Wednesday, January 7, 2026
The attraction of winter finches can do 2 things to inspire birders during this time of year: 1) Make your feeding station irresistible, and 2) Go where the winter finches are! As for selecting foods at your feeders to attract wintering finches large and small, it's easy – provide shelled black oil sunflower seeds. Even the smallest finches like Pine Siskins and Redpolls can eat these shelled seeds that provide the best-quality of food for them. Larger finches relish this dish too, and by using shelled seeds, you eliminate the mess (and cost) of shells. If you wish, you can provide smaller nyjer thistle seeds too, which will serve to reduce competition if nothing else.