Nyger Seed

Nyger seeds (there are a couple of different spellings of this word) attract Goldfinches and Siskins. We rarely get siskins in our garden but have lots of Goldfinches, so it's a very popular food.  It's a little more expensive compared to other seeds, but it does seem to go a long way as each seed is tiny, you would fit hundreds in your hand.

You will need a special feeder for this seed - it would just tumble out of an ordinary feeder.  Please buy a feeder with a tray to catch the debris (of which there is a lot!), as if it allowed to build up on the ground under the feeder, it smells really badly and turns into a horrible clump.  Indeed it is also called 'stink weed!'

However if you do have goldfinches in your garden, or want to try and attract them, with minimal effort you can use this seed without any real problems.

Because of the debris generated by birds eating nyger seed (it looks to me like tiny empty shells are left behind) I'd suggest cleaning the tray every day or two.