Niger Seed

Niger seed is a very small, fine seed that is black in colour. It requires a specialist feeder as, due to its’ size, it would simply spill out of the ports on a normal seed feeder.

These seeds contain approximately 40% oil and 20% protein, providing plenty of energy and thus contributing to the overall health and vitality of visiting garden birds that dine upon it.

Goldfinches are renowned for their love of this particular seed and when feeding in numbers, make a wonderful spectacle in our gardens. Additionally, Green finches, siskins and redpolls are fans of Niger seed benefitting from the energy it provides.

Originating from Ethiopia, and additionally grown in Asia and India, Niger seed is often referred to as thistle or nyjer however it is more closely related to sunflower than the thistle plant. This confusion may have come about because it is a small black seed that bears a close resemblance to thistle seeds which goldfinches naturally forage for in the wild.