Garden bird food
Garden bird food ranges from sunflower hearts and mixed seed to suet and mealworms, and different foods suit different birds and different times of year, so there is no single best option for every garden. A varied approach, and keeping feeders clean, does more for the birds visiting your garden than any one specific food.
What different feeds are actually for
Sunflower hearts are one of the most universally popular foods, eaten by a wide range of garden birds and with no husk left behind to clear up. Mixed seed blends bring in a broader variety of species but are more likely to leave uneaten husks and pieces on the ground below the feeder.
Suet products, such as balls, pellets and blocks, provide concentrated energy that is particularly valuable in colder months when birds need more calories to maintain body heat. Mealworms, dried or live, are especially useful during the breeding season, when many birds are feeding protein-rich food to their chicks.
Feeding through the seasons
Winter feeding is when energy-dense foods like suet and sunflower hearts matter most, since natural food sources are scarcer and birds need more calories simply to stay warm through cold nights. Keeping feeders topped up consistently through winter matters more than which exact food you choose.
Spring and summer feeding is still worthwhile, particularly with soft foods like mealworms that support parent birds feeding chicks, though it is worth avoiding whole peanuts and large chunks of food that could be a choking risk for young birds being fed by their parents.
Keeping feeding stations safe and clean
Bird feeders can spread disease between birds if left dirty, since many species gather closely at the same feeding point. Regular cleaning with the feeder emptied and properly dried, rather than simply topped up on top of old, damp food, matters as much as what you put in it.
Positioning feeders somewhere with a clear line of sight but some nearby cover for birds to retreat to helps reduce the risk from cats and other predators, and moving a feeder's exact position occasionally can also help prevent food building up and going stale in one spot on the ground below.
Choosing what to buy
If you can only stock one food, a good-quality sunflower heart mix is a reasonable all-rounder that suits the widest range of common garden birds without the mess of husks. Adding a suet product for winter and mealworms in spring builds out a more complete offering across the year.
Avoid mouldy, damp or old seed, since it can be genuinely harmful to birds rather than simply less appealing, and buy in amounts you can use within a reasonable time rather than large bags that sit around losing freshness.
What we stock
Everything below is in stock with us, priced with delivery worked out, and packed and posted by hand in the UK.
Peckish Complete Seed
A husk-free garden bird seed mix with Peckish's own added vitamin pellet
From£3.00
Peckish Winter Warmer Extra Energy Seed Mix
A 1KG winter seed mix with 9 ingredients and 20% oil for extra energy
£3.99
Peckish Complete Seed and Nut No Mess Wild Bird Seed Mix
A no-mess seed and nut mix for the garden, built from 12 ingredients for up to 16 bird species
£20.99
Peckish Sunflower Hearts
Sunflower hearts for wild birds, a husk-free, high-energy straight for feeder or table
£5.39
Peckish Extra Goodness Energy Balls
A 6-plus-6-free pack of energy balls with peanuts, sunflower seed and beef tallow
£3.99
Peckish Complete Ready to Use Bird Feeder
A pre-filled, refillable wild bird feeder, ready to hang straight out of the packaging
£5.99
Peckish Robin Seed Mix
A 1KG insect-added seed mix from Peckish, marketed specifically at robins
£3.75
Peckish No Grow Seed Mix
A weed-free wild bird seed mix, husk-free and treated so it won't sprout in the garden below
From£5.49
Peckish Suet & Peanut Feeder
A perforated stainless steel feeder that takes either suet pellets or peanuts
£12.99
Peckish Extra Goodness Crumble Mix
A 1KG crumble-texture treat mix for garden birds, with added vitamins
£4.99
Peckish Winter Warmer High Energy Wild Bird Seed Mix
A high-energy winter seed mix for garden birds, feeder or table
£24.99
Common questions
- What is the best all-round garden bird food?
- A good-quality sunflower heart mix suits the widest range of common garden birds and leaves no husk mess behind, making it a sensible choice if you only want to stock one type of food for a varied garden.
- Should I feed birds all year round?
- Yes, many garden bird organisations recommend feeding throughout the year rather than only in winter, since natural food can be scarce at other times too, including during the breeding season when parent birds need extra energy to feed their chicks.
- How often should I clean my bird feeders?
- Regularly, ideally every week or two, emptying the feeder fully and letting it dry properly rather than topping up over old food. Feeders can spread disease between birds if left dirty, so cleaning matters as much as what food you provide.
- Can I feed birds mealworms in summer?
- Yes, dried or live mealworms are especially useful in spring and summer, when many birds are raising chicks and need protein-rich food. Avoid large chunks or whole nuts during this period, which can be a choking risk for young birds being fed by their parents.
Related
Sources
Written against guidance published by UK veterinary and welfare organisations. Always confirm specifics with your own vet.
Written by Matt Garnett, who runs Giddy Pets and is a lifelong pet owner — not a vet. This is general information, not veterinary advice, and it cannot replace an examination by the vet who knows your animal. How we write these guides.