Looking for the best bird seeds on Amazon? There are hundreds, if not thousands, to choose from. It’s overwhelming when you’re getting started with this hobby.
With that in mind, I wanted to put a post together of the best bird seeds your money can buy on the site. Each of these seeds are well-worth exploring if you’re new to bird feeding.
I ranked these seeds by looking up the highest rated on Amazon, but I also combed through reviews. I added more clout to seeds that had more reviews. So, if a seed has 1,000+ reviews that skew very positive, that puts it ahead of another bird seed with 100+ reviews.
Related: The Ultimate Bird Seed and Bird Food Guide
I also docked bird seeds if I noticed they had low-quality fillers (red milo, cracked corn, oats). These filler seeds will usually only draw in pest birds like House Sparrows and Starlings.
Lastly, I factored in my own experience as a birder. I kept this list as objective as possible, but please note that it also includes a dash of my opinion in the rankings.
Disclaimer: Some links found on this page might be affiliate links. If you click an affiliate link and make a purchase, I might earn a commission. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. There is no extra charge to you if you do this.
10. Cole’s Sunflower Meats Bird Seed
Type of Seed: Sunflower Hearts (no shells)
My experience: I loved using this bird seed in both a tube and hopper feeder, but you can use them in anything. I love that sunflower hearts leave a minimal mess as I live in an apartment complex. Some birds I saw enjoying this bird seed included Northern Cardinals, Black-Capped Chickadees, and Goldfinches!
Notes from the Seller: No waste, no mess, no shells. The best solution for those who live in apartments or condos and want to feed the birds. No added synthetics, chemicals, or artificial flavors.
What Reviewers Like: Amazon shoppers like that this seed attracts a wide variety of birds (Chickadees, Titmice, Cardinals…and even a Peacock) are mentioned as examples. This bird seed leaves very little mess after consumption. Reviewers raved about the quality of this seed.
Birds This Will Appeal To: Blue Jays, Chickadees, Finches, Goldfinches, Grosbeaks, Magpies, Nuthatches, Pine Siskins, Red-Bellied Woodpeckers, Redpolls, Titmice, Sparrows
9. Backyard Seeds Safflower Bird Seed for Cardinals
Type of Seed: Safflower Seed
My experience: I love using safflower seed as a “problem solver” at my feeders. I find that squirrels and House Sparrows tend to eat it less.
Notes from the Seller: CARDINAL FAVORITE – Cardinals love the taste of Safflower and will flock to your feeders. NUTRITIOUS – High in fat, protein and oil content, safflower is a valuable nutrition source for wild birds. SQUIRREL DETERRENT SEED – Squirrel resistant bird seed. Squirrels don’t like Safflower Seed.
What Reviewers Like: Shoppers report success attracting Cardinals, Jays, Finches and Sparrows. This seed has a lot of praise for its quality. People also love that safflower seed doesn’t appeal much to squirrels. High marks for its price-per-pound too.
Birds This Will Appeal To: Cardinals, Grosbeaks, Jays, Doves, Finches, Chickadees, Titmice
8. Wild Delight Deck, Porch N’ Patio No Waste Bird Food
Type of Seed: A no-waste mix of Sunflower Kernels, Peanuts, Pistachios, Pumpkin Seed and vitamins for birds. I’ll admit – I’ve never seen a bird seed mix like this. It caught my eye immediately!
Notes from the Seller: Deck, Porch N’ Patio is a complete no waste wild bird feed. An elite, zero-waste wild bird food blended to attract the most desired outdoor pets and give you the cleanest feeding experience. Features pistachios, sunflower kernels, added vitamins, added mineral, electrolytes and amino acids.
What Reviewers Like: This is a no-waste seed that appeals to a wide variety of birds. Reviewers rave that birds love this blend and that it doesn’t last long in their feeders. It draws in a wide-variety of species.
Birds This Will Appeal To: Blue Jays, Chickadees, Finches, Goldfinches, Grosbeaks, Magpies, Nuthatches, Pine Siskins, Red-Bellied Woodpeckers, Redpolls, Titmice, Sparrows
7. Wagner’s Nyjer Seed Wild Bird Food, 10-Pound Bag
Type of Seed: Nyjer Seed
Notes from the Seller: The favorite seed of Finches including the desirable Goldfinch. Contains 150,000 seeds per pound creating many visits to the feeder. An extra clean seed that provides high energy content for backyard songbirds.
What Reviewers Like: This is a high-quality nyjer seed that draws in all kinds of Finches consistently. High marks for the seed quality and freshness. Many rave about it being especially great for House Finches and Goldfinches.
Birds This Will Appeal To: House Finches, Goldfinches, Chickadees, Redpolls, Indigo Bunting
Related: 4 Tips for Attracting American Goldfinches to your Yard
6. Valley Farms Peanut Kernels Wild Bird Food
Type of Seed: De-shelled Peanuts
My Experience: Always great for Blue Jays. I also find Chickadees and Nuthatches really like this bird seed.
Notes from the Seller: Undoubtedly, a favorite food for many birds! This is a clean, No Mess, No Waste, completely shelled, non GMO product. Really an excellent source of energy and calories, totally nutritional, made in the USA.
What Reviewers Like: Good-quality peanut kernels that birds can’t get enough of. No mess at all and appeals to a bunch of fun birds to bring to your yard.
Birds This Will Appeal To: Jays, Cardinals, Chickadees, Nuthatches, Titmice, Woodpeckers
5. Wagner’s Songbird Banquet Wild Bird Food, 5-Pound Bag
Type of Seed: A blend of Black Oil Sunflower, Striped Sunflower, Safflower, Peanuts and Tree Nuts.
Notes from the Seller: 5-highly nutritious foods that will attract a wide variety of birds to your backyard. An all-natural, high-quality mix filled with the healthy proteins and fats birds crave. Contains no fillers.
What Reviewers Like: High marks for seed freshness and the variety of foods drawing in a ton of birds. No filler seeds!
Birds This Will Appeal To: Blue Jays, Chickadees, Doves, Finches, Grosbeaks, Magpies, Nuthatches, Pine Siskins, Red-Bellied Woodpeckers, Redpolls, Titmice, Sparrows
4. Audubon Park Sunflower Hearts & Chips
Type of Seed: Sunflower Kernels
Notes from the Seller:
- Shell-free for less mess and zero waste
- Attracts finches, chickadees, sparrows, grosbeaks, flickers, titmice and nuthatches
What Reviewers Like: Reviewers love the no-mess aspect of this seed and that a ton of different birds love it. Good value compared to other sunflower kernel options. High praise for freshness and the state of the seed when it arrives.
My experience: I ordered a five pound bag and have had great success with this bird seed. It has no fillers and leaves behind a minimal mess. This is a great crowd-pleasing bird seed. You can read my in-depth review of this seed linked here.
Birds This Will Appeal To: Blue Jays, Chickadees, Finches, Grosbeaks, Magpies, Nuthatches, Pine Siskins, Red-Bellied Woodpeckers, Redpolls, Titmice, Sparrows
3. Meadow Ridge Farms Black Oil Sunflower Bird Seed
Type of Seed: Black Oil Sunflower Seed
My Experience: This is always a good standby when I need a big, economical bag of black-oil sunflower seed. It’s always been a great buy for me. Nothing fancy, but it doesn’t need to be.
Notes from the Seller: The freshest, locally blended, and bagged daily in Delano Minnesota using the highest quality products. Ingredients: 100% Black Oil Sunflower.
What Reviewers Like: High marks for freshness, value and the seed quality. This is one of the most cost-effective seeds on the list. I personally use this seed and endorse its quality: It’s a huge bag of great black-oil sunflower seed that should last you a long time.
Birds This Will Appeal To: Blue Jays, Chickadees, Finches, Grosbeaks, Magpies, Nuthatches, Pine Siskins, Red-Bellied Woodpeckers, Redpolls, Titmice, Sparrows
2. Wagner’s Cardinal Blend Wild Bird Food
Type of Seed: A Sunflower and Safflower blend
My experience: This was the first bird seed I ever purchased and I loved it. I can attest that Cardinals and House Finches both go nuts for this bird seed mix.
Notes from the Seller: 60% Black Oil Sunflower Seeds, 40% Safflower Seeds. Loaded with sunflower and safflower. Mixture of high oil content seeds provides the necessary energy needed to nourish these brilliantly colored birds.
What Reviewers Like: Overall high marks for a variety of birds loving this blend. Great seed quality that attracts songbirds you’ll actually want at your feeders. This was literally the first bird seed I ever purchased and I’ve loved it ever since. My House Finches, Cardinals and Chickadees eat it.
Birds This Will Appeal To: Blue Jays, Chickadees, Finches, Grosbeaks, Magpies, Nuthatches, Pine Siskins, Red-Bellied Woodpeckers, Redpolls, Titmice, Sparrows
Related: The Best Bird Seed for Cardinals
1. Valley Farms Sunflower Hearts Wild Bird Food
Type of Seed: Sunflower Hearts
Notes from the Seller: Sunflower Hearts & Chips are a no mess, no waste bird seed for outside wild bird feeders, tray or tube feeders. Provides wild birds nutritious energy and fats for their explosive metabolism! Great value & premium quality in a Wild Bird Food.
What Reviewers Like: Incredibly high marks for quality and how the bird seed arrives when ordered. This is also the most cost-effective sunflower heart bird seed on this list. “Birds love” is the top trending term on reviews for this product. A no-mess high quality sunflower seed that draws in a ton of birds. It’s tough to beat that!
Birds This Will Appeal To: Blue Jays, Chickadees, Finches, Grosbeaks, Magpies, Nuthatches, Pine Siskins, Red-Bellied Woodpeckers, Redpolls, Titmice, Sparrows
Let me know if this guide helped you or if you feel it could be improved in any way. I’m planning to revisit this post once a month to make sure the prices and information is accurate. Happy birding!
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