When it comes to choosing the best bird food for platform feeders, there are a few key factors to consider. The type of birds you want to attract, your budget, and the season are all important in determining what food will work best. With some knowledge of bird preferences and feeding needs, you can pick the ideal food to fill your platform feeder.
What Birds Eat From Platform Feeders
Platform feeders, which offer a flat open tray design, attract a variety of common backyard birds. Some species that may visit platform feeders include:
- Sparrows
- Finches
- Doves
- Juncos
- Cardinals
- Chickadees
- Titmouse
- Nuthatches
- Wrens
- Blue Jays
Platform feeders allow these birds to perch on the edges and grab bites of food from the tray. The open platform also accommodates larger birds with big bodies like doves and jays. If attracting a high volume and diversity of birds is your goal, a platform feeder loaded with the right foods is a great option.
Recommended Foods for Platform Feeders
Here are some top foods to use in platform feeders:
Seed Mixes
An all-around bird seed mix with sunflower seeds, millet, cracked corn, peanuts, and other grains/oils will appeal to many common feeder birds. Look for a no-mess mix formulated specifically for platforms. You can also buy separately and mix your own seed blend based on your birds’ favorites.
Suet
Nutrient-dense suet provides vital fat and protein. Offer suet in cakes, chunks, or nuggets on platform feeders to attract insect-loving birds like woodpeckers, nuthatches, and wrens. Go for insect-enhanced suet or add dried mealworms.
Fruit
Dried fruit like raisins, cranberries, cherries, etc. add sweetness and carbohydrates to a platform feeding. Orioles, bluebirds, cardinals, jays, and others relish fruit. Mix in chopped fruit with seeds or serve separately in mesh bags.
Peanuts
Whole peanuts in the shell draw lively birds like jays and titmice. The birds will perch on platform feeder edges and hammer away at shells. Shelled, unsalted peanuts are also appreciated by many species.
Mealworms
Dried or freeze-dried mealworms offer live food appeal. Babies and adult birds flock to these nutritious, protein-packed treats. Mix mealworms into other foods or dish them up separately in small trays.
Nyjer Seed
Tiny, oil-rich nyjer seeds are favored by finches. Use nyjer as part of a mix or serve it solo to target species like goldfinches, siskins, and redpolls.
Cracked Corn
Starch-filled cracked corn is a low-cost filler that attracts jays, doves, pigeons, sparrows, and more. It’s commonly mixed with other seeds and grains.
Millet
Pet bird millet is cheap and widely enjoyed by ground-feeding birds. Use hulled millet which is easier for small birds to eat. Target doves, juncos, sparrows, towhees, and other similar species.
Nut Pieces
Chopped peanuts, almonds, walnuts, pecans, etc. cater to birds that appreciate heavier foods. Nut pieces often bait corvids, woodpeckers, nuthatches, jays, and others.
Seasonal Feeding Tips
The kinds of foods birds prefer can fluctuate through the seasons as nutritional needs change. Here are some seasonal platform feeding tips:
Spring
In spring, focus on foods like suet, mealworms, peanuts, and nut pieces to fuel nesting birds. Offering calcium-rich foods like eggshells also helps with egg development.
Summer
Keep up suet, fruits, nuts, and calcium supplements for busy nesting birds in summer. Cater to fledglings with mealsworms and nutritious seed mixes.
Fall
As birds bulk up for winter in autumn, emphasize fatty, protein-rich suet, peanuts, and nut pieces. Dried fruits boost energy reserves for migration and winter. Nyjer and millet also fuel up ground foragers.
Winter
In winter, birds appreciate calorie-dense suet, nuts, fruit, and oil-rich nyjer and sunflower seeds. Offer nutritious mixes and suet year-round for birds braving the winter.
Best Overall Seed Mixes
Based on nutritional content, palatability, and cost, here are 5 of the top-rated bird seed mixes to use in platform feeders:
| Seed Mix | Description |
|---|---|
| Wagner’s Greatest Exclusives No Mess Blend | Blend of sunflower, safflower, peanuts, dried fruit, etc. in easy-eating pieces. Minimal mess. |
| Lyric Ultimate Blend | Features sunflower, peanuts, raisins, cranberry. High-energy and nutritious. |
| Park Seed Deluxe Dove and Quail Delight | Millet, cracked corn, safflower, peanuts, and more. Made for ground feeders. |
| Kaytee Songbird Blend | Sunflower chips, peanuts, cereals, fruit. General everyday blend. |
| Pennington Grey Sunflower Complete | Sunflower, millet, corn, oats, peas. Budget friendly. |
Top Suet Options
| Suet | Highlights |
|---|---|
| C&S Mealworm Suet Cakes | – Nutritious mealworms – No shell filler – High fat content |
| Perky Pet High Energy Suet | – Added peanuts and corn – Pure beef suet – Fortifying |
| Woodlink Going Nuts Suet Blend | – Peanut pieces – Insect and fruit enhanced – Weatherproof formula |
Favored Nut and Fruit Add-Ins
To add interesting protein, fat, and carbs to basic seeds, try offering:
- Raisins
- Dried cranberries
- Chopped peanuts
- Shelled sunflower seeds
- Chopped almonds
- Pecan pieces
- Walnuts
- Dried mealworms
- Dried currants
- Dates
- Dried apricots
Conclusion
With an abundant platform feeder filled with energy-packed seeds, suet, fruit, nuts, and other treats, you can attract a lively mix of feathered visitors to your yard. Tailor food choices to the birds you hope to see and what’s nutritionally best for each season. Aim for a variety of offerings and your feeder will never have a dull moment. Top-rated all-in-one blends make feeding simple while separate additions let you mix and match. With a well-stocked feeder, you’ll enjoy watching birds feast on their favorable foods all year round.
