Unveiling The Secrets Of Nyjer® And Drawing Finches To Your Feeders
Вставка
- Опубліковано 19 чер 2024
- Is Nyjer seed good for birds? Many have questions about Nyjer seed and if it attracts finches to your feeders. Nyjer has been erroneously called thistle for many years. You don't have to feed Nyjer to attract finches, they will eat a wide variety of seeds.
Nyjer Seed: shopbackyardbirdcenter.com/co...
Black Tie Finch Mix: shopbackyardbirdcenter.com/co...
Fine Sunflower Chips: shopbackyardbirdcenter.com/co...
Tube Feeders: shopbackyardbirdcenter.com/co...
Mark McKellar is a wildlife biologist with over 35 years of bird study experience. He has a degree in Fish and Wildlife Sciences from North Carolina State University and has worked for the Department of the Army, the Wildlife Departments of North Carolina and Missouri. He ran nature centers for many years in Missouri and Pennsylvania before buying the Backyard Bird Center in the Northland area of Kansas City. Mark has led hundreds of bird hikes both locally and abroad. He has taught classes about birds and other wildlife to groups of all ages and brings that knowledge to the customers of his retail business every day. More information about Mark at backyardbirdcenter.com/about-...
#marksbackyardbirds, #attractingfinches, #feedinggoldfinches
FOLLOW
Facebook: / backyardbirdcenter
Instagram: / marksbackyardbirds
Join our monthly e-mail club: backyardbirdcenter.com/signup
Join our FREE Facebook Community Group:
/ 1055480298992527
SUPPORT
Visit our website: backyardbirdcenter.com
Shop our online store: shopbackyardbirdcenter.com
MORE INFORMATION
Contact: info@backyardbirdcenter.com
Chapters
00:00 Introduction
02:27 Feeding Goldfinches
04:05 Feeding House Finches
05:20 What is Nyjer
07:10 Benefits of Nyjer
Some product links are affiliate links which means if you buy something we'll receive a small commission.
Mark's Amazon store:
www.amazon.com/shop/marksback... - Домашні улюбленці та дикі тварини
We used black oil sunflower seeds and the finches went CRAZY to the point where we attracted so many birds our neighbors got upset at the amount of birds hanging around the telephone wires in front of our windows waiting their turn at the feeders that one of our neighbors even called in a complaint to the city saying it was a health danger (bird poop, I guess?) Oh yeah, and the shells. They blew all over in front of the sidewalk. I would sweep twice a day. But it was still messy. So we got the pre-shelled kind and that made the birds go even more insane. Like they were SCREAMING at their flock mates to come eat seed at our house
Then the crows and the ravens started showing up
That's ridiculous. More likely they were afraid of them pooping on their cars. Black Oil is the best.
Birdman 😎💸
Thank you for totally covering the Nyjer, Thistle seed question!
You are welcome. Thanks for watching!
I'm seeing lots of Gold Finch after the Total Solar Eclipse 2024. Its only been 2 days and I've had about 40 to 60 gold finches. I'm glad i found this video. Im going to do as you said. Thanks!💯💯💯💯💯
That is great! Thanks for watching.
Main benefit of nyjer for me is it allows finches to have an almost exclusive food source. That said some sunflower seed feeders might work well.
The goldfinches here definitely like the nyjer, and every day one or two goldfinches spend a good 10 minutes or so perched there, looking around and burying their beaks into the holes.
Excess seed that spills into the tray doesn't always get cleaned up though, so I'll make sure I clean the feeder too.
That said will definitely give sunflower a go! Also would love to plant some sunflowers and teasels to offer a more natural feeding method.
That is true. Very few birds actually like Nyjer so the competition for the feeder is far less.
I’m putting out my first “not thistle” tube and will hang it in the air to enjoy from the deck, here in Pittsburgh.
What a wonderfully educational dialogue and questions/replies.
Thanks so much. We lived in the Fox Chapel area for a couple years and loved it.
Very informative. Thanks!
THANK YOU
Last year i ran out of nyjer seed and put out some sunflower 🌻chips mainly 4 the chickadees because i was out of safflower as well.The finches found the chips and will clean out the feeder of chips b4 returning to the nyjer seed.😊
Absolutely true. and it is better for them nutritionally.
Fantastic info!
Thank you
I have a de-icer now in my birdbath and small fountain. I have a Nyjer sock out for my finches, black oil sunflower seed in another feeder, a suet cage with suet and one with a treat I make with peanut butter mixed in with bird seed. Then of course a handful of peanuts In the shell for the jays. Tons of birds at my feeders every day. Even the Quail come to eat what falls to the ground each day!❤
Can you share the sock idea? Mary
@@marvinthomason8540 a Nyjer Sock can be purchased at any backyard bird feeding store. It is a special sock made just for Nyjer seed for finches. They are very inexpensive only costing a couple of dollars. Super easy to fill and hang on any tree or shepherds hook. Once mine are used for a couple of months and get dirty I just toss them and refill a new one.
Hi Mark, Great video. I work with Nyjer seed and what you mentioned that the seed is not cleaned by air is partially correct. there are brands of seed that do no do that and you make them out with the amount of dirt and mud in them. Though there are many brands who clean the seed with air and thereby they do not have the dirt and mud in them. The cleanliness of the seed is a big factor with respect to the consumption of the seed.
Mark, your Black Tie mix is amazing for Goldfinches. My finch feeder with Black Tie is covered in Goldfinches all day long!
Thanks Jim. It is a great offering
You can grow Nyjer in North America, I grow some on our farm and the birds like it much more than the heat treated Nyjer.
When we clean it you “aspirate” the Nyjer as well which cleans out the empty hulls, more a problem with the seed provider than what’s possible.
@@BigCobYeti I know the heating process is not because of Nyjer® but the potential weed seeds. I'm sure the heating process does reduce the value and taste for the birds. I wasn't aware of it being grown in our country. Thanks for the info.
Excellent! So helpful! I was discouraged not seeing golf and house finches. I thought it was because They had flown to a warmer climate! I live in the open desert at 4500 hundred ft. elevation....
Glad you enjoyed it!
Thank you for this video, Mark! You shared info that I'd not found anywhere else.
You are most welcome.
@@MarksBackyardBirds , since you're on, I'll ask the question that led me to the site: We've tried both sock feeders and recently a tube feeder with Nyjer seed to attract goldfinches. In less than 5 minutes after installing, a pair visited, and the male spent 5-10 seconds on the feeder. It appeared he was trying unsuccessfully to get the seed out. The female didn't visit at all. Two days later, a pair visited (again maybe) and did not attempt to feed. I've seen nothing since then. The seed was fresh and there had been no rain. Any ideas on why this is happening?
It is hard to know for sure. The size and shape of Nyjer should make it easy for them to get the seed out. I really don’t think they like Nyjer as much as other seeds like sunflower kernels (fine and medium chips). It may be as simple as they are getting plenty of natural seeds at this time and will be in later. Do you feed other seeds like Black Oil Sunflower or the kernels?
@@MarksBackyardBirds Thank you for the quick reply! Here in western NC, we feed Black Oil Sunflower. In addition, we've tried safflower seeds to better feed the cardinals only to have swarms of sparrows and finches, so given the expense of the safflower seed, we're back to using only sunflower seeds now and still have a lot of the two latter birds. We're particularly fond of the chickadees, (the hardworking) titmice, cardinals, and goldfinches. Your idea about other seed availability makes sense- the top and bottom of the Nyjer seed feeder are yellow, so that might have attracted them so quickly only for them to not be hungry for Nyjer. We do live in a very large neighborhood. I should try sunflower kernels as you suggested in the video and your reply. Can these be fed in a brome squirrel-proof feeder that we have with perches at the base? My only concern is that the kernels are more expensive and might attract even more sparrows and finches.
@@mariondavisjr.5791 Squirrel Busters are ideal for medium sunflower kernels. They do make a Finch Squirrel Buster that is great for fine kernels. House Finches love the safflower as do dove. I prefer safflower in an open tray by itself. The cardinals, House Finches and Dove love that setup but the squirrels and sparrows do not. My only other suggestion for House Sparrows is to offer up a pile of millet away from the feeders (you can't beat them so join them method). They much prefer the millet over sunflower, peanuts and definitely safflower.
We feed black oil. I occasionally get a mixed seed bag as the dove, white throated sparrows ( I have a large group that overwinters in Central VA) and juncos enjoy that (and it is cost effective). But black oil makes everyone happy. I've never tried thistle or Nyger given that we feed plenty as it is (to include our squirrel frenemies). I also make homemade suet and feed mealworms. I stay cost effective on suet by buying cracked corner and putting in a blender to make corn meal. It is 1/2 the cost of cornmeal. Scattering out cracked corn in addition to deer corn, helps mollify the squirrels a bit.
You have a great set up. I would say away from the Nyjer
@@MarksBackyardBirds Thanks for feedback and your work on your channel
i would love to see a closeup of a handful of your black tie, and sunflower chips as well as the tube feeder with big holes. i have never hear of these up here in quebec . very informative . thank you. p.s. is doder the same weed as dodder?
Hi Fay, Sorry I missed this. Here is a link to the Black Tie Mix: tinyurl.com/2s3dr3zvand the Multi-seed Tube Feeder: tinyurl.com/jdd7j5xc . And yes, I think those are the same plants. Terrible weed feared by farmers and wetland managers.
Strangely enough the goldfinches did not find much interest in the Nyjer seeds in the tube feeder. I wondered if it was because it was a new form of food to them, so I replaced the uneaten seeds every 3 days until I ran out. There was still not much of a bite, so I gave up on Nyjer seed.
I feed very little Nyjer now. They prefer the fine sunflower chips for sure.
@@MarksBackyardBirdsI agree as I said earlier. They will return to the nyjer seed after they finish the sunflower 🌻chips.Eastern Arkansas.
My finches eat more nyjer than sunflower seeds. Last year, I put out a tube feeder with peanuts. They seemed to like that too.
It varies a lot. I have customers who say they will only eat black oil sunflower in their yards. I do think it has a lot to do with what they have been fed over a long period of time. Birds are creatures of habit like many of us.
@@MarksBackyardBirds I have house finches and gold finches and they both go for the hulled sunflower chips and hearts. They both ignore the thistle seed and now it’s mostly the mourning doves that eat the thistle. Even the goldfinches will wait in line after the more common house finches to access the hulled sunflower seed feeder. Even sparrows including the song, juncos, and white crowned sparrows will also choose hulled sunflower seeds over millet. Also true, here in San Diego, CA...I discovered the white crowned sparrow eating plenty live mealworms and I was told they were strictly seed/grain eaters during winter. Well not in my backyard. Same is said of song, and the juncos, they’ve been devouring the live mealworms no problem
Hi Mark…Jill from S.E. Michigan…I appreciate the knowledge you have about birds and that you share it with us all…maybe you can help me …the black birds, Starlings and crows and red wing black birds are back….contrary to what I’ve been told…they eat safflower seeds and will also try stripped sunflower seeds…it’s August in Michigan…October is going to be a nightmare as I had hundreds last year.
That is unfortunate. Safflower has been a mainstay in the battle against the blackbirds for years. Caged feeders are the next level of defense against grackle, starlings and crows. Red-wings are small enough to fit in most of cages. Here in KC our blackbird problems get much better n late August as they tend to move out into agricultural areas before migrating south for the winter. October is a very slow month for us at our feeders because of all the natural food available then.
I have loads of goldfinches and house finches. I have several feeders with black sunflower seeds and 1 with Nyjer and they definitely like the sunflower seeds
Definitely a high value seed for them.
TY for your generosity in sharing your knowledge. I feed a professional Finch mix of Niger and something cam. I noticed my goldfinches leave all the black seed and go after the little tan seeds. What's going on here?
Depends on the other seed but my guess is that it doesn't have a hull and Nyjer does. Our mix is Nyjer and Fine Sunflower Kernels. The sunflower is higher in oil and fat and they like it better.
Probably some 🌻chips which they love even moreso than nyjer.
I live in Michigan, and I have found that the finches stop eating the Nyjer seeds in the winter. I use to think they migrated, but have since been educated on that. But is that common, not to eat them during the colder months. I always have Sunflower seeds out. Maybe they prefer that during the winter? Great video. Thank you!
Nyjer does have less oil and fat than sunflower so it makes sense they would prefer sunflower during more stressful times. Thanks for tuning in!
I second this. It’s like after October, my Niger bags just hang there, untouched. But all other seed is swarmed.
@@MarksBackyardBirds This winter has been quite mild, which might explain a lot of the nyjer being eaten in my garden. My previous nyjer feeder had large slits and blue tits and other birds would spill the seed everywhere, so while I thought it was being eaten, really a lot was on the ground. Now I have a nice one from Vine House Farm which has tiny slits for the finches exclusively and any that gets out collects in a tray for other birds to enjoy too.
Only thing I'm not sure of is how to clean them. Might get an additional sunflower seed feeder and then alternate cleaning between the two feeders, so there is always some sort of food up. As long as sunflowers won't attract too many corvids, which don't care much about nyjer anyway.
Would it help if I tied some small artificial yellow flower on the thistle sock to attract them? We have some finches. It is now February and I'd really like to get rid of this bag of thistle. Last time I put it out (wrong time of year) they ignored the sock and feeder I had it in.
I've never had anyone try that but it may work. I prefer to feed finches the fine sunflower kernels (chips). They are higher in oil and fat and the finches seem to prefer them. I honestly feed very little Nyjer® anymore.
Never been able to get any finches to eat the nyjer seed I've put. I've tried the sock feeder, tube feeder, different brands of nyjer, and nothing. We only really see goldfinches here in the spring-summer, but house finches are here year round.
Try the fine sunflower kernels or straight black oil sunflower. May be able to get them
Which is bettered for finches? Sock feeder or plastic?
@@judystevens3965 Finches seem to have favorites. Many people love the socks and say their finches will not go to traditional finch feeders and we have just as many, if not more people say the opposite. I've used them both over the years and they go to both. My experience it has more to do with the seed. I find that they far prefer the fine sunflower kernels over the Nyjer®and I don't like to feed the kernels out of socks due to the lack of weather protection,
Is safflower seed evasive?
Thank you for sharing that information.
Safflower is native to the middle east, africa and asia but has been grown here in the US since the 1920s. It is primarily harvested for its oil. I have never seen anything about it being invasive or a danger to agriculture.
@@MarksBackyardBirds thank you
Concerning safflower, it's a good replacement 4 sunflower seeds as cards, titmouses,chickadees, and grosbeaks love them while squirrels and some undesirable birds dislike it.
Question: So at Ace I saw a bag of Nyger and a bag of thistle, with a few dollars difference in price.. what’s the difference between the seed? They looked exactly the same except the name on the bag & the price…
Also, is it better to pulse the hull-less sunflower seeds a bit before putting in the feeder or leave them whole? Like for the metal mesh feeder as well as for the finch feeder with the little slits in the tubes?
Have you done or would you do a video on what seeds go into what feeders? I have some mesh metal feeders, one is two-sides with smaller holes on one side and a bit bigger holes on the other, plus some other mesh-type metal feeders. It seems like the seeds aren’t getting eaten and I’m wondering if I put the wrong size seed/nuts in and the birds can’t get it out?
I was gonna dump the seeds out and start playing around with it but your input would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
As far as I know, no one sell true thistle seed as farmers would have huge concerns over that. I know some will label Nyjer seed as thistle as that is a common "nickname" for the seed that is sold in the bird feeding industry. It is imported and sterilized. As for the feeder types to feed Nyjer, it should be in a small hole type feeder. Mesh screen feeders work because of the small pointed shape of the seeds. I mix my Nyjer with fine sunflower kernels for my finch mix and feed it out of small hole tube feeders. I'm not fond of using fine sunflower kernels in mesh feeders and they can get wet and swell, making them hard to get the seed out. A traditional sized tube feeder with a hood for rain protection works best for hull-less seeds.
Remember, seed consumption is slowing now due to the need to feed insects to their young (and themselves). Feeders will be naturally slower until the fall. Humidity can be a problem so filling your feeders "less than full" is smart this time of year. Wet seed is bad seed.
@@MarksBackyardBirds thanks so much! I’ve noticed the birds have slowed at the feeders so I’ve been doing less than a quarter full & putting in garage at night to minimize moisture.
Thx for the tip re fine sunflower in the tube feeder- I ordered a metal spiral one that should be coming soon.
Is bird seed ok to put in freezer to prolong shelf life?
I really appreciate all your helpful info!
I just added a finch feeder to my bird feeder offerings. I get constant action at the feeder featuring general wild bird food, but nobody's discovered the nyger finch feeder yet. Will finches actually find the tiny holes in the plastic tubes and be able to access the nyger seeds?
We generally say the finch feeder season starts in December in our area. They will find it once the weather turns cold and stays cold.
I used to use Nyger to attract the little green Lesser Finches. What other types of seeds would attract the Lesser Finch? Nyger up here in Oregon is simply more expensive than other seeds just for me to attract finches, not to mention special feeder, etc.
If you are feeding from classic finch feeder with the small holes, I prefer fine sunflower kernels (chips). They are better for the birds and finches love them. For regular size tube feeders, I find that they love Black Oil Sunflower seed just a much as Nyjer. The problem for them is other birds love the sunflower and will often push the goldfinches around. They are not super aggressive (except to each other).
@@MarksBackyardBirdsIn Arkansas, they sure prefer the chips over the nyger.
Nyjer seeds have been nothing but a headache for me. I was able to get house dunces to come by but either they are spitting it out or the shells are getting everywhere attracting mourning doves that bully the smaller birds
Fine Sunflower Chips are far better for them and there is no waste.
Thank You Mark For Your Vedieo. I Couldnt Get the share info anywhare else ! My Q We are the farm of Nyjer Seed in Ethiopia . I Am very Much Happy If You Advise How I Get Potential Buyer To Export My Products To USA ..! Do You Know Some Potential Brand Or Seed Cleaner ...? Thx
I would recommend getting hold of the Wild Bird Feeding Institute. They should have all of that information.
I bought a “Black Tie” combo at a local store. It took forever for the feeder to get depleted. When I switched back to nyjer, they went crazy. Took 2 days to deplete two feeders. I gues one or more of three things happened. 1. They prefer nyjer 2. The fine sunflower seeds compacted the mixture making it hard to eat. 3. The seed mix was old. Does this sound right?
It is hard to say. Every backyard is different. It is possible the seed was old. Moisture is the enemy so it may have gotten wet at some point. If they are eating the Nyjer, I would stick with that. Perhaps, if you are adding a second finch feeder at some point, try the mix or straight fine sunflower kernels in it as an experament.
Thank you Mark!
PS, I finally figured out how to change my “handle” from “cutgov…”. I will probably comment more now.😊
@@MaryG0725 You are welcome!
None of my wild birds like the Nyjer. Why is that?
It can have to do with the composition of birds at your feeders. Nyjer is really only "liked" by finches, juncos and doves. The later two only when it falls to the ground so if you don't have a lot of finches, it will go very slow.
@@MarksBackyardBirds thank you for responding
@@MarksBackyardBirdsMy doves will actually hop onto my platform feeder.I believe it's 4 the safflower mostly.Arkansas here.
Doves love Safflower for sure
Why did they quit selling their Thistle from our country because of the spelling of it? I can tell yellow finches don’t care for the nyjor. The feed that I used to be able to buy was spelled nigor and the birds loved it
We have never been able to sell actual thistle as it is a terrible weed for ranchers and farmers. We have just erroneously called Nyjer, thistle for years. They changed the name from niger to Nyjer several years ago due to possible negative impact with the other “n” word that has a similar spelling. All niger or Nyjer is imported from countries like Ethiopia and India. They raise it mainly for their cooking oil, like our vegetable oils.
Hi. I'm in San Diego County yes, it's me again. When is the best time to put suet out? My mom in law says it's a winter food. Sometimes out here things are still on fire into November. Should I watch for night temperatures to stay at a certain temperature? Last question for a bit.
You guys that live in warmer climates are trickier. Yes, suet is the winter dietary substitute for insects. In warmer climates, insects are available most of the year. Suet comes in two basic types, no-melt and "regular". Depending on your average temperatures, you can feed one or the other all year.
If I were to sow an entire bag of Nyjer seed, what are the chances some of it will grow
In theory, 0 as all of the seeds are heated to 500 degrees before being bagged and shipped.
@@MarksBackyardBirds that was fast.
Im going to do it anyhow and see what happens.
Keep in mind, I am a Wildlife Biologist not an Agronomist.
😏
Our finches never leave
Where are you located. Our finch numbers greatly increase the fall through winter then thin back out in March.
@@MarksBackyardBirds located 30 east of San Francisco, San Ramon Ca. Our birds are here all year long. I go through a tube feeder of nyjer seed every other day.
@@stevelepley3149 That is cool. Do you have Lesser Goldfinches and Lawrence's show up or just American Goldfinches where you are?
@@MarksBackyardBirds mostly american goldfinches, bright yellow, and some have the green coats
Black seed.
It is
I don't care what kind of bird/animal eats the seeds I put out. Squirrels and sparrows welcome
Me too. I find the chipmunks so funny, real little characters!
I also enjoy feeding all the critters just can’t afford to feed hundreds lol. I do put some mixed treats out for the squirrels, grackles & starlings too but limit how much I give them each morning. I kinda wish I had chipmunks they are so cute!
I really enjoy watching the squirrels chase each other up & down the pines at the edge of my yard every morning. They also use the bigger bird bath we put out so I make sure it has fresh cold water at least once per day, twice if I’m home in afternoon. It’s been so hot here & no rain for over 2 weeks!
@@AllThingsConsidered333 Same. I have been trying to attract the local crows (to keep the hawks away). These hawks are relentless. 😒
@@samanthawhang7498 I hear blue jays are also good to chase off hawks & provide early warning to other birds
@@AllThingsConsidered333 We have a whole family of scrub jays that visit every day, multiple times a day. They like whole cashews to cache. I’ve put out other whole nuts (pecans, walnuts, peanuts, almonds), and they’ll grab one with their beaks and then let it fall out to the ground, then fly away. They’re so picky! They’re very chatty too, so maybe they’re warning the other birds about dangers. But they pick up their food and leave pretty quickly. They don’t hang around like the mourning doves.
I am kind of sick of how the squirrels hog the feeders. They’ve been eating all the safflower seeds too! Aren’t they supposed to hate those? I swear, more keep showing up too. 😒 If every house or every other house had a bird feeder, this wouldn’t be a problem. It would spread the birds out too, like they would normally be, and the hawks wouldn’t have such easy targets.