Put This Common Pantry Item In Your Bird Feeder And Thank Us Later

If you're looking to attract more local birds to your yard, a bird feeder will do the trick. But choosing the right mix of food you use also makes a difference, because birds particularly like variety when it comes to their most-visited feeders. And if you're trying to find appealing alternatives to popular picks like seed mixes, millet, and cracked corn, you might want to check what you already have on hand inside your own pantry. Odds are, you have a common pantry ingredient that birds love. If you have a bag of chia seeds hanging around, you can break it out and add those nutrient-rich seeds into your usual bird seed mix the next time you fill your backyard feeder. Your neighborhood birds could benefit just as much as you from eating a helping of chia seeds.

Seeds are a central part of any bird's diet, including wild birds. While store-bought seed blends usually focus on sunflower seeds, mixing things up with other seeds can draw more birds and offer even more of a nutritious punch. Black oil sunflower and white millet, for example, tend to have a broad appeal for most birds. Sprinkle chia seeds into the mix — just like you would on your own overnight oats or into a smoothie — and you'll give your local birds more variety and a serving of potent nutrients that can be particularly beneficial during lean seasons where quality food is hard to come by. That alone could make your simple bird feeder the neighborhood's most popular!

If you have chia seeds on hand at home, you likely already know just how nutritious these tiny white, brown, or black seeds can be. Chia seeds are harvested from the Salvia hispanica plant, a flowering relative of mint, and they're jam-packed with fiber and omega-3 fatty acids. Birds, too, can benefit from adding chia seeds to their diet. Those fatty acids in particular are beneficial, as omega-3 fatty acids can give birds a boost from brain to feathers. Chia seeds can offer your local feathered friends key vitamins and minerals like B vitamins, protein, calcium, fiber, and manganese. All of these nutrients can help foster benefits like healthy, beautiful plumage; strong immune systems; smooth digestion; and strong bones.

To start feeding your local birds chia seeds, there's no special prep required. You can add a small amount to your usual feeder mix and set it out in your yard. Raw chia seeds are perfectly fine for birds. And you don't need to worry about the different types of birds that might fly in for a snack and a visit; typically, only parrots, cockatiels, canaries, and finches might have special dietary concerns with these particular seeds, and it's usually specific to pet birds, not wild ones. Remember: Variety is key if you're hoping to attract more birds to your yard and garden, so don't be afraid to mix up the ingredients and add chia as well as other foods.