If you are looking to attract more wild birds to your garden then sunflower hearts are the perfect choice. Sunflower hearts are big favourites with wild birds and offer fringe benefits for you too!
The Heart of the Matter
Sunflower hearts are the kernels of black sunflower seeds. This means that the husks have already been removed and so the hearts are easy for the birds to eat. They are a highly nutritious food which is rich in oil and protein and so provide valuable energy for wild birds. Better still, a wide variety of birds including robins, greenfinches, blackbirds, sparrows and starlings simply adore sunflower hearts. Sunflower hearts will also minimize mess in your garden.
Hearts in the Right Place
With Sunflower hearts there are no husks for the wild birds to discard and so debris will not accumulate beneath your bird table or feeder. However, inevitably some sunflower hearts will end up on the floor. Smaller birds often throw a few hearts on the floor as a diversionary tactic. If they can divert larger birds away from the feeder then they can eat unchallenged.
Stealing Your Hearts
In any case, a few hearts on the ground is a good thing. Larger species of bird may prefer to feed from the ground.