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Bird Seed Feeders

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Nyjer Seed Bird Feeders Attract Goldfinches Like Crazy

Author: Larry Jordan

Attract goldfinches as well as purple and house finches, pine siskins, and redpolls to your backyard with a nyjer seed bird feeder. You can choose one of the new wire mesh thistle feeders or one of the traditional thistle tube bird feeders. Then there's always the old thistle sock bird feeder.

Nyjer, nyger, niger and thistle are all names used to refer to a small black seed cultivated in India and Ethiopia for over a thousand years. The true niger seed comes from the Guizotia abyssinica plant which is an annual herb grown for its edible oil and seed. It is NOT a type of thistle and is not a weed. As a matter of fact, it is now grown in the United States.

Niger seed probably got confused with thistle because goldfinches are known to eat thistle seed and use the downy fluff from thistle plants for their nests. In an attempt to differentiate these two terms in the mind of the public, the Wild Bird Feeding Institute trademarked the name Nyjer in 1998. I don't think that this was successful however because most people still think Nyjer seed is some kind of thistle and a noxious weed if allowed to grow.

When you purchase Nyjer seed, many companies still use the word thistle on the package which has the unintended result of confusing the public even more. This bird seed is imported from India and Ethiopia and by USDA regulations must be sterilized, not to keep the niger seed from spouting, but to keep other noxious weeds that are incidentally mixed in with the niger seed from sprouting. You can now get non-sterilized, American grown niger seed right here in the United States.

Because Nyjer seed is so expensive (over a dollar a pound in 2008) it is important to feed this seed in specially designed feeders. A good Nyjer seed bird feeder will allow several birds to feed at once without excess seed being wasted. The thistle tube bird feeders should be your first choice in my experience. Small slits in the polycarbonate tubes of these feeders only allow the finches to pull out one seed at a time. This limits the amount of wasted seed.

The Nyjer seed bird feeders made of wire mesh would be my second choice. These feeders allow flocking goldfinches to feed wherever they land, plus some hold large amounts of Nyjer seed. They are probably best used with a seed tray below to catch spilled seed.

A thistle sack bird feeder is an inexpensive choice as far as the initial cost of the feeder goes. Made of durable, fine mesh nylon, these feeders allow as many hungry finches to feed as can comfortably hang on the thistle sack. They now are available in black which makes the beautiful goldfinches really stand out. These mesh bags will cost you more in the long run than the other types of Nyjer seed bird feeders because of wasted seed.

Which ever feeder you choose, you are guaranteed to have flocks of Goldfinches visiting your backyard!

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/nyjer-seed-bird-feeders-attract-goldfinches-like-crazy-584319.html

About the Author

Larry Jordan has been bird watching for many years and building birdhouses for over 26 years. He is a member of the Audubon Society and is the Shasta County Coordinator for the California Bluebird Recovery Program. He strives to get more people interested in birding activities, including bird conservation. For more information on bird watching, bird houses, feeding wild birds, birds in the news, bird conservation, and some great bird photos go to The Birder's Report and sign up for his newsletter or his RSS Feed. If you are looking for quality bird and birding products, please visit his online store at Birds In My Yard for some great deals and great service.

7 Responses to “Bird Seed Feeders”

1. Jacob S says:

   May 14, 2007 at 7:43 pm

   How often do you refill your bird feeder (seed feeders)?
   We just hung some and the seed seems to go quickly! They’re hanging so no critters can get them.. but they’re pretty busy with birds, mainly American Goldfinch so far.
2. Jacob S says:

   May 14, 2007 at 7:45 pm

   What kinds of birds visit your seed bird feeders?
   Here in the Puget Sound it’s been American Goldfinch mostly so far.
3. christigmc says:

   March 5, 2009 at 9:02 am

   Bird feeders and seed?
   I’m growing a vegetable garden and for insect control I’m trying to attract birds to my back yard. I have a wooden and glass bird feeder but I don’t think it’s enough. I’ve heard about all those kids projects like using bread and peanut butter or lard but are there ways to make bird feeders that don’t look so child like?
   Also what type of bird seed should I use? I found 2 kinds at the store. One is sunflower seeds. The other it says finch food it’s a bunch of tiny seeds.
4. Anonymous says:

   November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

   Sterilize your bird seed. For a gallon of seed, place it in a paper bag and cook it on high in the microwave for 5 minutes.

   In a conventional oven, place on a flat baking sheet and cook for 30 minutes at 300 degrees.

   Sterilizing your seed will not alter the attractiveness or nutritional value of the seed for your birds.
5. Anonymous says:

   November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

   We fill once or twice a day, and clean the feeders a couple of times a week: the feeders are a central source for infections to be passed around between the visiting birds, so it’s cruel to help distribute disease.

   It seems that once there are more mouths to feed, as they have babies in the nests now, that we get through tons more food. They’ll soon move off though, to their own new patches.

   Good luck! Rob
6. Anonymous says:

   November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

   I’ve had downy and harry woodpeckers, rose breasted gross beaks, American gold finch, nuthatches, chickadees, junco’s, tree sparrows, grackles, cow birds, red wing black birds, blue jays, mourning doves, redpolls, and the brown ones that turn reddish this time of year.

   1000 Islands area in Upstate New York
7. Anonymous says:

   November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

   Ya! I have a parakeet and it can eat bird seeds,when I feed him with bird seeds.
   Bird seeds don’t harm parakeets.
   But only bird seeds is not a good idea for their diet.
   If you really want them to be healthy and their feather to be nice and shiny,and their tails to be long.
   Then i would suggest to feed them with fresh fruits ,ground nuts, nuts,grams,green chilly,and beans,
   my parakeet really loves all this and he prefers them more than bird seeds.
   hope i helped,
   good luck