27 AUGUST 2019

What birds eat nyjer

If you're thinking about using nyjer seeds to feed birds in your garden, rest assured as its possible many species will take to eating such seeds.

What birds eat nyjer seeds include common garden birds; Tits, Sparrows or Robins, so will the Great Spotted Woodpecker, Nuthatch, Finches and Jackdaw. If its a ground feeding bird then its likely to eat all types of seeds, with nyjer needing to be provided as its not native to Britain.

All those birds that visit your garden bird feeder every day are all likely to take to eating nyjer seed right out of the bird feeder.

Not any seed feeders mind you, this one must be a specialty nyjer seed feeder as to make sure the seed doesn't drop out through the feeding gaps.

And for those bird species that don't eat off feeders, simply scatter the seeds over the lawn to make sure as many birds will eat them as possible.

Nyjer seed is not native to Britain so not a familiar seed to our birds, but they will take to it nevertheless and will provide them the all important nutrients they desire.

Well the Blue Tit, Coal Tit, Great Tit, House Sparrow, Robin or even the Woodpecker are custom to eating nyjer seeds, it may be a while before others try.

And that could be as many as 70 to 100 British bird species that will eat nyjer, but you'd only be offering it mostly to small garden birds that are within your grasp.

70 species eat seeds

More then 70 species of common Britain birds eat seeds so therefore for its possible any one of them could eat the nyjer you provide them.

That does not apply to us all mind you as it depends on where you are in the country, if your garden in near woodlands or in a built up urban area.

There's also those birds that migrate to Britain in the winter or summer only; plus those that only migrate to other parts of the British Isles.

So well more than 70 bird species that eat seeds, its possible every one of them could eat nyjer seed in return.

Not all mind you as some are picky, or choose to eat seeds grown in there natural habitant, for example; wetlands, farmlands or long grassy areas.

That includes: Barnacle Goose, Brambling, Cirl Bunting, Coot, Linnet, Mallard Duck and the Moorhen.

Not native, so must be bought

Nyjer seed is grown from a plant called Guizotia abyssinica, which is a sunflower-like plant that is grown exclusively in Africa and some parts of India.

Therefore, wild birds of Britain are not going to be able to feed off nyjer seed grown in our countryside, as its not native.

Its also very unlikely you'd be able to grow such plants to harvest their seeds. Its certainly won't be worth your time and effort.

And its because of this you can only buy-in nyger seeds to fill-up the corresponding bird feeder or scatter the seeds across the lawn.

Nyjer seed, also known as niger seed - named directly after the plants its grown off - is a widely available seed for British birds, so you shouldn't have trouble with them eating it.

Eating nyger off the lawn

Are you asking the question of what birds eat nyjer simply because you're wondering what common birds are likely to eat it from your garden.

Well don't worry, you won't be short of bird species that visit your garden everyday that will soon take to eating the nyjer seeds.

It won't apply to the larger, clumsier birds mind as not only do they not eat off feeders, they eat exclusively from the ground.

For your part you must scatter nyjer seeds over your lawn or patio in hope that they will seek out the seeds, and they will providing the conditions are safe.

Recognisable birds you may know that will eat off the ground are; Carrion Crows, Tits, Finches, Jackdaw, Nuthatch, Collared Dove and the Woodpigeon.

Also likely to drop by are Black Redstart, Redpoll's and Siskins, among many others.

And well all will feed off the ground only, a handful are likely to eat off the hanging seed feeder all year round.

Well all the above birds eat off the ground, its also known most will eat off the ground feeding tray, or the open hanging seed/water dish.

Eating out of the seed feeder

You won't be short of the number of bird species that visit regularly that will take to eating the rather smaller nyjer seeds which is basically bits compared to other seeds.

For that reason you'd have to make do with a specialty nyjer bird feeder as the common sunflower seed feeder has to large holes or gaps.

Whereas the gauge - or the space between the mesh holes - in the nyjer feeder are much smaller, thereby preventing the seeds dropping out so easy.

If its a Tit, Robin or Sparrow, all are known and for sure will eat nyjer seeds from the feeder.

And when they don't that could be due to the a plentiful supply of fat balls readily available, which they all will eat over any type of bird seeds.

The small Tits, including the Blue Tit, Great Tit or Coal Tit can all be easily spotted at the feeder, so therefore seen eating nyjer, and so will the Sparrow.

If the nyger seed is presented in a such a way as to accommodate the eating habits of the Great Spotted Woodpecker, you might see them feeding too, providing you're near woodlands.

How else to feed nyjer seeds to birds

If you do want to feed Great Spotted Woodpeckers nyger seeds, you will have to be inventive as such birds prefer to hang upside down, rather perch the right way up.

With that in mind, if you're regularly visited by Great Spotted Woodpeckers make it so the seeds can be accessed from beneath the feeder.

Problem with that is the seeds will for sure simply drop off, so why not mix it in with other bird feed (suet, fat balls, peanuts) to create a mix that won't drop out.

On top of that, you're not limited to the use of the bird feeder or scattering seeds over the ground, in fact you can leave out nyjer seed piles anywhere the birds will take to.

That could be a tree branch, high wall, patio railing or on top of the fence pole or panel.

To summarise

Basically, if the bird species is known to feed on seeds of any kind, the said bird is likely to eat nyger seeds.

That's not in the wild mind you; nyjerseeds are not grown in Britain so nyjer can only be fed to birds that frequent our gardens - which is bought by you.

Therefore, its only a select few that we can offer nyger seeds to and most of those visit our gardens already, so you're not short of feeding opportunities.

Among them are all the Tits, Robins and House Sparrows, well those that are located near woodlands will receive a whole different demographic of bird species, among them Woodpeckers and Tree Sparrows.

Feeding nyger seeds to birds in your garden happens via the seed feeder that is designed to accommodate small nyger seeds, or simply throw over the lawn.

That way you can feed the birds that eat off the feeders, well those birds that only eat off the ground don't go without.