The Sunflower (Helianthus annuus) is an extremely popular and useful plant, we get Sunflower Oil from the seeds, useful fats include Monounsaturated, Saturated, and Polyunsaturated. They can be eaten by humans and provide us with vitamins like vitamin E, B1 and B6, as well as other nutrients. Wild birds get the same benefits because they are packed full of oils which in turn gives the birds energy and heat.

If you really want to help out the bird that visit your garden, then this is an essential item, I would recommend getting Sunflower Hearts, mainly because there is no husk that the birds have to remove first before they can eat them.

By using sunflower hearts you will cater for a greater variety of birds, some birds struggle trying to open normal sunflower seeds because they have a soft beak, if you buy hearts with the husk already removed then less energy will used up trying to eat them. Another benefit is that there will be less of the unsightly husk wastage.

In my garden the Greenfinches stay longer if Sunflower Hearts are available, usually a few squabbles in who eats first.

Packet of Sunflower Hearts

Black Sunflower Seeds

Packet of Sunflower Seeds