Ahhh Costco…it’s a store that fills me with an equal mix of wonder and anxiety. The prices and things you find are tough to beat. So, when I see a giant bag of Costco bird seed, I usually get it. Even if it’s 30-40 pounds and I already have a ton of bird seed to use up at home. I can’t resist!
I wanted to write a straightforward overview and review about the bird seed I’ve purchased at Costco as someone who has fed the birds for years from my apartment balcony: Is it worth buying? And does it work well?
You can skip all the nitty gritty below if you’d like a quick answer: Absolutely, yes. Costco is a fantastic deal for bird seed. Just be sure to double check the quality of the seed you’re buying and make sure it contains no red milo filler. I regularly see 30-40 pounds of good sunflower-based bird seed selling between $20-$30 at Costco. That’s a great price. I once saw a bag on sale around $15 one time.
For reference, 25-40 pound bags of sunflower bird seed online usually go for $35-$55.
Related Content: A Cheap Bird Seed Cardinals Crave on Amazon
Disclaimer: Some links found on this page are Amazon 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.
I’ve been using bird seed from Costco since I became a member in 2021. Over the years I’ve seen three bags that I really like (all subject to change and shift based on your location and over time – I’m in Minnesota): Melody Select by Morning Song, Valley Splendor Cardinal Songbird Mix, and Audubon Park Nature’s Blend. Here they are pictured below:
![Three photos of various sunflower-based bird seed you can buy at Costco.](https://dansbirdbites.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/1A82928A-4827-49B5-9D9F-3E54B4B6D8BE-1024x1024.jpg)
All three of these bags of bird seed are quality and well-worth buying. I’ve used all three and love each of them due to their price, lack of fillers, and that they’re sunflower-based (more on that later). A bag will weigh either 30 or 40 pounds. It will last you a long time and work well in any tray, hopper, or tube bird feeder.
For the purposes of the rest of this story, I’m going to dive deep to review the Melody Select Birdsnack Supreme bird seed on the far left of the photo, as it’s the seed I bought at the time of this article. I purchased it for $22.99 (also subject to change based on time and your location). It’s a 30-pound bag. So, it came out to 76-ish cents per pound for me.
Related Content: The Best and Worst Bird Seed at Target
Taking a Closer Look at Costco Bird Seed: Melody Select
I love this bird seed for a couple reasons beyond the price. First, its primary ingredient is sunflower seed. I’m a sunflower aficionado for bird feeding because it draws in the widest variety of birds to your feeders. It also draws in “crowd pleasing” birds like Cardinals, Finches, and Chickadees with ease. This bag had black-oil sunflower seed, striped sunflower, and hulled sunflower. I’ve always had great luck bringing in Cardinals and House Finches when I use Costco bird seed.
Second, I enjoy that this bird seed has other fun ingredients like peanuts, safflower, and fruit. This will increase the chances of you drawing in additional species like Blue Jays and Mourning Doves. Also…dried papaya is an ingredient. I’ve never seen a bird seed with that before.
Related Content: The Ultimate Bird Seed and Bird Food Guide
Here’s a view of the back of the bag. You can see on the lower right that this seed is a good source of protein and fat for birds. This is important for them in the winter and spring when they need as much energy as possible.
![The back of a bag of Melody Select bird seed showing its ingredients.](https://dansbirdbites.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/IMG_1787-768x1024.jpg)
I also dug into this seed with my hands (at home after I bought it, of course!) to get a close up photo of the seed below. You can see the variety of seeds and some dried fruit. I also found minimal fillers in this seed. Just a few small sticks here and there, which I put on the upper right corner.
![A close up view of bird seed including, peanuts, sunflower, dried fruit, safflower, and pumpkin seed.](https://dansbirdbites.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/IMG_1788-768x1024.jpg)
Birds that Will Like Costco Bird Seed
Based off my own experience and research, here are birds that will enjoy this bird seed (and the others previously mentioned) from Costco:
- Cardinals
- Chickadees
- Finches
- Grosbeaks
- Jays
- Juncos
- Mourning Doves
- Nuthatches
- Pine Siskins
- Red-Winged Blackbirds
- Titmice
- Sparrows
- Woodpeckers
Wrapping Up
Costco bird seed is well-worth buying, both for the value and the type of seed you get. Whether it’s the seed I dived into, or any of the sunflower-based bags, you can’t go wrong with stocking up at Costco! I approve.
Do you buy bird seed from Costco? Let me know in the comments section below what you think of it. I also welcome your questions anytime. Thanks for reading!
Pingback:Five Highly Rated Squirrel Proof Bird Feeders for Sale Online - BIRD BITES
Pingback:7 Affordable Bird Feeders with Good Customer Reviews - BIRD BITES
Pingback:Review: Wagner’s Deluxe Treat Bird Seed is Cheap for a Reason - BIRD BITES
Pingback:Review: Cardinals, Goldfinches, Juncos Love These Sunflower Chips - BIRD BITES
Pingback:How to Save Money While Bird Feeding - BIRD BITES
Pingback:How to Start Bird Feeding in Just Five Steps - BIRD BITES
Pingback:Ranking Bird Seed from Worst to Best - BIRD BITES
Pingback:Is a $150 Bird Feeder Worth it? Reviewing the Squirrel-Proof Droll Yankee Flipper - BIRD BITES