8 Best Bird Food for Magpies in 2026
Magpies thrive on rich, varied, and easy-to-manage foods that cut waste and support health. Top choices for 2026 include sunflower hearts, shelled peanuts, suet, nut blends, and no-mess mixes. Some options favor caching behavior, others boost energy, and some keep feeders cleaner. This guide highlights the best-value foods to feed magpies effectively.
| Audubon Park Extreme Variety Wild Bird Seed for Outside Feeders 15-lb. Bag |  | Best Overall | Feed Type: Wild bird seed | Size: 15 lb | Key Ingredients: Sunflower, peanuts, millet | VIEW LATEST PRICE | Read Our Analysis |
| Kaytee Cardinal Wild Bird Seed 7 lb |  | Best for Cardinals | Feed Type: Cardinal blend | Size: 7 lb | Key Ingredients: Sunflower, safflower | VIEW LATEST PRICE | Read Our Analysis |
| Kaytee Seed & Suet No Mess Blend Blueberry Flavor 10 Pounds |  | No-Mess Blend | Feed Type: Seed & suet blend | Size: 10 lb | Key Ingredients: Seeds, suet, blueberry | VIEW LATEST PRICE | Read Our Analysis |
| Happy Wings Finch Blend Bird Food 5 Pounds |  | Best for Finches | Feed Type: Finch blend | Size: 5 lb | Key Ingredients: Nyjer, sunflower hearts | VIEW LATEST PRICE | Read Our Analysis |
| Armstrong Wild Bird Food All Season Seed Blend |  | Year-Round Mix | Feed Type: All-season seed blend | Size: 40 lb | Key Ingredients: Corn, millet, sunflower | VIEW LATEST PRICE | Read Our Analysis |
| Happy Wings Sunflower Hearts & Chips Bird Food |  | No-Mess Premium | Feed Type: Sunflower hearts/chips | Size: 5 lb | Key Ingredients: Sunflower kernels, chips | VIEW LATEST PRICE | Read Our Analysis |
| Pennington Ultra Double Nut Nut & Fruit Blend 10lbs |  | Best Nut Blend | Feed Type: Nut & fruit blend | Size: 10 lb | Key Ingredients: Nuts, fruits, seeds | VIEW LATEST PRICE | Read Our Analysis |
| Audubon Park No Mess Wild Bird Seed 12 lb |  | Clean Feeding Pick | Feed Type: No-mess wild bird seed | Size: 12 lb | Key Ingredients: Sunflower hearts, peanut pieces | VIEW LATEST PRICE | Read Our Analysis |
More Details on Our Top Picks
Audubon Park Extreme Variety Wild Bird Seed for Outside Feeders 15-lb. Bag
Audubon Park Extreme Variety Wild Bird Seed is a strong pick if you want a versatile, year-round blend that draws a broad mix of wild birds—not just magpies. You can fill tube, hopper, or platform feeders with this 15-pound bag and expect nuthatches, cardinals, juncos, titmice, finches, and more. Its mix of black oil sunflower seed, sunflower hearts, peanuts, millet, raisins, and niger helps stimulate feeding and keeps birds interested. Because it’s vegan and suited for all life stages, you can use it confidently throughout the seasons. Keep in mind it may contain common allergens, including peanuts and tree nuts.
- Feed Type:Wild bird seed
- Size:15 lb
- Key Ingredients:Sunflower, peanuts, millet
- Feeders:Tube/hopper/platform
- Target Birds:Cardinals, finches, nuthatches
- Seasonality:Year-round
- Additional Feature:Extreme variety blend
- Additional Feature:Appetite stimulation focus
- Additional Feature:Voluntary 30-day return
Kaytee Cardinal Wild Bird Seed 7 lb
Kaytee Cardinal Wild Bird Seed, 7 lb is a premium blend built around two cardinal favorites: black oil sunflower and safflower. You can use it to draw cardinals to your feeders while also welcoming chickadees, nuthatches, and grosbeaks. Black oil sunflower gives cardinals a food they love, and safflower adds value with its bitter taste that can help discourage squirrels. Marketed as Kaytee Cardinal Blend, this 7-pound bag gives you a focused, high-quality option when you want fewer filler seeds and more birds that actually visit your yard.
- Feed Type:Cardinal blend
- Size:7 lb
- Key Ingredients:Sunflower, safflower
- Feeders:Not specified
- Target Birds:Cardinals, chickadees, grosbeaks
- Seasonality:Not specified
- Additional Feature:Safflower discourages squirrels
- Additional Feature:Cardinal blend formula
- Additional Feature:Premium two-ingredient mix
Kaytee Seed & Suet No Mess Blend Blueberry Flavor 10 Pounds
If you want a low-mess option that still draws plenty of activity, Kaytee Seed & Suet No Mess Blend Blueberry Flavor is a smart pick for magpie feeding stations. You get a 10-pound bag of edible seeds and suet nuggets with a blueberry flavor, ready to pour into tube, hopper, or platform feeders. It won’t leave greasy hands or waste on the lawn, so cleanup stays easy. Kaytee says it can attract twice as many birds as black oil sunflower in field tests, and it may also bring in woodpeckers. It’s all-ages, allergen-free, and simple to use.
- Feed Type:Seed & suet blend
- Size:10 lb
- Key Ingredients:Seeds, suet, blueberry
- Feeders:Tube/hopper/platform
- Target Birds:Wild birds, woodpeckers
- Seasonality:Not specified
- Additional Feature:Blueberry flavor
- Additional Feature:No mess formula
- Additional Feature:100% edible blend
Happy Wings Finch Blend Bird Food 5 Pounds
Happy Wings Finch Blend Bird Food, 5 Pounds is a solid pick if you want a clean, high-energy seed mix that can draw magpies along with finches and other backyard birds. You get a blend of thistle seed and sunflower hearts, so birds can eat it easily without messy hulls. Its high oil, protein, and energy profile helps support active feeding, while the no-grow, non-germinating formula keeps your yard tidier. The 5-pound bag is heat-treated, Non-GMO, and made in a USDA and BRC-GS approved facility, so you can feel confident offering it daily.
- Feed Type:Finch blend
- Size:5 lb
- Key Ingredients:Nyjer, sunflower hearts
- Feeders:Not specified
- Target Birds:Finches, songbirds
- Seasonality:Not specified
- Additional Feature:Non-GMO ingredient claim
- Additional Feature:Heat-treated processing
- Additional Feature:USDA and BRC-GS approved
Armstrong Wild Bird Food All Season Seed Blend
Armstrong Wild Bird Food All Season Bird Seed Blend is a strong pick if you want a year-round, budget-friendly mix that can draw in magpies alongside other backyard birds. You get a 40-pound barrier bag filled with cut corn, wheat, milo, millet, and black oil sunflower seeds. This plant-based blend suits large port tube, hopper, and platform feeders, so you can place it where magpies feed best. It’s sealed airtight and CO2 flushed to help preserve freshness. You’ll also attract jays, doves, chickadees, cardinals, and sparrows across all life stages.
- Feed Type:All-season seed blend
- Size:40 lb
- Key Ingredients:Corn, millet, sunflower
- Feeders:Tube/hopper/platform
- Target Birds:Jays, doves, sparrows
- Seasonality:Year-round
- Additional Feature:Airtight barrier bag
- Additional Feature:CO2 flushed freshness
- Additional Feature:Year-round wild bird feed
Happy Wings Sunflower Hearts & Chips Bird Food
For magpies that prefer a clean, high-energy feed, Sunflower Hearts & Chips offer a smart choice because they’re hulled, no-mess seeds that leave no husks behind and won’t sprout in your yard. You get a raw sunflower kernel blend from Happy Wings, packed in a 5-pound bag by ASA Agrotech. The high protein and fat content helps support year-round feeding for all life stages. You can use it for general wild bird feeding, and it also attracts cardinals, woodpeckers, nuthatches, and sparrows. It’s a practical, quality-minded option for keeping feeders tidy.
- Feed Type:Sunflower hearts/chips
- Size:5 lb
- Key Ingredients:Sunflower kernels, chips
- Feeders:Not specified
- Target Birds:Cardinals, chickadees, woodpeckers
- Seasonality:Year-round
- Additional Feature:Hulled sunflower kernels
- Additional Feature:No-grow seeds
- Additional Feature:High protein and fat
Pennington Ultra Double Nut Nut & Fruit Blend 10lbs
Pennington Ultra Double Nut, Nut & Fruit Blend 10 lbs is a strong pick if you want a high-energy mix that can support magpies along with other backyard birds. You’ll get mixed nuts, 100% real fruits, seeds, and grains in one balanced formula, plus Bird Kote vitamins and minerals to help support bird health. It attracts cardinals, chickadees, nuthatches, woodpeckers, towhees, and more, so your feeder stays active. You can use it in gazebo, hopper, platform, or tube feeders, and it works well for year-round feeding.
- Feed Type:Nut & fruit blend
- Size:10 lb
- Key Ingredients:Nuts, fruits, seeds
- Feeders:Gazebo/hopper/platform/tube
- Target Birds:Cardinals, chickadees, woodpeckers
- Seasonality:Year-round
- Additional Feature:Bird Kote technology
- Additional Feature:Vitamin and mineral enrichment
- Additional Feature:100% real fruits
Audubon Park No Mess Wild Bird Seed 12 lb
Audubon Park No Mess Wild Bird Seed, 12 lb. is a smart pick if you want a shell-free blend that keeps feeding areas tidy while still offering high-energy nutrition. You get sunflower hearts, chips, and peanut pieces that birds love and need. This waste-free mix attracts finches, cardinals, thrushes, wrens, buntings, and other songbirds, so your feeder stays busy. You can use it in tube, tray, hopper, platform, or smart feeders. It’s a solid choice for patios, decks, and other spots where mess matters, and you can offer it year-round.
- Feed Type:No-mess wild bird seed
- Size:12 lb
- Key Ingredients:Sunflower hearts, peanut pieces
- Feeders:Tube/tray/hopper/platform/smart
- Target Birds:Finches, cardinals, thrushes
- Seasonality:All seasons
- Additional Feature:Shell-free blend
- Additional Feature:Waste free formula
- Additional Feature:Smart feeder compatible
Factors to Consider When Choosing Bird Food For Magpies
When you choose bird food for magpies, look for high nutrient density so they get more value from every bite. You should also check for quality protein sources, a varied seed mix, nuts, and fruit additions that match their natural diet. A balanced blend helps you support their energy, growth, and overall health.
Nutrient Density
Nutrient density matters because magpies need high-calorie, protein-rich foods to fuel their active foraging, maintain muscle, and stay healthy through cold weather and breeding. You should look for feeds with about 12–18% crude protein and 8–15% crude fat to support feather growth, daily energy, and reproductive demands. Choose foods rich in nuts, oil-heavy seeds, and insect-based ingredients, since they deliver concentrated calories plus essential omega-3 and omega-6 fats. These nutrients also help support sharp cognition and glossy plumage. If you’re feeding nestlings, prioritize even denser meals, because growing young need more protein per gram than adults. Skip low-value fillers like excess millet, husks, and plain grains, which can fill them up without meeting their real nutritional needs.
Protein Sources
Along with calorie-rich fats, magpies need a solid protein base to keep muscles, feathers, and breeding condition in top shape. You should aim for roughly 18–22% protein for everyday feeding, then raise it to 25–30% during breeding or molt. Animal-based foods work best because they deliver complete amino acids and’re easier for your magpie to use. Offer mealworms, cooked lean meat, eggs, or fish in fresh, properly prepared portions. You can add plant proteins like soy, legumes, nuts, or sunflower hearts, but they shouldn’t do all the work on their own. Skip raw pork, spoiled meat, and high-mercury fish, since they raise health risks. If you keep a magpie in care, measure portions carefully and watch body condition as you adjust intake.
Seed Variety
A varied seed mix gives magpies the energy and nutrients they’re most likely to use, especially when it includes larger items like sunflower seeds, sunflower hearts, and peanuts. You should favor big, oily seeds because magpies can crack them easily and gain the fat and protein they need for cold weather and breeding. Mix in cracked or shelled pieces too, since they cut waste and let younger birds or weaker bills feed well. Don’t rely on tiny seeds like millet or thistle; magpies often skip them, and you’ll end up with leftovers. Seed variety works best when you pair it with other protein foods, because seeds alone won’t meet their needs, especially when they’re raising chicks and need animal protein for strong health and steady growth.
Nut Content
Magpies are strongly drawn to whole nuts and nut pieces, especially peanuts, tree nuts, and kernels, because they pack the dense calories and fats that fuel flight, defense, and other energy-heavy activity. You’ll get the best results by offering unsalted, fresh, dry, mold-free nuts, since salted or spoiled ones can harm them. Choose shelled nuts or hulled pieces, like peanut kernels, walnut halves, or almond pieces, so magpies can eat them faster and spend less time cracking shells. Higher-fat nuts matter most in cold weather and during breeding, when their energy needs rise. Keep pieces fairly large, too, because bigger chunks encourage natural foraging and caching, while tiny bits can disappear into smaller birds instead of helping magpies.
Fruit Additions
Offering fruit gives magpies a welcome change of pace, since they’re omnivores that readily eat apples, pears, grapes, and soft berries. You can boost interest by serving sliced or chopped pieces, which suit different bill sizes and make feeding easier. Choose firm, ripe fruit rather than overripe pieces, because they spoil faster and can ferment or mold. Refrigerate cut fruit and clear away leftovers within 12 to 24 hours. Offer whole grapes or cherries alongside chopped apple and pear to cut waste and reduce choking risk. If you use fruit with pits or seeds, remove them so cyanogenic compounds stay inaccessible. Rotate fruit choices with the seasons, and keep sugary, fermented portions limited so you don’t upset digestion or encourage dependency on unnatural food sources.
Mess-Free Blends
If you’ve been mixing in fruit, you can also keep feeding areas cleaner by choosing mess-free blends for magpies. You’ll do well with shell-free mixes that rely on hulled sunflower hearts, chips, or peanut pieces, since magpies shred husks and scatter them across lawns. These high-energy ingredients give you the same useful calories as whole seeds while creating far less debris. No-mess formulations also help you avoid spilled seed that can draw rodents and unwanted birds, which matters when bold magpies feed aggressively. For even less cleanup, pick compressed suet nuggets or suet-seed blends instead of loose suet or crumbly mixtures. They limit greasy residue and keep feeders tidier, so you spend less time sweeping and more time enjoying your backyard visitors.
Feeder Compatibility
When you choose food for magpies, make sure the feeder can handle their size and strength. Pick sturdy platforms, trays, or reinforced hopper feeders made from metal or heavy-duty plastic so they won’t bend or crack under a magpie’s weight. Give them at least 12–16 inches of feeding space so they can land, stand, and forage comfortably. Wide, open perches work best, but no small perches are needed because magpies prefer to stand on the surface. Place feeders low, around 3–6 feet high, near cover but with clear sightlines for safety. Choose designs with drainage and a sloped roof or overhang to keep nuts, meat, and fatty foods dry and fresh, since spoiled food won’t help them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Magpies Eat Mealworms Safely?
Yes, you can safely offer magpies mealworms in moderation; they’re high in protein and usually fine either live or dried. You’ll want to provide fresh water and avoid seasoned, spoiled, or heavily processed mealworms.
How Often Should I Refill Magpie Feeders?
Refill your magpie feeders daily, and twice during hungry spells. You’ll keep birds returning, and you’ll prevent spoilage. If feeders empty fast, add more sooner; if food lingers, cut back a bit.
Do Magpies Prefer Food on the Ground or in Feeders?
You’ll usually see magpies prefer food on the ground, where they can forage comfortably, though they’ll use feeders too. You can offer both, but ground feeding often attracts them more quickly and naturally.
Is It Okay to Feed Magpies During Nesting Season?
Yes, you can, but you should do it sparingly and keep your distance. You don’t want to stress nesting birds or attract predators. Offer food quietly, and stop if magpies seem agitated.
What Foods Should I Never Give Magpies?
You should never give magpies chocolate, avocado, onion, garlic, salty snacks, or moldy food. Think of their stomachs as tiny engines: one wrong fuel can stall them fast, so stick to safe, fresh options.