Feeder Types
Finch feeders, and the nyjer they need
A specialist feeder for a specialist seed. Get either half wrong and nothing happens.
By Scooter M. · Published · Last updated
A finch feeder is a narrow-port tube or a mesh sock holding nyjer seed, which Project FeederWatch credits with attracting American Goldfinch, Pine Siskin and Common Redpoll. A tube keeps nyjer drier than a sock, which matters, because stale nyjer is the usual reason a finch feeder is ignored.
Seed & Sprig earns a commission when you buy through the links on this page, at no extra cost to you. It does not change which products we pick or the order we put them in — here is how we pick and here is how we are funded.
Quick picks
| # | Product | Best for | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | DYno photo Droll Yankees Onyx Clever Clean 18" Finch Feeder 18 in, 2 lb, narrow nyjer ports and a twist-off base for the cleaning nyjer demands. | Best finch feeder | |
| 2 | Wno photo Wagner's Nyjer Seed 100% nyjer. Buy small bags; this is the seed that goes stale fastest. | The seed it needs |
Rows link to the full write-up further down this page. The price button goes to Amazon.
Finch feeders are the one genuinely specialist item in a beginner setup, and they are worth it: a flock of goldfinches working a nyjer tube is one of the better things a backyard offers. They are also the feeder most likely to sit ignored, almost always for the same reason.
Why nyjer needs its own feeder
Nyjer is tiny. In a standard sunflower port it does not sit and wait — it runs out. Within a day you have an empty feeder and the most expensive seed in the shop scattered on the grass. A finch feeder has ports sized so the seed stays in and a finch has to work for it.
Tube or sock?
| Narrow-port tube | Mesh sock | |
|---|---|---|
| Seed stays dry | Better | Worse — the mesh is open to rain |
| Waste in wind | Low | Higher |
| Birds at once | Limited by ports | More — they cling anywhere |
| Cleaning | Easy if the base comes off | Awkward; socks are usually replaced |
| Cost | Higher | Very low |
For a first finch feeder, buy the tube. Nyjer's enemy is moisture, and a sock loses that battle every time it rains. Socks are a reasonable second feeder in a busy yard where seed does not sit long.
The reason finch feeders get ignored
Stale seed. Almost always. Nyjer dries out, loses its oil, and stops being worth the effort. Wagner's publishes 8.0% minimum fat for fresh nyjer — the lowest of any seed we list — so there is not much margin to lose.
The fix, in order:
- Pinch a few seeds. Fresh nyjer is slightly oily and firm; stale is dry and dull.
- Empty anything over a couple of months old or that has been rained on.
- Wash and fully dry the feeder — clumped nyjer blocks ports invisibly.
- Refill from a fresh, small bag and wait a fortnight.
More on the seed itself in nyjer seed.
Placement
Finches are not shy, and nyjer is one of the few seeds squirrels generally ignore, which makes a finch feeder the easiest one to site. Keep it near cover — Project FeederWatch suggests about ten feet as the compromise — and away from the mess of a sunflower feeder, because hulls raining down onto a nyjer tube is how the ports clog.
The seasonal pattern
Goldfinch numbers at feeders swing with the wild seed supply. A quiet nyjer feeder in autumn can become a busy one in midwinter if siskins or redpolls move through. Give a finch feeder a season before judging it — provided the seed in it is fresh.
Squirrel-proof finch feeders
Mostly a solution in search of a problem. Squirrels rarely bother with nyjer. If yours do, it is usually because the feeder is on the same pole as the sunflower and they are working the whole station — the answer is a baffle on that pole, not a different finch feeder.
The picks in full
#1 · Best finch feeder
Droll Yankees Onyx Clever Clean 18" Finch Feeder
Droll Yankees · Goldfinches, siskins and redpolls on nyjer seed
The same tube and the same removable base as the sunflower model, with the narrow ports nyjer seed needs so it does not pour onto the grass.
Published specifications
- Seed capacity
- 2 lb
- Height
- 18"
- Seed
- Nyjer (thistle)
- Cleaning
- Twist-and-release removable base
What it does well
- Narrow nyjer ports waste far less seed than a mesh sock in wind
- Cleans as easily as the sunflower version, which matters because nyjer goes rancid
What it does not
- Nyjer is the most expensive common seed by weight
- Only finches really use it, so this is a second feeder rather than a first one
Specifications above come from the manufacturer's own published listing: Droll Yankees Onyx Clever Clean Finch published specifications.
#2 · The seed it needs
Wagner's Nyjer Seed
Wagner's · Goldfinches and nothing else
Straight nyjer, which is the only thing a finch feeder should ever be filled with. Buy the smallest bag that suits your traffic, because it goes stale.
Published specifications
- Ingredients
- 100% nyjer seed
- Crude protein
- 13.5% min
- Crude fat
- 8.0% min
- Crude fiber
- 7.0% max
- Moisture
- 15.0% max
- Ash
- 4.25% max
What it does well
- The seed that reliably brings in American Goldfinch, Pine Siskin and Common Redpoll
- Too small for most other birds, so a nyjer feeder stays a finch feeder
What it does not
- Expensive per pound and it dries out; old nyjer is the most common reason a finch feeder sits ignored
- Needs its own narrow-port feeder or most of it lands on the ground
Specifications above come from the manufacturer's own published listing: Wagner's nyjer published analysis, Project FeederWatch — nyjer and finches.
Common questions
What is the best bird feeder for finches?
A narrow-port nyjer tube with a removable base. It keeps the seed drier than a mesh sock and cleans properly, which nyjer needs.
What is the best bird feeder for nyjer seed?
The same thing — a purpose-made nyjer tube. Nyjer pours straight out of a standard sunflower port.
Is a finch sock as good as a tube?
Cheaper and it lets more birds feed at once, but it gets wet. In a busy yard where seed turns over quickly, a sock is fine.
Where should I put a finch feeder?
Near cover, about ten feet from shrubs, and away from a sunflower feeder so falling hulls do not clog the ports.