Niger Seed

Niger Seeds are particularly rich in oil and have a high nutritious content, which is why members of the finch family, such as Goldfinches, are so attracted to it. The oil in Niger Seeds helps to provide high, fast-release calories to birds, which helps them to store fat and continue to survive during colder weather.

If you are an avid garden bird watcher and you want to attract finches -- especially Goldfinches -- to your garden, including Niger Seeds in your bird food selection can be very beneficial. Another benefit of Niger Seeds for birds is that they are easy to feed, providing you use the proper feeder.

You should use a specially-designed Niger or Nyjer Feeders which are by far the best way to feed Niger Seeds to garden birds. They are made to hold the very small Niger Seeds in place, while also making them easily accessible to the feeding birds.

When feeding Niger Seeds, ensure they stay dry. A weather guard can help to prevent rain from getting into the feeder.

Crucially, Niger Seed husks and whole dropped seeds must be cleared up regularly from the ground below the feeder, as not doing so can quickly spread disease in birds. You should also move the Niger Feeder to a different place in your garden on a regular basis, as this helps prevent the ground below it from becoming contaminated.

If you are putting Niger Seed out for birds and you are finding that the seeds are not being eaten, there could be several reasons for this. The first could be that the seeds are too old. When Niger Seeds are fresh, they should be black. So if they’re not, this likely means many of the vital nutrients usually present in Niger Seeds for birds will be missing; if seeds are no longer black they may be dried out, which means they contain less oil. Birds may still eat these seeds but overall will be less inclined to do so if they are not in prime condition.

Another factor could be that your birdseed is wet. This is an issue for birds for several reasons. The first is that seeds can clump together when they become damp, which can block feeder ports and stop birds from being able to access them. Secondly, although this may not stop birds from feeding on the seeds themselves, wet seeds can be dangerous. This is because the dampness encourages certain bacteria to grow which, if left, can lead to Salmonella poisoning. To ensure your seeds are staying dry, purchase a separate weather guard (also acts as a squirrel baffle) to go over the top of your existing feeder.

Another reason birds avoid Niger Seeds is because of the placement of the bird feeder itself, rather than what is inside it. Goldfinches naturally feed in open areas and will readily come to a Niger Seed feeder in the middle of a lawn or garden space. Another put-off for many timid birds is feeders that are positioned too close to human activity. For instance, a feeder in a wide-open area near a main road, busy patio or entrance to your home can prevent birds from using it.

If you want to feed a variety of wild bird species in your garden, you should include a range of options in your selection of bird food. As well as Niger Seeds, you can also feed birds other straight foods such as Sunflower Hearts, seed mixes, suet products, mealworms, and peanuts.

Our most popular bird food products include:

-Sunflower hearts (these are black sunflower seeds with the outer husk removed)

-Suet pellets

​-Super Suet Fat Balls

-Premium Mix Bird Seed

-Live mealworms

Niger Seeds are particularly popular with members of the finch family, including Goldfinches, Siskins and Redpolls.