Is Nyjer Seed Worth It? What It Is and Which Birds Love It

Dan the Bird Seed Man here, coming at you with a look at one of my favorite change-up seeds. If you’ve ever watched a cluster of American Goldfinches cling sideways to a mesh sock, happily working away at tiny black seeds, you have seen the appeal of Nyjer bird seed. It’s one of the seeds I love reaching for when I want to change things up and give my local Finches something new.

But Nyjer also comes with a few catches. It costs more than most seed, it goes stale faster than people expect, and it needs the right feeder to keep from spilling all over the place. So, is it worth buying? Here is my honest take, along with everything you need to know to use it well.

Quick answer: Nyjer (sometimes called thistle seed) is a small, oil rich seed that Finches love. In my Minnesota yard it reliably draws American Goldfinches and House Finches, and in much of the country it could also bring in Pine Siskins, Common Redpolls and Purple Finches. It’s best offered in a mesh finch sock or a tube feeder with small ports, and it is worth mixing in as a change up even if the price keeps it from being an everyday seed.

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Which Birds Eat Nyjer Seed?

In my yard, Nyjer is a Finch magnet. The two birds it brings in most reliably for me are:

American Goldfinches

My number one Nyjer customer. They will happily hang off a sock for a long stretch. I love the bright yellow they bring to the yard in the late-spring and summer. Keep an eye out for their more drab olive color in the winter!

If your main goal is Goldfinches specifically, I go deeper on them in my guide on bringing American Goldfinches to your yard.

House Finches

Right there with the Goldfinches, and a great reason to keep a little nyjer seed around. House Finches are a common and fun visitor at my bird feeders. They enjoy a lot of seeds I put out for them and glad accept nyjer. I like to think it’s like a serving of caviar for them at my fancy neighborhood restaurant. Please, come again.

Depending on where you live and the time of year, Nyjer can also pull in:

Pine Siskin

Common Redpoll

Purple Finch

The Best Way to Feed Nyjer: Sock vs. Tube Feeder

Because nyjer seed is so small, you cannot just toss it in any feeder. It will pour straight through standard ports. You have two good options.

Mesh finch socks: These are my fun pick. Finches love clinging right to the mesh and pulling seed out through the fabric, and it is a blast to watch several of them hang off one sock at once. Part of the fun is that you can hang a sock just about anywhere.

I usually hang mine to a standard feeder hanger or my apartment balcony and call it good. In peak season a sock lasts me about a week or two before the finches empty it, which also happens to be a nice built-in reminder to refill with fresh seed. They are cheap and easy to hang, which makes them a great low commitment way to test whether Nyjer works in your yard.

Tube feeders with small ports. For a more permanent setup, I like a tube feeder built specifically for Nyjer, with the smaller slots that keep the tiny seed from spilling out. It holds more, stands up to weather better, and is easier to keep clean than a sock over time.

One nice bonus with Nyjer: squirrels mostly leave it alone. The seed is small and not worth their effort, so this is one feeder you can usually hang without an all out squirrel war. If squirrels are your bigger battle, I break down what actually works in my squirrel deterrent rankings.

I know this isn’t a strict tube feeder…but I’ve had some fun putting it in this coffee cup style feeder I have (see below). I like it because it has a main port and small holes throughout where birds can snatch the tiny seeds. (This feeder is no longer on Amazon but I found a similar one here if you’re curious).

Watch the Freshness

Here is the thing most people miss, and the reason plenty of folks wrongly decide Nyjer “does not work.” Nyjer dries out. Because the whole appeal is the oil inside, once that oil goes stale the birds lose interest fast, and you are left staring at a full feeder wondering what went wrong.

A few simple habits keep your Nyjer fresh:

-Buy a size you will actually use. A giant bag is not a deal if half of it goes stale before your finches get to it. I like these small three pound bags from Kaytee for a quick and easy feeder refill.

-Store it cool, dry, and sealed. An airtight container away from heat and moisture goes a long way.

-Do a quick check. Fresh Nyjer looks and feels slightly oily. If it seems dusty, bone dry, or clumped, it is probably old.

-Refresh it if birds ignore it. If a feeder sits untouched for a week or two, dump it, give it a clean, and refill with a fresh batch before assuming the birds just are not interested.

So, Is Nyjer Seed Worth It?

Here is my honest read. Nyjer is not my everyday seed, and it probably will not be yours either. It costs more than the staples. A five pound bag runs me somewhere around $16 to $20 right now, and for me, sunflower seed and sunflower chips will always be the year round backbone of my feeders. They draw the widest variety of birds for the best price, full stop.

But that does not mean Nyjer is not worth buying. I like grabbing a bag every so often as a change up, a little variety to keep my Goldfinches and House Finches interested and to give my station something different. Think of it as a treat in the rotation rather than a daily staple. At that level, it earns its spot. If you’re a beginner, skip it for now. If you’ve been at this for a while and want to try something fun, pick up a bag for a change!

If you are trying to stretch your seed budget in general, I put together a whole post on saving money while bird feeding that pairs well with this one.