Choosing the Best Bird Seed for Texas Backyard Feeders (Without Starting a Squirrel Uprising)

One of the questions I’m often asked—right after “What’s that bird?” and “Why are you always staring at trees?”—is what food to use in backyard bird feeders.

Now, this may seem like an easy question. Just go to the store, grab a bag of seed, and pour it into the feeder, right? Well, yes… if your goal is to feed squirrels, grackles, and pigeons while your favorite birds watch from a distance in dismay.

But if you want to attract beautiful, vibrant songbirds like Painted Buntings, Indigo Buntings, and Carolina Wrens—and avoid turning your yard into a junk-food buffet for the local raccoon gang—you need to be a little more strategic.

Let’s break it down.

Not All Birdseed is Created Equal

While those giant bargain bags of mixed seed might look like a good deal, most of them are stuffed with fillers that birds toss aside faster than a toddler with broccoli.

Watch any bird feeder long enough, and you’ll see it: the seed hits the tray, the birds show up, then spend most of their time flinging the junk off the feeder to get to the good stuff. What’s left? A pile of cracked corn, red milo, wheat, and sadness.

The Holy Grail: Black Oil Sunflower Seed

If you’re going to stock only one type of seed, make it black oil sunflower. It’s the go-to for almost all backyard birds.

Why it works:

• Thin shells (easier to crack)
• High fat and protein content
• Universally beloved by birds like cardinals, chickadees, titmice, finches, and woodpeckers

Put it in a tube feeder or platform feeder, and you’ve got a five-star restaurant for your feathered friends.

The Secret Weapon: White Millet

Want to attract Painted Buntings and other small, beautiful birds? Stock up on white millet.

Pro tip: Use it in tray feeders (or scatter it lightly in low feeders) to draw in Indigo Buntings, finches, sparrows, and even doves. And when those stunning buntings arrive each spring? You’ll look like a bird whisperer.

Other Crowd Favorites

Let’s give some love to the rest of the avian appetizer menu:

• Nyjer (Thistle Seed):
  Ideal for goldfinches and Pine Siskins. Use a special feeder with tiny holes—squirrels typically don’t care for it (and for once, that’s a good thing).
• Peanuts (unsalted!):
  Titmice, Blue Jays, and woodpeckers go nuts for… well, nuts. Use a peanut feeder or a tray.
• Suet:
  Fat cakes packed with goodies. Birds like wrens, woodpeckers, and nuthatches love it—especially in cooler months.
• Mealworms (live or dried):
  Perfect for bluebirds, robins, and chickadees. A protein boost in spring that makes you the hero of the backyard.

Feeders: Not Just Decorative Accessories

Matching food to feeder is the key to keeping your seed from becoming squirrel confetti.

Feeder Pairing 101:

• Tube feeders = sunflower and safflower
• Tray feeders = white millet, peanuts, mealworms
• Mesh feeders = Nyjer
• Suet cages = (you guessed it) suet
• Platform feeders = for the free-for-all (expect doves, squirrels, raccoons, and judgmental stares)

And please, for the love of all things feathered, clean your feeders every 1–2 weeks. Moldy seed and funky suet are no way to run a bird café.

Homemade Bird Food: Bark Butter, Texas-Style

Want bonus points and more bird activity? Make your own bark butter.

Here is my Simple Recipe:

• 1 part creamy peanut butter
• 1 part lard or suet
• 1.5 parts cornmeal
• 1 part birdseed, oats, or chopped nuts

Mix it, smear it on a tree trunk, pine cone, or an unused garden gnome, and wait. Chickadees, woodpeckers, and wrens will thank you.

Bird Buffet Tips by Season (for the Overachievers)

• Winter: Focus on suet, black oil sunflower, and peanuts.
• Spring: Break out the white millet, mealworms, and oranges for orioles.
• Summer: Keep things clean and continue sunflower and millet blends.
• Fall: Add peanuts and keep a suet cake on standby for woodpeckers stocking up for winter.

Final Thoughts: Feed Smart, Not Filler

Bird feeding in Texas isn’t about dumping a mystery mix into a feeder and hoping for the best. It’s about knowing your audience, serving the good stuff, and enjoying a daily show of color, song, and charm.

Stick to high-quality seeds like black oil sunflower, white millet, peanuts, and Nyjer. Avoid filler blends. Clean your feeders. And keep an eye out—because when that first Painted Bunting shows up, it’ll all be worth it.