Red / orange millet is the most common ingredient in bird seed that you purchase at your local grocery store, but in many cases it isn't the best choice. The problem is that less-desirable birds like house sparrows and starlings like millet and will drive songbirds away from your birdfeeder.
People in the United States spend over a half-billion dollars each year on birdseed. Much of this is spent on birdseed in clear plastic bags. If you buy such bags of birdseed mixtures, you should read the composition on the label. The most common ingredients such as red or orange millet, milo, grain sorghum, oats and wheat are less desired by many birds than black, oil-type sunflower seed and white millet. Birdseed mixes sold in clear plastic attract people more than desired birds.
Generally, birds that prefer large seeds like sunflower seed. The most attractive sunflower is the smaller, all-black, oil-type sunflower seed, instead of the more familiar striped varieties.
Birds that prefer smaller seeds frequently prefer white proso millet.
Some desirable songbirds prefer niger (thistle) seeds.
Some birds, like house sparrows and mourning doves will eat almost any kind of seed.
Instead of buying birdseed mix at the grocery store, you may do better by buying only black, oil-type sunflower seed (not black and white striped sunflower seed) and white millet (not red millet) separately in bulk.
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