1. Offer a good quality seed mix in a dedicated seed feeder or on a bird table.
  2. Finches are known to love Nyger seed, which is a small black seed full of healthy proteins and oils. Goldfinches, Greenfinches and Redpolls are know to return to Nyger Seed feeders (as well as Siskins).
  3. Sunflower Hearts are also popular with Finches as they are very soft and easy for the small Finch bills to break through.
  4. Be patient when you first set up feeders to attract Finches. It can take a long time for Finches to find a new food supply, that includes a food supply in a new garden to them and also new feeders in a familiar gardens.
  5. Most Finches like to eat from hanging feeders away from bigger birds. If you're feeding and attracting multiple types of birds, try placing your Finch feeders in a separate location to other feeders.
  6. Avoid using feeders with trays that would allow bigger birds to invade on the Finches space. This can be intimidating for small birds and prevent them from returning to your garden
    Mixed flocks of Finches and Tits will often visit seed feeders or peanut feeders together, especially in bad weather.
  7. Try and use seed feeders with multiple perches. This allows lots of small birds around one feeder and also lets them sit and wait their turn at the feeding holes. If you don't use multiple feeders with perches you might notice lots of Finches fluttering around the feeders and eventually leaving.
  8. Chaffinches are the only type of Finch that prefer to eat from the ground or from a bird table. This is because they are foragers and tend to feed on insects as well as seeds. Sunflower Hearts are ideal for Chaffinches because they are soft and huskless, so you can sprinkle them on the ground and they won't grow any unwanted plants.
  9. Trees that are native to the UK, like Alder, can help to attract Finches, specifically in winter.
  10. Regularly give your feeders a shake to make sure the seeds are still dry and not moulding. In wet weather its a good idea to regularly switch your seed between different feeders to make sure it remains dry and the feeders remain clean and free of debris.

 

Try our My Finches and Me Seed Mix - designed to attract Finches and other small birds to your garden.