Attracting goldfinches and purple finches and house, beluga, and redpolls to your yard with one charger Nyjer bird seed. You can choose one mesh new thistle feeder or a thistle tube feeders traditional bird. Then there's always the old thistle sock bird feeder.
Nyjer, nyger, Niger and thistle are all names used to designate a small black seed cultivated in India and Ethiopia for over a thousand years. The seeds of Niger from the real plant Guizotia abyssinica is an annual herb grown for its edible oil and seeds. It is NOT a type of thistle and is not a weed. In fact, it is now cultivated in the United States.
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Niger seed is probably confused with thistle because goldfinches are known to eat thistle seed and use the downy fluff from thistle plants for their nests. In an attempt to differentiate these two terms in the spirit public, the Wild Bird Feeding Institute filed the trademark Nyjer in 1998. I do not think it was successful however because most people still think Nyjer seed is a kind of thistle and a noxious weed if allowed to develop.
When you purchase Nyjer seed, many companies use yet the word thistle on the package that has the unintended consequence of confusing the public even more. This bird seed is imported from India and Ethiopia and the USDA regulations must be sterilized, not to keep seeds from Niger from gushing, but to keep weeds are also mixed with the seeds of Niger from germination. You can now get non-sterilized seeds grown American Niger here in the United States.
Because Nyjer seed is so expensive (more than a dollar a pound in 2008), it is important to nurture those seeds in the feeders specially designed. A good Nyjer seed bird feeder will allow several birds to feed both seedless excess being wasted. Bird feeders thistle tube should be your first choice in my experience. Small cracks in the polycarbonate tubes these feeders allow only finches to draw the seed at a time. This limits the amount of seed lost.
Feeders Nyjer seed bird wire mesh would be my second choice. These feeders allow flocking goldfinches to feed wherever they land, plus some contain large quantities of Nyjer seed. They are probably better used with a seed tray below to catch seed sown.
A Thistle sack bird feeder is an expensive proposition since the initial cost the feeder goes. Made of durable nylon fine mesh, these feeders allow as many finches to feed as can comfortably hang on bag of thistle. They are now available in black which makes the beautiful goldfinches really stand out. These mesh bags will cost you more in the long run than other types of Nyjer seed bird feeders because seeds lost.
Who feeder you choose, you're guaranteed to have flocks of goldfinches visit your garden!
About the Author:
Larry Jordan has been bird watching for many years and building birdhouses for over 26 years. He is a member of the Audubon Society and is the Shasta County Coordinator for the California Bluebird Recovery Program. He strives to get more people interested in birding activities, including bird conservation. For more information on bird watching, bird houses, feeding wild birds, birds in the news, bird conservation, and some great bird photos go to The Birder’s Report and sign up for his newsletter or his RSS Feed. If you are looking for quality bird and birding products, please visit his online store at Birds In My Yard for some great deals and great service.
Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – Nyjer Seed Bird Feeders Attract Goldfinches Like Crazy