The “Gold” Standard
It has long been said that black oil sunflower seed is the food of choice for goldfinches. There is one thing that these true seed-eaters like better than black oil sunflower seed, though, and that is nyjer—or more colloquially, thistle seed.
While nearly every bird who visits our seed feeders appreciates the black oil sunflower seeds that are readily available, I put out a cornucopia of other seed & nut choices to attract some of the “specialist” birds—like peanuts-in-the-shell for my jays and proso millet for my buntings & doves. For my finches, especially my goldfinches, I put out a Thistle Feeder. It holds a special type of seed called thistle or nyjer seed, that is nearly black in color and slightly smaller than a grain of rice! And let me tell you—nothing brings the finches to the yard like some fresh thistle seed!
What is thistle seed?
Thistle seed, or “nyjer” is favorite amongst the finches. It is not technically seed from a “thistle”, however—it is seed from African Yellow Daisy. It won’t be weedy, though, as the seed is heated to sterilize it from any pathogens. This heating process prevents the seed from being able to germinate.
The seed is thin and fine-particled, and very high in oil content, which provides the birds with a nutritious source of energy. The high fat content does make thistle seed prone to spoilage, as fat is quick to go rancid. Therefore, I wouldn’t recommend stocking up on more thistle than you can reliably use in a couple months.
It is best served to your birds in a tube feeder with small ports or a mesh feeder. If you have had thistle seed in your feeder for a few weeks, and notice interest in it has waned—then it has probably gone stale. Best to dump it out and begin again, perhaps with a smaller amount this time, so you have less waste.
Interestingly enough, even as tiny as thistle seeds are, the birds do not usually eat them whole. Finches and other little birds like juncos shell them, and only eat their delicious interior!
Birds Who Eat Thistle Seed
Although thistle is the gold standard among finches, many other backyard birds eat it willingly. Here are some of it’s top customers:
House Finches
Pine Siskins
American Goldfinches
Lesser Goldfinches
Cassins or Purple Finches
Redpolls
Juncos
Sparrows, like Song Sparrows
Doves
Chickadees
Do you feed your flock Thistle?
All of this to say that Thistle Seed is the best way to attract goldfinches to your yard. On a cloudy spring day, when those April showers are coming down, nothing is quite as delightful as a flock of sunshiney yellow American Goldfinches, whistling their two-note call.