- Home
- Seeds
Which Seed for Which Bird
What's the best seed for attracting birds?
Which seeds do different birds prefer?
Do birds care about what type of seed you put out?
These are questions we've all asked at some point when it comes to attracting birds to your backyard. Unfortunately, there are no simple answers... except that birds do care about the type of seed, for the most part. Different species have preferences, while some will eat just about anything you put out. How do you know which seeds are best, and what different birds' preferences are? The charts below will show you which seed for which bird.
Types of Bird Seed
Let's start by going over the types of bird seed available to you. There are a number of options, but here are the most commonly fed seed (and nuts and grains, if you want to get technical with me).
Sunflower Seed, Whole - "sw" in charts below
Sunflower Seed, Hulled - "sh" in charts
Safflower - "sa" in charts
Millet - "m" in charts
Oats - "oa" in charts
 |
 |
Milo - "mi" in charts
Nyjer (Thistle) Seed - "ny" in charts
Cracked Corn - "cc" in charts
Peanuts, Whole - "pw" in charts
Peanuts, Hulled - "ph" in charts
Seed Charts
Below are the tables showing which seed types different bird species are known to eat. Entries with "+" indicate these are seed types that are frequently eaten, while "." are the ones each bird does not prefer. Note, even an entry of "." may occasionally be eaten, particularly if a preferred seed is not available.
Quail
Species
California Quail
Gambel's Quail
Northern Bobwhite
sw
+
+
+
sh
+
+
+
sa
.
.
.
m
+
+
.
oa
+
.
.
mi
+
+
.
ny
+
.
.
cc
+
+
.
pw
.
.
.
ph
.
.
.
Doves and Pigeons
Species
Band-tailed Pigeon
Common Ground-Dove
Eurasian Collared-Dove
Inca Dove
Mourning Dove
Rock Pigeon
White-winged Dove
sw
+
.
+
+
+
+
+
sh
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
sa
.
.
.
.
+
+
.
m
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
oa
.
+
+
.
+
.
+
mi
+
+
+
.
+
.
+
ny
.
.
.
+
+
.
.
cc
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
pw
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
ph
+
.
+
.
+
+
.
Woodpeckers
Species
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Pileated Woodpecker
Red-bellied Woodpecker
sw
+
+
+
+
+
sh
+
+
+
+
+
sa
+
+
+
.
+
m
.
.
+
.
.
oa
.
.
.
.
.
mi
.
.
.
.
.
ny
.
.
.
.
.
cc
+
.
+
.
+
pw
+
+
+
+
+
ph
+
+
+
+
+
Jays and Crows
Species
American Crow
Black-billed Magpie
Blue Jay
California Scrub-Jay
Canada Jay
Clark's Nutcracker
Common Raven
Pinyon Jay
Steller's Jay
Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay
sw
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
sh
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
sa
.
.
+
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
m
+
+
+
+
.
.
.
.
+
+
oa
+
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
mi
+
+
+
+
.
.
.
.
+
+
ny
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
cc
+
+
+
+
.
.
+
+
+
+
pw
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
ph
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
Chickadees and Titmice
Species
Black-capped Chickadee
Black-crested Titmouse
Boreal Chickadee
Carolina Chickadee
Chstnt-bckd Chickadee
Juniper Titmouse
Mountain Chickadee
Oak Titmouse
Tufted Titmouse
sw
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
sh
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
sa
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
m
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
oa
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
mi
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
ny
+
.
+
+
+
.
+
.
+
cc
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
pw
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
ph
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
Bushtit, Creeper, and Kinglets
Species
Brown Creeper
Bushtit
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
sw
.
+
.
sh
+
+
+
sa
.
.
.
m
.
.
.
oa
.
.
.
mi
.
.
.
ny
.
.
.
cc
+
.
.
pw
.
+
.
ph
+
+
+
Nuthatches
Species
Brown-headed Nuthatch
Pygmy Nuthatch
Red-breasted Nuthatch
White-breasted Nuthatch
sw
+
+
+
+
sh
+
+
+
+
sa
.
.
.
+
m
.
.
.
.
oa
.
.
.
.
mi
.
.
.
.
ny
.
.
.
.
cc
.
.
.
pw
+
+
+
+
ph
+
+
+
+
Wrens
Species
Bewick's Wren
Cactus Wren
Carolina Wren
sw
.
.
.
sh
+
+
+
sa
.
.
.
m
.
.
.
oa
.
.
.
mi
.
.
.
ny
.
.
.
cc
.
.
.
pw
.
.
.
ph
+
+
+
Robin, Bluebirds, and Thrushes
Species
American Robin
Eastern Bluebird
Hermit Thrush
Varied Thrush
sw
.
.
.
.
sh
+
.
.
+
sa
.
.
.
.
m
.
.
.
.
oa
.
.
.
.
mi
.
.
.
.
ny
.
.
.
.
cc
.
.
.
.
pw
.
.
.
.
ph
+
+
+
.
Mockingbird and Thrashers
sw
+
.
.
sh
+
+
+
sa
.
.
.
m
.
+
.
oa
.
.
.
mi
.
+
.
ny
.
.
.
cc
+
+
.
pw
.
.
.
ph
+
.
+
Starling
Species
European Starling
sw
+
sh
+
sa
.
m
+
oa
+
mi
+
ny
.
cc
+
pw
+
ph
+
Finches
Species
American Goldfinch
Cassin's Finch
Common Redpoll
Evening Grosbeak
Hoary Redpoll
House Finch
Lesser Goldfinch
Pine Grosbeak
Pine Siskin
Purple Finch
Red Crossbill
Rosy Finches
sw
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
sh
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
sa
.
.
.
.
.
+
.
.
.
.
.
.
m
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
+
+
.
.
oa
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
+
.
.
.
mi
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
ny
+
+
+
.
+
+
+
.
+
+
+
+
cc
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
pw
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
ph
.
.
.
.
.
+
.
.
.
.
.
.
Sparrows
Species
American Tree Sparrow
California Towhee
Canyon Towhee
Chipping Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Eastern Towhee
Field Sparrow
Fox Sparrow
Golden-crowned Sparrow
Harris's Sparrow
House Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Spotted Towhee
White-crowned Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
sw
+
+
+
.
+
+
.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
sh
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
sa
.
.
.
.
+
.
.
.
+
.
.
+
.
.
.
m
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
oa
.
.
.
.
+
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
mi
.
+
+
+
+
+
.
+
+
.
+
+
+
+
+
ny
+
.
.
+
+
+
.
+
.
.
.
+
.
.
.
cc
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
pw
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
ph
+
+
+
.
+
+
.
.
+
.
+
+
+
.
.
Blackbirds and Grackles
Species
Brewer's Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
Common Grackle
Eastern Meadowlark
Great-tailed Grackle
Red-winged Blackbird
Western Meadowlark
sw
.
+
+
.
+
+
.
sh
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
sa
.
.
+
.
+
.
.
m
+
+
+
.
+
+
.
oa
.
+
+
.
.
+
.
mi
.
+
+
.
.
+
.
ny
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
cc
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
pw
.
.
+
.
.
.
.
ph
.
+
+
.
.
+
.
Warblers
Species
Pine Warbler
Yellow Warbler
sw
.
.
sh
+
+
sa
.
.
m
.
.
oa
.
.
mi
.
.
ny
.
.
cc
.
.
pw
.
.
ph
+
+
Cardinals, Grosbeaks, and Buntings
Species
Black-headed Grosbeak
Indigo Bunting
Painted Bunting
Pyrrhuloxia
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
sw
+
.
+
+
+
+
sh
+
.
+
+
+
+
sa
.
.
+
.
+
.
m
.
+
+
.
.
.
oa
.
.
.
.
.
.
mi
.
.
+
.
.
.
ny
.
.
.
.
.
.
cc
.
.
+
.
.
.
pw
.
.
.
.
.
.
ph
.
+
+
.
.
.
Hopefully this will give you an idea of the range of seeds each bird species will eat. Use these charts to help attract a wider range of species. But most importantly, have some fun watching the birds in your backyard. Enjoy!