Nyger seed? (1 Viewer)

[Talon 1]

Who's had success with it and who hasn't?

What birds feed on it?

Had mine out for 3 months , not a touch!

just bought it in as i thought it would have gone off now and not sure whether to put it back out?
Strange stuff , gets everywhere! B

 

[Mickymouse]

They have never touched mine either so I shall get rid of it and try something else, I put it out first to try and encourage the Goldfinchs to return and they never did.

Mick

 

[Mary Evelyn]

Golds,Greens and the Tit Family like them but I get a lot of Greens and the Tit family without.I introduced Nyger to bring in the Golds...and I am still waiting.If they don't turn up this winter.....the Nyger is gone.

 

[photo_luver]

Well for me the NEXT DAY no joke next day i had pine siskins and goldfinches... lots of them... the feeder was full and i needed to fill up the feeder 2 days after!

 

[robski]

My gold and greenfinches have moved back to the local woodlands. They fed from the nyger during the winter and spring. The last were a few months back a pair who brought their offspring. The level is moving very slowly at the moment. I notice that the odd blue tit is having a nibble.

I noticed the odd appearance of Bull finches eating the berries of my honey suckle at 6 am. Now these I would love to see more of.

Don't give up with the nyger - see what late autumn brings. It was a few months before I managed goldfinches.

Robert

 

[Gramayr]

We put up a feeder and a few days later a pair of Goldfinches turned up. Just had a pair of Greenfinches arrive as well, but I haven't seen them on the niger feeder, only the bird table (normal mixed seed).

Delighted to see Goldfinches, lovely looking birds.

 

[bythebrook]

Niger Seed.......

Beautiful yellow goldfinch are the ones that love Niger seed. They sure can devour it in no time, just love to watch them at the feeder, they are so bright and cheerful.

 

[Jos Stratford]

Lots of Redpolls took to my nyger, also too the Tree Sparrows (which, given there are about 100 of the latter, meant that the nyger didn't last long - a big problem when you live in a country where you can't buy it!).

 

[lvn600]

Goldfinches go after my nyger but actually seem to prefer sunflower kernels.

 

[trealawboy]

Goldfinches go after my nyger but actually seem to prefer sunflower kernels.

I'm sure I read on one of the seed suppliers sites the other day, that its only worth putting niger seed out if the species you are hoping to attract, e.g. goldfinches, are all ready coming to your garden.

 

[Bill@dwp]

I'm sure I read on one of the seed suppliers sites the other day, that its only worth putting niger seed out if the species you are hoping to attract, e.g. goldfinches, are all ready coming to your garden.

Thats the answer, you have to know they are about. My feeder is used exclusively by goldies from what I can see. Greenfiches dont seem bothered but I had put it up for them with the hope that goldies would eventually turn up.
I had put it up far to early in the year for any to be about and had almost given up when I heard and saw them at the front of my house. Eventually they have found it. Last year there was a couple of pairs and now this year we have 3 pairs but have seen lots of youngsters. We have lots of trees at the front and a park not that far away so perhaps thats a factor also..

 

[Janieb]

o Don't give up on the goldfinches visiting a niger feeder if you know there are some nearby. I put up a niger feeder after seeing some goldfinches a couple of streets away. The feeder has been ignored for many months . I decided to give it one last try, so cleaned the feeder out and changed the seed. I have been rewarded by a pair of goldfinches who have visited for the first time at the beginning of the week and several times since. They are great birds so I hope they stick around! None of the other birds seem to like the niger seeds.
Jane

 

[Katy Penland]

Not all "goldfinches" are created equal. I would've thought the European Goldfinch would prefer larger seed than niger/nyjer as their bills are certainly made for much larger kernels.

The "goldfinches" in North America that Larry, Garrett and Bythebook would get -- Lessers and American -- are much smaller by comparison and have much smaller bills, hence their preference for the tiny black niger seed. Some of the Lesser and American Goldfinches I get in the yard will eat the sunflower chips/hearts, too, as well as a "gourmet wild finch seed mix" that I buy that has various tiny grass seeds in it.

 

[fishercl]

It seems like moments after I put out niger the American goldfinches and house finches arrive. I have only niger feeders right now, and in addition to the goldfinches and house finches I have sparrows, chickadees, and my lone European Goldfinch feeding regularly. The European Goldfinch does seem to prefer the mesh feeder that may have slightly larger holes. I also have cardinals come to eat the niger on most days.

I have lived in a few homes, and when I move in I may see no goldfinches anywhere, but I put up the feeder with niger, and suddenly they are everywhere. It certainly works for me!

 

[Bluemoon]

American goldfinches, purple finches, pine siskins, juncos, redpolls: all are frequent visitors to my nyger feeder, with pine siskins being most abundant. Even had a white-winged crossbill once. The only problem with the nyger seed is that they are messy eaters (plus keeping the feeders full, especially when a heavy snowfall has covered most food sources). I believe you can get dishes to fit under the feeder to catch the shells, but don't know how they fare in high winds (common here).

Michael.

 

[JohnMTB]

My nyger feeder is used by several families of goldfinches, house sparrows and greenfinch. They all prefer sunflower hearts and the peanuts only seem to be eaten by blue tits, collared doves and wood pigeons.

 

[Richard D]

Pretty much exclusively Goldfinches, and generally only when the Sunflower feeders are otherwise occupied.

 

[Talon 1]

Pretty much exclusively Goldfinches, and generally only when the Sunflower feeders are otherwise occupied.

I had some Sparrows eating it today, Could not believe it. The main feeder was busy so 2 sparrows hit the Nyger for about a minute????? :h?:

 

[lvn600]

I've got house sparrows on my nyger a bit. That is because I put a halo set up around my shelled sunflower feeder. They no longer go in to that feeder so they must be eating nyger out of desperation.

 

[Original PaulE]

I had nyger feeder up for about three months in the hope of attracting goldfinches that i know are in the area. Nothing went near it at all so i took it down and put up another seed feeder still havn't had any goldfinches though.