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Goldfinches, pine siskins and redpolls are specialists — small bills built for small, oil-rich seed. Nyjer is what they're after, and freshness matters more here than with any other seed: it dries out over time, and finches will simply skip a feeder of stale seed. Ours is packed in small batches, which is exactly the kind of detail a goldfinch notices.
Run it in a mesh or fine-port finch feeder. And watch for irruption winters — a redpoll flock can empty a feeder before lunch.
Questions from the backyard
Why are finches ignoring my nyjer feeder?
Nine times out of ten the seed has gone stale or damp. Fresh nyjer and a clean feeder usually brings them straight back — finches are fussy tenants.
Is nyjer the same as thistle?
It's often called thistle seed, but it's Guizotia abyssinica. It won't grow weeds in your garden.
What else do finches eat?
Fine sunflower chips are the best companion to nyjer, and goldfinches take them readily.