Attracting goldfinches

[SteveD]

I am new to this forum but I expect that there have been many posts about goldfinches and the use of Niger/Nyger/Nyjer (there are several spellings) seed with the appropriate feeder seems to be the trick.

I have been looking high and low for this seed and finally found some in a garden centre. It turns out to be a type of thistle and is produced by Gardman Ltd, Moulton, Spalding, Lincolnshire, PE12 6QD. A 0.9kg bag cost £2.99. It is spelt "Nyjer" on the packet. The seeds are very small so I bought the special feeder.

I now have two questions:

1.
Should I start to put the seed out now or should I wait?

2.
Is it worth trying to grow thistles from the seed in order to attract birds?

[birdman]

Hi Steve,

We currently have Niger Seed in a feeder, and we get fairly regular visits from a small numebr of local Goldfinches.

We don't get many garden visitors at all, but we can probably bank on seeing the Goldfinches once or twice during the day at weekends, which suggests they probalby visit most days whilst we are at work.

I reckon, go for it!

As for growing thistles, I must say I'm not sure what kind of "thistle" would grow from niger seed, but depending on how much you love your garden, actually growing thistles may be a terrible idea - as once they're in, you'd find it very difficult to get rid of them.

If you have a wild garden, and don't mind what grows, then why not, but if you like a bit of order in your planting, you could try the half-way-house of teasels.

Be aware, though, they take two years to produce seedheads, and they're also a bit of an acquired taste.

We've got four plants (= about 20 - 30 seedheads) and we expected them to be covered in Goldfinches by now - but as they hardly ever get a visit, we're seriously thinking about giving them up as a bad job, in favour of something else!

:t:

[Michael Frankis]

Hi Steve,

Welcome to BirdForum!

The best plants to grow to attract them are Dipsacus fullonum (Teasel) - very recognisable, and a favourite food for goldfinches. Note they take 18 months to produce seed. Then put the niger feeders near the teasels

But try putting some seed out now as well, as late winter is a difficult time for them to find food. If you can find some teasel stems (look for them on waste ground, or buy them at a florists!), tie them up near the feeders, any goldfinches flying over will recognise them and come down for a look.

Michael

[Doug Greenberg]

Niger seed in a sock works, and there are very inexpensive net bags that work, also. In fact, the net bags for thistle seed work better than the more expensive thistle feeders, and they are easier to refill. Goldfinches LOVE niger seed; you don't need to use anything else for these birds.

[IanF]

We have 20+ Goldies in our garden every day of the year.. Beofre we started putting out food we had none.

We have niger in it's special feeder which only the Goldies can get at, but the Goldies far prefer the sunflower hearts.

In addition as Michael says, we have Teasel growing in the garden. The Goldies do feed on the dead heads, but more so in Winter than the Autumn. In the wild I frequently see Goldfinches feeding on wild thislte heads - but who'd want them in the garden?

[rogerscoth]

In my very small back garden (south-facing on to open fields) the Goldfinch like the sunflower hearts and sometimes peanuts. Up to 10 to 12 Goldfinch visit, and they often squabble with Greenfinches and a few House Sparrows on the feeders, that I provide all year. A near-neighbour also provides food for the birds, so they never go hungry.

Roger

[Andrew]

Just got some Goldfinches (pair) coming reguarly in the last two weeks to the peanut feeders. They come in when it is quiet, the downside is the Siskins do not seem to like the Goldfinches and don't come so often now.

[Fuchsia]

Hello SteveD,
I bought an entire sack of niger - the seed was completely ignored and the goldies spent all Autumn and Winter on the thistle heads. Marsh Tits and Robins liked it tho!
There's a really bad pic attached but maybe someone can identify the thistle from it (it was purple).
Good luck
Jen :-)

[songbird6666]

From reading all the above posts, I have come to the sad conclusion that there just ain't any goldfinches in this area! I have done all the above things, with teasels, nijer/nyger whatever, and have all the other things too, and not one goldfinch here in two years. Sniff.

[tf1044x]

Hi Jen
The thistles look like burdock, or sticky buds as we used to call them, but I'm not sure. Nyger seed are the seeds of Teasel I beleive. We have lots of Goldfinch and they eat Sunflower seeds as well as Nyger.

[Michael Frankis]

I'd say Burdock too, either Lesser (Arctium minus) or Greater (Arctium lappa)

Michael

[rogerk]

Have a care introducing Teasel or thistles to your garden. As mentioned before, both are difficult to get rid of if you don't like them, or like songbird, thay don't work at all.
Something else worth considering is whether your neighbours will hate you forever for introducing thistles to theirgarden! A friend of my father's was congratulating himself to his neighbour that he had managed to grow teasels successfully after several attempts, only for the neighbour to tell him that he had been trying to get rid of them and had only just succeeded after trying for many years!!

[Angie]

Another plant they like is lemon balm.

I have tried a nyger feeder which has now been given up on, a mesh tray with nyger and finch seed in it. Has it been touched - no!

Yesterday I had two goldfinches spend nearly most of the day on the natural stuff - the lemon balm!

I tried to get rid of this plant when we moved here not realising the goldfinches like it. The birds came looking for it after it had gone. But it persisted and has been allowed to grow again.

[Fuchsia]

Thanks for the thistle ID :-) I understand why they're called sticky buds as I always come back covered in them!
Great Angie - I'll try and grow some along from the thistles.
Luckily these plants/weeds were established when we came and we have no neighbours - this place is deffinitely run by the birds :-)

[Angie]

A goldfinch has been back this morning and spent a long time on an evening primrose. So they must like those as well. They still haven't touched the feeders!

[snowyowl]

American Goldfinches definitely love niger seed and usually spend a lot of time eating it from my tube feeder. This year, however, the niger is being monopolized by a large flock of Common Redpolls so the A. Goldfinches have switched their attentions to a Black Oil Sunflower seed feeder on the other side of the house. 20-30 finches are on it and below it several times a day. The Redpolls go to that feeder as well but don't hang out there the way they do at the niger.