Seeds and mixes

Cracked corn or milo (sorghum) is so attractive to House sparrows and starlings I recommend not using them.

Millet mixes contain 80 to 90 percent millet and a small percentage of sunflower seeds and other ingredients, such as milo, wheat, rape and canary seed.

Small amount of millet can be scattered on the ground or on tray feeders to accommodate Dark-eyed juncos, Mourning doves, and American tree, Fox, Harris', White-throated, White-crowned and Golden-crowned sparrows.

The most important change from fall feeding to winter feeding is to decrease the proportion of millet mix from 30 to 40 percent in the fall to about 10 percent in the winter as the migrant sparrows and juncos move farther south.

Niger seed—thistle—is an excellent all-winter staple for American and Lesser goldfinches, Common and Hoary redpolls, House and Purple finches, and Pine siskins.

All of these species will use commercial finch feeders. Finch mix can also be used for these species, but feeders with larger feeder ports will be necessary.

If House finches become a problem, an anti-House finch feeder is available. Goldfinches are able to perch upside down and feed, but House finches can't.

If you experience a large number of redpolls or Pine siskins trying to use your feeders, scatter a few handfuls of niger seed on top of sunflower seeds in tray feeders. Several years ago I tried this during a "redpoll invasion" and got as many as two dozen redpolls feeding at a time on a 12" x 48" deck railing feeder.

Small tray feeders can also be stocked with niger to attract Pine siskins and redpolls.