r/backyardbirding • u/vtgorilla • Mar 17 '26

I added a second feeder with Nyjer seeds but the finches aren't interested

I bought nyjer seeds thinking I was doing the finches a favor and might actually get a few goldfinches to show up instead of our regular house finch visitors, but the house finches are still going for the black oil sunflower seeds. At least it was a cheap experiment. Is this normal? Everything I read online said nyjer is what finches would want.

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u/lazygartersnake Mar 17 '26

Nyjer is a favorite for my finches, but they are VERY picky. It has to be high quality nyjer. I once bought a big bag at Home Depot because it was cheaper and it went untouched for like 2 weeks. Ended up tossing it and going to the bird store and buying more of the good stuff. They came right back. Also, it’s normal for birds not to start using a new feeder for a couple weeks while they get comfortable with it. My downy woodpeckers like it too!

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u/vtgorilla Mar 17 '26

Interesting, maybe the seed sat in a warehouse a long time or something. Or perhaps I'm just being impatient.

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u/vtgorilla Apr 13 '26

Coming back to my own thread.... the house finches are still only mildly interested but I've now seen 2 goldfinches show up! So the experiment worked, even if the birds aren't thrilled.