Bird Foods Blackbirds Avoid: A Guide

Blackbirds are one of the most common wild bird species in the UK and providing them with the right kind of bird food could encourage them to feed in your garden.

Blackbirds are soft-billed birds, and the foods they do not like are foods with hard shells such as sunflower seed, striped sunflower seed, and safflower, all of which have thick, hard shells that can make it difficult for Blackbirds to crack them open and trying so may even damage their more delicate beaks. (Contrast this with the natural seed-cracking action of a hard-bill such as a Greenfinch that's evolved to roll and crack open seed heads). 

It is best to feed Blackbirds seeds without any husks and picking the right seed mix is important; for example, take our Huskfree range – it is popular with the Blackbirds and all manner of wild birds. It is a no-mess no-waste bird recipe with key ingredients such as peanut granules and sunflower hearts plus it's enriched with a natural source of calcium. If Blackbirds had to pick one mix from the Huskfree range, they'd probably choose Huskfee Advance with dried mealworms.

A Blackbirds 'natural diet consists of insects, grubs and earthworms - especially during the summer months when insect availability is higher during the breeding season switching to fruit and berries during the winter. Live mealworms are a big favourite and relished by the Blackbirds - ours are vegetarian larvae, clean, odourless, and rich in protein.

If you want to treat a Blackbird to a portion of extra special bird food, try our soft-food mixes as they've been created to provide nutrition that's easier for them to eat. A shining example of our soft food range is Golden Chorus, which smells delicious. As soon as you open a bag, you will see for yourself why the birds love it. It is a crumbly-moist mix with an aromatic blend of mixed fruits, and you'll have to remind yourself it's not for you...it's for the birds.