What Animals Eat Sunflower Seeds?

Sunflower seeds make a healthy snack.
••• sunflower and sunflower seeds image by Andrey Chmelyov from Fotolia.com

Sunflowers are bright, vibrant flowers that have no smell. Not only are they eye catching but they produce seeds that are a common snack for people. Humans are not the only members of the animal kingdom who enjoy snacking on this small seed. Many species of wild animals also enjoy this tiny snack.

Squirrels

Common squirrels enjoy sunflower seeds.
••• squirrel image by Tanya McConnell from Fotolia.com

Squirrels eat a variety of nuts, seeds, fruits and grains. Sunflower seeds are their second favorite after almost any type of nut.

Chipmunks

Chipmunks like to raid bird feeders.
••• chipmunk image by joann from Fotolia.com

Chipmunks are omnivores and they like sunflower seeds. If you are having problems with chipmunks raiding your bird feeders, try switching to thistle seeds instead of sunflower.

Mice

If it is available, mice will eat it.
••• mouse image by timur1970 from Fotolia.com

Mice like to eat a variety of plants and seeds. Sunflower seeds are just one of the many types of seeds that mice will eat when it is available to them.

Birds

Doves, like many varieties of bird, enjoy sunflower seeds.
••• dove image by Mr.Teo from Fotolia.com

There are many varieties of birds who eat sunflower seeds. Among them are doves and the common grackle. Buy stripped or black oil sunflower seeds if you want to attract only birds that enjoy these seeds.

Black Bear

Black bears are omnivores.
••• The Bear goes where the Bear wants to go image by Ian Shorr from Fotolia.com

Bears, while thought of as carnivores, are actually omnivores who love a wide variety of foods. Berries, fruits, insects, small animals and seeds. They can create havoc on agricultural crops like peanuts, corn and sunflowers by consuming the crop, but the real problems come from the fact that bears are creatures of habit. When they find a food crop, they will return to it year after year.

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