Sneade’s Ace Home Center is the place for choosing the right bird product for your home. We also help with bird identification and help find the most common backyard birds, and their food and feeder preference.

Bird Identification

Food Preference

Feeder

ACE Suggested Food
Northern Cardinal

Sunflower, safflower, peanuts, insects, cracked corn, white millet, white bread, melon seeds, raisins

Prefers the ground and low tray or post feeders, will come to a tube feeder with a tray

Kaytee Cardinals, Kaytee Birders’ Blend, LYRIC Cardinal Wild Bird Food, Kaytee Wild Bird Food
Rose-Breasted Grosbeak

Sunflower, safflower, grape jelly, sugar water, insects, peanut hearts, raisins

Tray and post feeders, hanging feeders with perches, tube feeders with trays

Kaytee Premium Black Oil Sunflower, Kaytee Striped Sunflower Seed, Kaytee Nutty Nugget Blend

Indigo Bunting

Red and white millet, chopped peanuts, pecan meats, insects, thistle seed

Prefers the ground; will come to tray, hanging feeders

Kaytee Cracked Corn, Kaytee Nyjer Seed, Kaytee Finch Feeder, Kaytee Wild Finches, Kaytee Waste Free

Evening Grosbeak

Sunflower, safflower, insects, apple seeds, peanuts, wheat, sorghum, melon seeds

High post, hanging and tube feeders

Kaytee Premium Black Oil Sunflower, Kaytee Striped Sunflower Seed, Kaytee Safflower Seed, Kaytee Songbirds, Kaytee Birder’s Blend

Purple Finch

Sunflower, afflower, thistle, insects, peanuts, suet mixtures, white and red millet

High post, hanging and tube feeders
Kaytee Wild Finches, Kaytee Birder’s Blend, Kaytee Waste Free, Kaytee Nut & Berry Blend, LYRIC Finch Wild Bird Food

House Finch

Sunflower, thistle, white millet, fruits, nutmeats, insects, suet and suet mixtures

Thistle, tube post and window feeders, the ground

Kaytee Premium Black Oil Sunflower, Kaytee Wild Finches, Kaytee Birders’ Blend, Kaytee Waste Free, LYRICFinch Wild Bird Food

Pine Grosbeak

Mountain ash berries, cranberries, pine seeds, sunflower, apple slices, samaras of ash and maple, insects

Feed must be out in the open on the ground or in a tray

Kaytee Striped Sunflower Seed, Kaytee Safflower Seed, Kaytee Songbirds

Common Redpoll

Hulled sunflower, thistle, suet, insects, white bread

Post, hanging, tube, thistle and window feeders, the ground

Kaytee Nyjer Seed, Kaytee Finch Feeder, Kaytee Wild Finches, Kaytee Wild Cardinals, LYRICFinch Wild Bird Food

Pine Siskin

Thistle, hulled sunflower, white millet, insects, ashes, salt

Tube, thistle, window and post feeders

Kaytee Premium Black Oil Sunflower, Kaytee Nyjer Seed, Kaytee Finch Feeder, Kaytee Wild Finches, LYRICFinch Wild Bird Food

American Goldfinch

Thistle, hulled sunflower, sunflower, insects, weed seeds, cracked nutmeats

Thistle, window, tube, post and hanging feeders

Kaytee Sunflower Hearts & Chips, Kaytee Nyjer Seed, LYRICFinch Wild Bird Food

White-Winged and Red Crossbill

Sunflower, thistle, nutmeats, pine seeds, insects, salt, doughnuts

Thistle, post, hanging and tube feeders, the ground

Kaytee Birders’ Blend, Kaytee Chickadee & Nuthatch, Kaytee Nut & Berry Blend, Kaytee Nut & Raisin Blend, Kaytee Songbirds

Common Crow

Corn, suet, white bread, meat scraps, grain, eggs and young of other birds, carrion, insects

Suet feeders, low feeders, the ground

Black-capped Chickadee

Sunflower, safflower, suet and suet mixtures, peanuts, thistle, peanut butter, insects, sugar water, pie crust

All types of feeders, the ground

Kaytee Wild Bird Food, Kaytee Sunflower Hearts & Chips, LYRIC® Chickadee Wild Bird Food

Tufted Titmouse

Sunflower, suet and suet mixtures, nutmeats, baked goods, cornbread, cookie crumbs, insects, sugar water

Prefers small hanging and log feeders, tray and hummingbird feeders, the ground

 Kaytee Songbirds™, Kaytee Nut & Berry Blend™, LYRIC® Chickadee Wild Bird Food

White-breasted Nuthatch

Sunflower, safflower, suet and suet mixtures, peanuts, peanut butter, insects, pumpkin seeds

Almost all feeders, including suet, ground, hanging, post, window and peanut feeders

Kaytee Premium Black Oil Sunflower, Kaytee Birders’ Blend, Kaytee Waste Free, LYRIC® Chickadee Wild Bird Food

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Sunflower, suet and suet mixtures, peanuts, nutmeats, melon seeds, pine seeds, insects

Suet , peanut, hanging and platform feeders

Kaytee Birders’ Blend, Kaytee Waste Free, Kaytee Nutty Nugget Blend, Kaytee Nut & Berry Blend™, LYRIC® Chickadee Wild Bird Food

Brown Creeper

Suet and suet mixtures, peanut butter, peanut hearts, insects, boiled potato

Feed should be placed in bark crevices

Gray Catbird

Raisins, currants, peanut butter, insects, banana, peanuts, cottage cheese, apples, jelly, suet

Suet, tray, hanging and hummingbird feeders, the ground

Brown Thrasher

Cracked corn, suet and suet mixtures, raisins, peanuts, white bread, sunflower, doughnuts, orange halves, white and red millet, insects, cornbread

Prefers the ground, but will also come to low tray or platform feeders.

American Robin

Worms, insects, apple slices, raisins, grapes, raspberries, bread, cherries, cottage cheese, cooked spaghetti, strawberries

The ground, low post or tray feeders (if it comes at all)

Eastern Bluebird

Peanuts, pecan meats, suet and suet mixtures, white bread, raisins, cornbread, insects, baked apple, berries, cottage cheese

Suet, window, tray and post feeders; some hanging feeders

Golden-crowned Kinglet & Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Suet and suet mixtures, insects, peanut butter, cracked corn, doughnuts, cornbread

Almost any type of feeder

Cedar Waxwing

Insects, berries, raisins, apple slices

Tray feeder (if it comes at all)

European Starling

Suet and suet mixtures, white bread, peanuts, peanut butter, cracked corn, hulled sunflower, cheese, insects, apples. Baked goods

Almost any type of feeder

Orange-crowned, Cape May, Yellow-rumped, Pine Warblers

Sugar water, suet and suet mixtures, peanut butter, chopped nutmeats, insects, grape jelly, peanuts, orange and apple halves, baked goods, raisins, cornmeal

Tray, post, suet, hummingbird and small hanging feeders

House Sparrow

Hulled sunflower, cracked corn, white and red millet, insects, wheat

Prefers the ground, will come to low tray feeders or tube feeders with trays

Kaytee Wild Bird Food

Eastern & Western Meadowlark

White millet, cracked corn, sunflower, wheat, oats, barley, insects, sorghum

Rarely attracted to feeders, but may visit feed spread on the ground or in slight elevated tray feeders

Red-winged Blackbird

Insects, cracked corn, white millet, sunflower, white bread, rice, thistle, safflower

Prefers the ground; has learned to use most feeders

Northern Oriole

Insects, fruits, nectar, grape jelly, white and red millet, orange halves, grapes, cooked raisins, sugar water (four parts water, one part sugar)

Oriole and jelly feeders, hummingbird feeders with bee guards removed

Kaytee Songbirds™

Common Grackle

Sunflower, peanuts, white bread, corn, wheat, oats, barley, white and red millet, suet, insects, grubs

Hanging, post and tray feeders, the ground

Brown-headed Cowbird

Cracked corn, rice, white millet, sunflower, peanuts, cornbread, white bread, insects, sorghum, pecan meats

On the ground in the open; large, open tray feeders, small hanging feeders

Scarlet Tanager

Sliced apple, banana, cherries, sugar water, jelly, raisins, suet, cornbread, pie crust, white and brown sugar, insects

Tray, suet, hummingbird and window (tray) feeders, the ground

Kaytee Songbirds

Rufous-Sided Towhee

Sunflower, white and red millet, thistle, rolled oats, grapes, barley, white bread, insects, suet and suet mixtures

Prefers the ground near brush or a brush pile, tray on low posts

Kaytee Premium Black Oil Sunflower, Kaytee Cracked Corn, LYRICSnowbird Wild Bird Food

Dark-Eyed Junco

White and red millet, cracked corn, hulled sunflower, insects, white bread, peanuts, Sorghum

Loves the ground, but also likes low tray feeders

Kaytee Sunflower Hearts & Chips, Kaytee Waste Free, Kaytee Nut & Raisin Blend, LYRICSnowbird Wild Bird Food

American Tree Sparrow

Hulled sunflower, white millet, white bread, insects, cracked corn

Prefers the ground,  also likes open tray, post hangers, some hanging feeders with trays

Kaytee Wild Bird Food, Kaytee Songbirds, Kaytee Waste Free, LYRIC Supreme Wild Bird Food

Chipping Sparrow

Insects, cornbread, hulled sunflower, peanut hearts, white bread, cracker crumbs, bakery products, grass seeds white and red millet

Prefers the ground, but will also visit low tray feeders

Kaytee Wild Bird Food, LYRIC Supreme Wild Bird Food

White-Throated/ White-Crowned Sparrow

White and red millet, cracked corn, hulled sunflower, thistle, insects, peanut hearts, white bread

Prefers the ground, but will visit low tray feeders

Kaytee Wild Bird Food, LYRICSnowbird Wild Bird Food

Fox Sparrow
Sunflower, white millet, suet, doughnuts, white bread, cracked corn, insects

Almost always feeds on the ground

Kaytee Wild Bird Food, LYRIC Supreme Wild Bird Food

Song Sparrow

Sunflower, sorghum, white millet, thistle, peanut hearts, walnut meats, white bread, insects

Prefers the ground, but will also visit low tray feeders

Kaytee Wild Bird Food, LYRICSnowbird Wild Bird Food

Ring-Necked Pheasant

Corn, sunflower, wheat, safflower, oats, barley, sorghum, insects

Feed should be thrown on the ground or in an area clear of snow

Ducks & Geese

Corn, wheat, acorns, pond weeds, insects, bread

Feed should be placed on the ground

Purple Martin, Tree & Barn Swallow
Flying insects, hicken eggshells (crushed)

Place the egg shells on the ground or in an open tray feeder

Kaytee Wild Bird Food, Kaytee Songbirds, Kaytee Waste Free

Mourning Dove

Cracked corn, white and red millet, safflower, thistle, wheat

Prefers the ground, will come to low tray/post feeders

Kaytee Cracked Corn, LYRICSnowbird Wild Bird Food

Rock Dove
White bread, corn, white and red millet, rice, grain

Low tray feeders, the ground

Kaytee Wild Bird Food, Kaytee Premium Black Oil Sunflower, Kaytee Striped Sunflower Seed, Kaytee Safflower Seed, LYRIC Supreme Wild Bird Food

Ruby-Throated Hummingbird

Flower nectar, insects, sugar water (four parts water, one part sugar)

Hanging and window hummingbird feeders

Northern Flicker

Suet, fat mixtures, meat scraps, ants, cracked walnuts and pecans, orange and apple slices, corn, cherries, grapes, white bread

Suet feeders which are attached to tree trunks, log and hanging feeders

Pileated Woodpecker

Suet and suet mixtures, peanuts, cracked corn, insects, ants, hamburger

Suet and tray feeders fastened to tree trunks

Kaytee Cracked Corn, Kaytee Woodpeckers, Kaytee Nut & Berry Blend, LYRICWoodpecker Wild Bird Food

Red-Bellied Woodpecker

Suet and suet mixtures, cheese, raisins, cracked corn, peanuts, sunflower, orange and apple halves, sugar water, insects.

Suet, platform, post, hanging and hummingbird feeders

Kaytee Cracked Corn, Kaytee Woodpeckers, LYRICWoodpecker Wild Bird Food

Red-Headed Woodpecker

Sunflower, cracked corn, raisins, bread, nutmeats, suet, insects, sugar water

Suet, log and tray feeders, the ground

Kaytee Songbirds, Kaytee Woodpeckers, Kaytee Nutty Nugget Blend, Kaytee Nut & Berry Blend, LYRICWoodpecker Wild Bird Food

Yellow-Bellied Woodpecker

Suet and suet mixtures, grape jelly, doughnuts, insects, sugar water

Suet and hummingbird feeders, hanging log feeders, small tray feeders
Kaytee Woodpeckers, Kaytee Nutty Nugget Blend, Kaytee Nut & Berry Blend, LYRICWoodpecker Wild Bird Food

Downy and Hairy Woodpecker
Insects, suet and suet mixtures, peanuts, hulled sunflower, peanut butter, cracked corn, coconut, fats, nutmeats, cheese

Suet, peanut and post feeders, hanging log feeders

Kaytee Cracked Corn, Kaytee Songbirds, Kaytee Woodpeckers, LYRICWoodpecker Wild Bird Food

Gray Jay
Table scraps, bread, suet and suet mixtures, cooked oatmeal, crackers, fat mixtures, banana, grapes, insects

No preference, it will take food wherever it is placed

Kaytee Striped Sunflower Seed, Kaytee Safflower Seed, Kaytee Cracked Corn, LYRICCardinal Wild Bird Food

Blue Jay
Insects, whole corn, sunflower, suet and suet mixtures, peanuts (with or without shell), young birds, cracked nutmeats

Prefers the ground, but will come to almost any seed or suet feeder

Kaytee Striped Sunflower Seed, Kaytee Songbirds, LYRICCardinal Wild Bird Food