Pro tip: a cheap bag of black oil sunflower seeds changed my backyard birdwatching

I was only getting sparrows and starlings for months, but after switching to a $15 bag of black oil sunflower seeds from the hardware store, I had a northern cardinal pair show up the very next morning. What other simple seed changes have brought in new birds for you?

3 comments

3 Comments

josephmartin17d ago

My neighbor swore by safflower seeds to keep squirrels away, but it brought in a bunch of mourning doves instead. They just sit there and hoover it all up, these fat little bowling balls. Now I'm back to square one with the squirrels.

hannahsingh17d ago

Honestly, that safflower switch sounds like a total win. Mourning doves are peaceful to watch and way less of a pest than squirrels chewing up your feeders. Those squirrels will just move on to the neighbor's yard anyway, so you might as well enjoy the doves.

anthony_campbell8817d ago

Safflower seeds actually work because squirrels dislike the bitter taste, not because mourning doves scare them off.