# Do Finch Birds Eat Thistle Seeds Whole?
Finch birds, like goldfinches, are common visitors to bird feeders. Finches specialize in eating seeds, including thistle or nyjer seed. Finches crack the seed shells open and then eat the small nut inside. The nut itself is cracked into chunks.
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Function
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Finches can be identified by their short, thick beaks. These make great tools for cracking open tough seed shells. Wild finches also swallow grit or tiny bits of gravel to help grind up the seed chunks, according to "The Lovely and the Wild."
Fun Fact
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Species like the house finch, Carpodacus mexicanus, feed their young chicks regurgitated seeds, according to the Seattle Audubon Society. Thistle seeds are small enough to be used by parent birds to make chick gruel.
Consequence
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Because finches remove the shells from thistle seeds, they will leave piles of shells all about a bird feeder. These should be removed so that their scent does not attract pests like rats or mice, according to the Baltimore Bird Club.
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