Released: February 15, 2002

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Different Feed Attracts Different Birds

MANHATTAN, Kan. – With short days and cold nights, winter can be a difficult time for birds in Kansas. The natural food supply has been consumed or hidden by snow. Most insects are dead or dormant. Birds turn to alternative sources of food, said Kansas State University Research and Extension agent Chuck Otte.

Since birds are warm-blooded, they maintain a consistent body temperature regardless of environmental temperatures. To keep up their high metabolic rate, most backyard birds eat rich, energy foods such as seeds and suet. Providing high calorie and fat foods can be important, said Otte, Geary County agriculture Extension agent.

Commercial bird seed mixes provide these qualities with various combinations of feed based on cost, Otte said.

"The blending of bird seed mixes depends on the contents," he said. "Many times, low-use grains, which many birds ignore, are included to keep the costs down."

Otte said the more money spent on the mix, the higher the quality value.

"Why not give them what they want," he said. "Going with straight black-oil sunflower seed and white proso millet is the best."

Broken down, each individual component has specific qualities, according to the results of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service studies on food preferences of birds:

Sunflower seed: a) black oil - superior to other foods for most species; b) black-striped - most all will use but only Tufted Titmouse and Blue Jays prefer; c) gray-striped - species use this less than the other two.

White Proso Millet - preferred food of juncos, Mourning Doves and sparrows; an excellent food source.

Red Proso Millet - can be used as a substitute for white proso; however, not as preferred.

Golden (German) Millet - least preferred of the millets.

Milo (sorghum) - generally unattractive to all species.

Cracked Corn - eaten about one-third as often as white proso millet.

Safflower seed - considered acceptable to some species.

Canary seed - less attractive than white proso millet; however, usually costs 70 percent more.

Rape seed (canola seed) - least attractive feed in the study.

Wheat - used by same species that ate black striped sunflower, but to a much lesser extent.

Flax seed - almost completely ignored.

Oats - only starlings found hulled oats highly attractive.

Peanut Hearts - extremely attractive to starlings.

Peanut Kernels - quite attractive to numerous species.

Niger Thistle Seed - not related to Kansas thistles. Much less attractive than native thistles, but still highly used by finches and relatives.

Suet - originates from animal fat as a high-energy food source preferred by many bird species. It can be fed plain or mixed with other feeds.

The colder the weather, the more attractive suet becomes to many species of birds, Otte said. Hardened vegetable products cannot be substituted for suet or lard. Hobbyists can buy commercially prepared suet cakes or buy raw suet and use the following recipes:

* Soft Mix: 1 cup suet, 1 cup peanut butter, 3 cups yellow corn meal and one-half cup all-purpose flour. In a saucepan over low heat, melt the suet, add peanut butter and mix well. Mix cornmeal and flour in a separate bowl and add to suet-peanut butter mixture after it starts to cool and thicken. Smear this mixture on pine cones or tree bark or pack it into suet baskets.

* Basic Mix: 1 cup melted suet, 1 cup peanut butter and 6 cups cornmeal. Mix this all together and add bird feed, seeds, nuts or raisins, as desired. Pour into molds or pack into feeders.

* Hard Mix: 2 cups suet, 1 cup peanut butter, 2 cups yellow cornmeal and 2 cups finely cracked corn. Melt suet, let it cool, then re-heat. Add peanut butter, stirring well; mix in dry ingredients. Pour into molds or pour into a cake pan, cool and then cut to size for suet feeders.

* Peanut Butter Meal: Mix 1 part peanut butter and 1 part corn meal. Smear onto pine cones or tree bark.

For more information, interested persons can visit the Website http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/geary/NRWM.htm

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K-State Research and Extension is a short name for the Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service, a program designed to generate and distribute useful knowledge for the well-being of Kansans. Supported by county, state, federal and private funds, the program has county Extension offices, experiment fields, area Extension offices and regional research centers statewide. Its headquarters is on the K-State campus, Manhattan.

Story by:
Lucas Shivers, Communications Assistant
lshivers@oznet.ksu.edu
K-State Research& Extension News