Is Thistle Good for Birds

Thistle seeds are an ideal wild bird food for several North American species. The seeds are small and packed with nutrients, fat and protein and especially hearty for winter feeding.

Can you put thistle in a regular bird feeder?

Standard tube feeders have large feeding ports so you can use a variety of seed and attract many different species of birds. Nyjer feeders don’t have large feeding ports. … Only small “thistle” seeds can fit through, AND only birds with small beaks can reach inside to get food out of the feeder, like finches!

What do you put in a thistle feeder?

Thistle or nyjer seed attracts finch species such as American Goldfinch, House Finch, Purple Finch, Cassin’s Finch, and Common Redpoll. We have also seen Dark-eyed Junco and Green-tailed Towhee feed on Nyjer and thistle feeders.