How to Attract Goldfinches: Feeders, Seed and Plants
Bright yellow goldfinches are one of the most cheerful birds at a feeder, and they come in flocks. They eat almost nothing but seeds, so the right seed in the right feeder is what brings them in.
What goldfinches eat
Nyjer (often sold as thistle seed) and sunflower hearts are the two best foods for goldfinches. Their small beaks handle tiny seeds easily.
Nyjer goes stale and dries out after a few months. If goldfinches ignore your feeder, fresh seed often fixes it. Buy smaller bags and keep it dry.
The tiny black seed that goldfinches go crazy for. Use it in a finch feeder with small ports.
Check price on Amazon for Wagner's Nyjer Seed (opens Amazon)Sunflower seeds with the shells already removed. No mess on your patio or deck, and no waste, because birds eat every piece.
Check price on Amazon for Lyric Sunflower Kernels (opens Amazon)Use a finch feeder
Nyjer seed is tiny, so it needs a feeder with small ports or fine mesh. A dedicated finch feeder lets a whole flock feed at once and keeps the seed from spilling.
Built for tiny Nyjer seed and the goldfinches that love it, with the same squirrel-stopping shroud as the rest of the line.
Check price on Amazon for Brome Squirrel Buster Finch (opens Amazon)Plant seed heads
Goldfinches love the seeds of coneflowers, black-eyed Susans, sunflowers, asters and native thistles. Leave the seed heads standing into fall instead of cutting them back.
They nest later than most birds, often in July and August, partly because they line their nests with thistle down.
Add water
Goldfinches drink and bathe often, so a bird bath near the finch feeder is a big draw, especially in summer.
Birds notice moving water from far away. This floating solar pump turns any bird bath into a small fountain in spring and summer, with no wiring.
Check price on Amazon for AISITIN Solar Fountain Pump (opens Amazon)Frequently asked questions
Where did my goldfinches go in winter?
Many are still there. Males molt into a dull olive-brown in fall, so they look like different birds until they turn yellow again in spring.
Why won't goldfinches eat my Nyjer?
The seed is probably stale or wet. Replace it with fresh Nyjer and keep the feeder dry.
Do goldfinches eat sunflower seed?
Yes. They prefer hulled sunflower hearts, which are easier for their small beaks.
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