Nyjer, a small black seed, is favored by American Goldfinches for its size and high oil content. But what exactly is it, and where does it come from?
Nyjer is the seed of the yellow flower of the “Guizotia abyssinica” plant. Some distributors have used the common name “thistle.” This has led to the mistaken assumption that Nyjer seed is related to the thistle weed sometimes found locally. In fact, it is not a pink to purple flowering plant of the thistle family. Nyjer is not a perennial or biennial noxious weed, nor is it an aggressive, opportunistic thistle strain from Europe, Africa or Asia.
Actually Nyjer is an oilseed crop that is cultivated in Ethiopia, India, Burma (Myanmar) and Nepal. The plant is 4 feet tall on average, but can grow as high as 7 feet tall. It is harvested while the flower buds are still yellow, then stacked to dry. The seeds, loosely held in the flower head, are black, club-shaped and narrow. It is the only major wild bird feed imported from overseas.
In 1985, the U.S. Department of Agriculture ruled that the seed must be heat-treated as a “condition of entry.” In 1997, treatment temperature was set at 250 degrees for 15 minutes to devitalize any weed seeds present. As a result, the seed will not sprout if it falls to the ground from a feeder. Nyjer has been marketed for wild birdseed for about 40 years.
As small as the seed is, it's content is high in oil. If stored in a hot garage during the summer, that oil can become rancid and birds will not eat it. It also clumps up after a rain and birds often won't eat it then either. Store nyjer in a cool and dry spot for best results. After a rain, shake the feeder to break up any clumps. The Bird House also has domes that help direct rain from the seed for less wetness and less waste.
The good news is that Goldfinches, House finches, chickadees and juncos love it. Put the feeder in a spot where there is good protection and watch the activity and the colors.
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