Quick answer: Nyjer bird feeders are narrow tubes with tiny ports designed for fine nyjer seed, the food goldfinches love above all others. Hang one in the open near a tree, keep the seed fresh and dry, and expect a quiet fortnight before the first charm of goldfinches finds it and returns daily.

Hang a nyjer feeder in March and it can sit ignored for a fortnight. Then one morning a charm of goldfinches drops in, all crimson faces and gold wing-flashes, and after that they visit like clockwork. Nyjer bird feeders do one job brilliantly: they bring goldfinches. I match feeders to birds for a living, and this is the clearest cause-and-effect in the whole garden. Hang the right feeder, fill it with fresh seed, wait out the quiet fortnight, and you get some of the best colour a British garden offers. Here is everything to know before you buy.

What nyjer is, and why it needs a special feeder

Nyjer, also spelt niger, is a tiny, oil-rich black seed. It is so fine it pours straight through the ports of an ordinary feeder and ends up wasted on the ground. A proper nyjer feeder uses narrow slot ports that meter the seed out one beakful at a time.

Goldfinches cling to the perches and work those slots patiently, often in small flocks that take a feeder over completely. In winter, siskins join them, and the odd greenfinch too.

Browse the dedicated nyjer seed feeders range to see the slot-port design, and stock up on fresh nyjer and niger seed at the same time, because freshness is the whole game here.

Niger or nyjer: same seed, same feeder

Do not let the spelling trip you up. Niger and nyjer are two spellings of exactly the same seed, so a niger seed bird feeder and a nyjer feeder are one and the same bit of kit. What matters is the slot ports, not the label on the sack.

Getting goldfinches to actually turn up

This is where most people give up too soon. A new nyjer feeder can hang untouched for one to two weeks before the first goldfinch finds it. That is normal. Here is how to speed things along and keep them coming.

  • Use fresh seed. Nyjer loses its natural oils after a few months, and birds snub stale seed. Buy little and often.
  • Hang it high and open. Goldfinches like a clear approach with cover a couple of metres away.
  • Be patient. Once one bird feeds, the word spreads and the flock follows.
  • Keep it dry. An all-metal body with a tight lid protects the oils and stops the seed clumping.

The goldfinch's rise is well documented. The RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch, the world's largest garden wildlife survey, has charted the species climbing steadily up the garden rankings over the past two decades, and a reliable feeder is the surest way to join in.

Pair it with the right partner food

Nyjer plus sunflower hearts is the winning combination for finches. Goldfinches love both, and offering the two side by side keeps them on your patch longer. Add a tube of sunflower hearts near the nyjer feeder and you cover the widest range of finches and tits at once.

If goldfinches are the goal, resist filling the nyjer feeder with anything else. It is built for that one tiny seed, and swapping in a general mix just clogs the slots.

Keeping it clean

Fine seed and damp are a bad mix, so give a nyjer feeder a proper wash every couple of weeks. Tip out any seed that has gone soft, rinse the slots, and dry it fully before refilling. The BTO Garden BirdWatch stresses feeder hygiene as key to keeping garden birds healthy, and a clean feeder simply gets used more.

For the wider picture on which food suits which feeder, our guide to bird feed and feeders lays it all out.

Frequently asked questions

Why are goldfinches not using my nyjer feeder yet? Give it time. Nyjer is often ignored for one to two weeks while local birds find it. Make sure the seed is fresh, as nyjer loses its oils after a few months and birds will snub stale seed.

Can I put nyjer seed in a normal seed feeder? No. The seed is so fine it pours straight out of standard ports and ends up on the ground. You need a dedicated nyjer feeder with slot ports designed for it.

Which birds eat nyjer seed? Goldfinches above all, with siskins and occasionally greenfinches and chaffinches joining in. If goldfinches are your goal, nyjer plus sunflower hearts is the pairing to beat.

About the author Priyanka Shah - The right feeder for the right food Priyanka is a Reading-based garden writer with an RHS Level 2 qualification who came to birdwatching through wildlife gardening. She loves matching feeders to foods and species and testing what actually draws visitors in. Her small suburban garden hosts a surprising roll-call of finches and tits. Writing for British Bird Feeders.