Niger Seed is rich in oil, easily to digest, high in energy and protein, extremely fine and flows like sand, so it should be fed in a specialist niger seed feeder, which has small slits in the tubing to prevent the seed blowing away on windy days. Niger seed is sometimes spelt nyjer or njger and is often confused or mis-sold as thistle seed and is part of the compositae seed family that is closely related to sunflower seeds, that are very popular with wild birds.
The small black niger seeds are very nutritious and appeal to a wide variety of wild birds, including ground feeding birds such as doves and sparrows, but are best known for attracting Goldfinches, Tits, Siskins and Redpoll into your garden to feed. Niger seed is very high in calories and will provide wild birds, especially during the cold winter months and early spring, with a food that is nutritious and high in energy when alternatives are scarce.
Due to the high levels amino acids contained in niger seed it is very useful for young fledglings and is also used by breeders of canaries and british birds to prevent egg binding. Like all wild bird food varieties niger seed has a thin shell to protect them, so please don't worry if you find what appears to be uneaten niger seeds on the ground as closer examination, usually reveals that it's just the discarded shells of the seed.
Customers that purchase niger seed tell us that more and more goldfinches visit their gardens each year with their fledglings since they started feeding the seed, along with their other wild bird food varieties. Due to requests from our customers, we now sell nyjer seed in economical 25kg sacks!
Please note we suggest customers feed the niger seed only from a specialist feeder, with a tray to avoid wastage of the oil rich seed, but also to help catch the uneaten nyjer seeds, as niger seed will germinate and grow easily if left on the ground, spreading quickly like a weed!
Niger Seed is eaten by the following wild bird species: Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Redpoll, House Sparrow & Siskin.
Niger Seed for Wild Birds - Nutritional Information & Features:
- Protein 19%, 615 calories per 100g
- Niger seed is a fine oil rich black seed
- Should be fed from a specialist niger seed feeder
- Available in economical 25kg bags with free delivery
- Easy to digest, nutritious, high in protein, calories and oils
- Goldfinch, Siskin, Repoll and Tits absolutely love niger seed
- Proven way to attract more goldfinches than any other seed variety