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The Complete Guide to Bird Feeding in Your Garden
Around half of all UK households feed garden birds at some point during the year. It is one…
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Read MoreChoosing the Best Wild Bird Food
Not all wild bird food is equal, and the birds in your garden will tell you so. Cheap filler-heavy seed mixes attract fewer species, produce more mess and leave more waste on the ground. Choosing quality food matched to the birds you want to attract makes feeding more rewarding for both you and them.
Seed types and the birds they attract
Different seeds attract different species, and understanding this basic principle allows you to build a feeding station that attracts exactly the birds you want to see.
- Sunflower hearts: no husk mess, high energy content and by far the most versatile choice, attracting the widest range of garden species including blue tits, great tits, chaffinches, sparrows and nuthatches
- Nyjer seed: small, black seeds with a very high oil content that primarily attract goldfinches and siskins; requires a specialist nyjer feeder with small feeding ports
- Mixed seed blends: a practical option that attracts a broad range of species simultaneously, most effective when the blend includes sunflower hearts rather than cheap wheat and milo fillers
- Peanuts: high in fat and protein, popular with tits, nuthatches and woodpeckers; always use a metal mesh peanut feeder to prevent large pieces being taken and fed to nestlings
Suet and high-energy foods
Suet and fat-based products provide dense, concentrated calories that are particularly important for small birds in cold weather when they need to maintain body temperature overnight.
- Fat balls and suet cakes provide the dense calories small birds need in cold weather: one of the most effective and widely used wild bird foods available
- Always remove fat balls from any plastic mesh netting packaging before offering them: feet, beaks and toes can become fatally trapped in the mesh during feeding
- Suet pellets are a versatile everyday option that suit most feeder types, do not require netting and appeal to an impressively wide range of garden bird species
- Mealworms, whether live or dried, are particularly attractive to robins, blackbirds, wrens and starlings, and are especially valuable during the breeding season when protein demand is high
Why Buy Wild Bird Food from Newcastle Pets?
Quality wild bird food makes a real difference to how many birds visit and how consistently they return. We stock seed, suet and mealworm products chosen for quality rather than price alone, and our team can advise on the best combinations to attract the species visiting your specific garden.
- Range of wild bird seed, suet products and mealworms available in store and online
- Our in-store team can advise on the best food combinations to attract specific garden bird species to your garden
- Quality seed that minimises waste: filler-heavy mixes attract fewer birds and leave far more mess on the ground beneath feeders
- Free local delivery for Newcastle-under-Lyme customers
Frequently Asked Questions
Sunflower hearts attract the widest variety of garden birds and leave no husk mess beneath feeders. For attracting goldfinches specifically, add nyjer seed. A quality mixed seed blend that includes sunflower hearts rather than cheap wheat and milo fillers provides good species variety throughout the year.
Bread provides very little nutritional value for birds and can fill them up without giving them the energy they need to survive cold nights. Occasional small amounts of wholemeal bread are less harmful than white, but purpose-made bird food is always a significantly better option for their health.
Yes, birds benefit from supplementary feeding year-round. In spring and summer during the nesting season, avoid putting out whole peanuts, dry rice or large pieces of food as these can be carried to nestlings and cause serious harm. Suet pellets and dried mealworms are safe and nutritious choices throughout the warmer months.
Yes, we stock a range of wild bird seed, suet and mealworm products in our Newcastle-under-Lyme store and online. Free local delivery is available for Newcastle-under-Lyme customers.