Updated on 2/26/2008

This is the third in a series on my own small "dream" wildlife porch (or deck). This week I'm focusing on food that attracts wild birds like birdseed and nuts (in another post I'll cover plants that provide food).

I'd like to offer food to attract the widest variety of birds. I won't be trying to attract larger birds like crows or doves or even bluebirds due to limited space. The following is what I am including:

1. sunflower seed, both black oil and striped, to attract a wide variety of songbirds and larger birds
2. whole peanuts, to attract woodpeckers, jays, cardinals, crows, and more
3. shelled peanut pieces for smaller birds - woodpeckers, chickadees, nuthatches, and more
4. thistle seed (in a smaller amount because it seems to go farther than other seeds)
5. for doves, buntings, cardinals, wrens, sparrows, mockingbirds, and much more, white millet
6. fresh fruit for orioles
7. cracked corn for blackbirds, bluebirds, sparrows, nutcrackers, and much more (Update: I've decided not offer the cracked corn because of the limited space of a deck)

Of course, providing all these in a small space may be impossible, but, then, I could go with a high-quality seed mix like this nut and fruit mix.

The Series

1. An Introduction
2. Providing Water
3. Bird Food
4. Bird Feeders
5. Shelter
6. Vines and Shrubs to Shelter Wild Birds
7. Flowering Container Plants