Sunflowers are a popular plant grown in gardens all across North America. Their bright yellow petals and large seed heads attract many different types of birds looking for food. Sunflowers produce hundreds of seeds that are packed with nutrients like protein and healthy fats that birds need to thrive. This makes sunflowers a key food source for birds in the fall when other natural foods become scarce. But what specific species of birds are attracted to sunflowers?
Seed Eating Birds That Love Sunflowers
Some of the most common birds found feeding on sunflower seeds and heads include:
- Chickadees
- Nuthatches
- Finches
- Cardinals
- Sparrows
- Mourning Doves
These birds all have beaks well-adapted for cracking open sunflower seeds. Chickadees, nuthatches, finches, and sparrows can perch on the sunflower heads and pluck out individual seeds. Their small body size also allows them to perch on tubular flower heads to reach the seeds. Larger birds like cardinals and doves mainly feed on seeds that have fallen to the ground.
Chickadees
Chickadees are acrobatic little songbirds that readily hang upside down from flower heads to get at sunflower seeds. These birds are regular visitors to bird feeders stocked with black oil sunflower seeds. Chickadees like to carry off individual seeds to hide in crevices, hammering them open later with their beaks. Their “dee-dee-dee” call is a familiar sound in backyard gardens where sunflowers grow.
Nuthatches
Like chickadees, white-breasted nuthatches often feed headfirst on sunflowers. Their strong claws allow them to hang comfortably upside down as they probe for seeds. Red-breasted nuthatches may also visit sunflowers in some regions. Nuthatches nest in cavities and they are known to stuff sunflower seeds into cracks in tree bark to save for later.
Finches
Several finch species make use of sunflower seeds. House finches are common throughout most of North America and are frequent visitors to backyard bird feeders. They have thick conical beaks that make quick work of sunflower seed shells. American goldfinches breed across Canada and the U.S. and rely heavily on sunflower seeds and nyjer seeds. Lesser goldfinches also feed on sunflowers in the southwestern states.
Sparrows
White-crowned sparrows, golden-crowned sparrows, white-throated sparrows, and song sparrows are just some of the many sparrow species that will eat sunflower seeds. They mainly stick to plucking the seeds from dried sunflower heads, rarely perching on feeders. Sparrows need to eat large quantities of sunflower seeds daily to maintain their high metabolism.
Cardinals
With their prominent crests and bright red plumage, male northern cardinals are a favorite backyard bird for many people. Cardinals eat a wide variety of seeds and will readily feed on fallen sunflower seeds on the ground. Female cardinals are also common visitors but their dull brown plumage can make them harder to spot.
Mourning Doves
Mourning doves can often be seen picking up fallen sunflower seeds under feeders or flower heads. Their soft cooing calls betray their presence. Large flocks of migrating and wintering mourning doves will descend on fields of sunflowers for their fatty, protein-rich seeds.
Insect Eating Birds That Visit Sunflowers
While most birds are after the protein-packed sunflower seeds, some birds also visit the flowers to prey on insects. Sunflowers attract a wide array of pollinating insects like bees, moths, butterflies, and beetles. These insects in turn draw in insectivorous birds.
Chickadees
Black-capped chickadees and other chickadees don’t just eat sunflower seeds. They also eat small insects and will hunt among the sunflower petals and leaves for caterpillars, moths, spiders, and other prey.
Titmouse
Tufted titmice sometimes join mixed flocks of chickadees, nuthatches, and other small birds feeding on sunflowers. The grey titmouse with its distinctive black forehead and tufted grey crest eats both sunflower seeds and insects.
Woodpeckers
Woodpeckers like the downy woodpecker and red-bellied woodpecker supplement their diet with insects when available. They probe into crevices in the sunflower stem or head seeking caterpillars and other hidden larvae.
Bluebirds
While not seed eaters, bluebirds do feed on insects around sunflowers. The colorful eastern bluebird and western bluebird snap up insects on the wing or drop down onto the flower heads to grab insect prey.
Swallows
Barn swallows, tree swallows, and other aerial insectivorous species sweep over sunflower fields snapping up bees, moths, beetles, and other flying insects attracted to the flowers.
Larger Birds That Feed Near Sunflowers
Some larger bird species are attracted to the small mammals and natural seeds that can be found around sunflower plants.
Crows
American crows sometimes include sunflower seeds in their diverse omnivorous diet. But they mainly feed on insects, grains, fruits, small vertebrates and eggs found in the vicinity of sunflowers.
Blue Jays
While they will eat sunflower seeds, blue jays prefer acorns and other types of nuts. These noisy birds often nest in woods near sunflower fields where they feed on insects, nuts, fruits, and small animals.
Sparrowhawks
The Eurasian sparrowhawk and American kestrel are small falcons that commonly hunt songbirds and small mammals around fields of sunflowers. These speedy raptors capture and feed on birds that come to eat sunflower seeds and pollinating insects.
Hawks
Larger hawks like the red-tailed hawk and Cooper’s hawk are frequent visitors to areas with sunflowers in search of prey. The abundant mice, voles, and ground squirrels that live and feed around sunflowers provide a good source of food for these birds of prey.
Sunflower Bird Feeding Tips
Here are some tips for using sunflowers to attract more birds to your backyard garden:
- Plant sunflowers in large clusters rather than single plants to produce more seeds and flowers to attract birds.
- Leave flower heads on the stalk after seeds mature so birds can perch and feed.
- For hanging feeders, choose black oil sunflower seeds favored by the widest range of bird species.
- Use sunflower seed suet or seed cylinders to attract insect-eating birds.
- Grind shells and dried stalks to create mulch that will attract ground-feeding birds.
- Allow fallen seeds to accumulate under plants to feed doves, jays, sparrows, and other ground feeders.
Conclusion
Sunflowers produce a bountiful source of nourishing seeds that draw in many common backyard birds like finches, chickadees, cardinals, jays, and doves. Even birds that don’t directly eat the seeds are attracted by the influx of insects and rodents around sunflower gardens and fields. By planting clusters of sunflowers and allowing birds access to the flower heads and fallen seeds, you can attract a diverse range of wild bird species to your yard.