Vine House Farm – Black Sunflower Seeds-3Kg – Wild Bird Food

What birds eat Sunflower seeds? Black sunflower seeds are eaten by songbirds which are able to crack open the husk, with the two families essentially being finches and tits. Greenfinches especially like black sunflower seeds, as do great tits and coal tits. Softbill songbirds such as blackbirds and robins can’t eat sunflower seeds as they’re unable to remove the husk. However, they’ll readily eat sunflower hearts. Black sunflower seeds can also be found in our Mixed Seed, Finch Mix and High Energy Mix bird seed. What’s the difference between regular sunflower seeds and black sunflower seeds? Regular sunflower seeds – or striped sunflower seeds to give them their proper name – have a thicker husk compared to black sunflowers, and although some species of finch and tit can break it open, it takes them longer and therefore the bird uses up more energy doing so. In this respect, black sunflower seeds are the better option. How do I feed sunflower seeds to birds? Sunflower seeds are best suited to be fed in a hanging seed feeder, as the species that eat them – mainly tits and finches – will all use such a feeder. A very important point to note, is that the waste husks which build up on the ground below the feeder should be cleared up regularly, plus the feeder position moved every week or so. This is because the build-up of rotting husks can quickly harbour bacteria and disease, which is a very real threat to the health and survival of the birds – in particular finches which are very susceptible. If you don’t have time to clear up the husks or the space to regularly move the feeder, then use sunflower hearts instead.