed Juncos and Song Sparrows, LOVE eating millet. As a result, it’s very common to see millet added as an ingredient in many types of birdseed mixes.
But there are many types of birds that don’t eat millet. Some examples include backyard favorites like cardinals, jays, woodpeckers, chickadees, and nuthatches, who are just going to toss millet aside to get to the food they enjoy eating.
So millet should not be the primary ingredient in your seed blend. Instead, you want sunflower seeds to lead the way, with just a little bit of millet included.
Lastly, you will run into two types of millet: white and red.
Birds that eat white millet will also eat red millet and vice versa. But if both types are present, white millet is the preferred choice.
You need to start checking the ingredients of bird seed blends before purchasing.
DON’T BUY BIRDSEED WITH MILO AS THE FIRST INGREDIENT!
Just like the food you purchase to eat, it’s vital to check the ingredients of any birdseed mix you buy.
If you want to see a great example of a lousy birdseed blend, then check out this option on Amazon (make sure to click the picture to zoom in on the ingredients). And if the seed blend wasn’t bad enough, cherry-flavored oil was added, which is purely a marketing gimmick because birds can’t smell or taste!
So what are the BEST bird foods to use?
If you want a successful bird feeding station, you need to fill your feeders with sunflower seeds, peanuts, nyjer seeds, safflower seeds, and suet. It’s also great to have a little bit of corn and white millet, but not too much. My advice is to experiment with different foods to see what your local birds prefer at your feeding station.
Have you come across any other “filler” foods?
If so, let us know below what we need to watch out for!
