Sunflower seed is my favorite food to offer birds at my feeders. No other bird seed will draw in the widest variety of birds compared to it.

I believe it’s the best bird seed you can buy, especially black oil sunflower seed if you’re new to bird feeding. It has a thin shell that many birds can get into and high fat and protein content for them.

Sunflower seed is relatively cheap compared to most other bird seed. The only downside are the shell remnants left below your feeder. An easy solution to this problem is to buy sunflower chips.

If you’re having trouble with black birds swarming your feeders, you can also buy striped sunflower seed. This seed has a tougher shell to break into. So, it’s harder for pest birds to eat. This is a great option for Cardinals and Blue Jays.

Once you put out sunflower seed in a feeder, here are birds to keep your eyes peeled for.

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1. Northern Cardinals

Northern Cardinals will gobble up sunflower seed at a bird feeder. It’s the top thing they go for at my station!

Be sure to have a feeder that’s sturdy and with a large enough perch to support Cardinals. They’re bigger than other songbirds like Chickadees and Finches.

Related Content: 5 Proven Ways to Attract Cardinals to a Feeder

2. Black-Capped Chickadees

Chickadees are common visitors at bird feeding stations across the north-central portion of North America. Watch for them to snag a sunflower seed to cache in a nearby tree for later. It’s fun!

Related Content: 5 Tips to Attract Chickadees to Your Bird Feeder

3. Rose Breasted Grosbeak

Rose Breasted Grosbeaks are likely to visit feeders for sunflower seed in the late spring during their migration when they need extra energy.

Have native berry plants and shrubs in your yard for another chance to attract these birds.

4. House Finches

House Finches love eating black oil sunflower seed and sunflower chips at bird feeders of all different types and sizes.

They’re often the first visitors at new bird feeders and are common and widespread across much of the United States.

5. Tufted Titmouse

Common feeder visitors across the eastern United States, Tufted Titmice love to snatch up sunflower seed. Beyond feeders, they also eat insects, snails, spiders, and berries (Perky Pet).

Tufted Titmice are often in flocks with Chickadees, Nuthatches, and Woodpeckers (Cornell).

6. White Breasted Nuthatch

White Breasted Nuthatches love sunflower seed and peanuts at bird feeders. They’ll visit just about any bird feeder.

They’re acrobatic birds. Watch as they hang sideways or upside down as they scale your feeders!

7. American Goldfinch (prefer sunflower chips)

American Goldfinches don’t have strong enough beaks to break through black oil or stripped sunflower seed. But, they love eating sunflower chips!

Goldfinches are tiny birds that like tube feeders. American Goldfinches will also eat from larger platform and hopper feeders, but I find that they are often crowded out by bigger birds. Getting a quality tube feeder gives them a perch to sit on with less traffic.

In the spring and summer, male Goldfinches are bright yellow. Keep your eyes peeled for their drabber brown-olive color in the winter.

8. Red Bellied Woodpecker

Red Bellied Woodpeckers top pick is suet at bird feeders, but they’ll gladly scoop up sunflower seeds from a tray or hopper feeder.

9. Pine Siskins

Like Goldfinches, Pine Siskin love sunflower chips in tube feeders.

They can be harder to pick out among House Finches or Goldfinches. Look for the hint of yellow in their wings.

10. Mourning Doves (prefer sunflower chips)

Mourning Doves will gladly eat sunflower chips from the ground or in a tray bird feeder. They’re also partial to white millet and safflower seed.

Related Content: How to Attract Mourning Doves to Your Yard: Everything You Need to Know

11. Blue Jays

Blue Jays will gladly take any form of sunflower seed from a bird feeder. Blue Jays are also fairly large feeder birds. So, you’ll want to have a hopper or tray feeder to accommodate them.

Also, I find the idea that Blue Jays are bully birds at feeders to be overblown. In my experience, they’ve been a fun addition to my feeders and usually take a few seeds to go.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best sunflower seed for backyard birds?

Black oil sunflower seed is the best all-around choice for backyard birds. It has a thin shell that small birds like Chickadees and Finches can crack, and it’s high in fat and protein, which birds need year-round. If you want a no-mess option, sunflower chips work for nearly every bird on this list. If you’re trying to deter Grackles, House Sparrows, or other pest birds, striped sunflower seed has a tougher shell that smaller pest birds struggle to open.

Do all backyard birds eat sunflower seeds?

No. Many seed-eating birds love sunflower seed, but some species rarely touch it. Robins, Bluebirds and most Warblers eat insects and fruit instead of seed. Hummingbirds drink nectar exclusively.

What is the difference between black oil, striped, and sunflower chips?

Black oil sunflower seed has a thin shell, high oil content, and attracts the widest variety of birds. Striped sunflower seed has a thicker, tougher shell that deters smaller pest birds but is favored by Cardinals and Blue Jays. Sunflower chips are pre-shelled sunflower meat with no shell waste, no germination under your feeder, and easier eating for small-beaked birds.

What kind of feeder is best for sunflower seeds?

It depends on which birds you want to attract. Hopper and tray feeders work best for larger birds like Cardinals, Blue Jays, and Mourning Doves. Tube feeders work best for smaller birds like Goldfinches, Chickadees, and Finches because they keep larger, more aggressive birds away. If you want to attract the widest variety, run one of each.

Do squirrels eat sunflower seeds?

Yes. Squirrels love sunflower seeds and will empty a feeder fast if given the chance. To deter squirrels, use a weight-activated feeder (I use this one, it’s worth it), hang feeders at least 8 feet off the ground and 10 feet from any jumping-off point, or switch to safflower seed, which most squirrels avoid.

How much sunflower seed should I put out at a time?

Only put out what your birds will eat in a week. This keeps the seed fresh, prevents mold, and reduces waste. In winter and during spring migration you’ll go through more. Check your feeder often and refill as needed.

Note: This story was last updated in May, 2026.