Sunflower Seed
One of the most convenient, effective and economical means of offering birds an energy-rich food, sunflower seed is obtainable in two preferred forms, as follows.
- Black sunflower seeds. These are very rich in oils and they are the ones used in the manufacture of margarine and cooking oil. They can be provided for feeding birds in any kind of feeders or on seed trays, and so they represent a versatile all-round food, popular with most types of garden birds.
- Sunflower hearts. These consist of sunflower seeds with their husks removed, so they are the most efficient of all methods of providing birds with a high-energy food, as there is no waste involved. Again they are ideal for all types of feeders, and leave no residue of discarded husks on the ground below. Sunflower hearts are attractive to almost the full range of garden birds.
As well as being fed on its own, sunflower seed is much used in seed mixtures, sometimes the small striped type being used for this purpose along with the black kind.
A Bird On! Definition from the Encyclopaedia of Birdcare
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