White vs Black Sunflower Seeds - Any difference?

[MomtoPercy]

When I adopted Percy, I was told to feed him only white sunflower seeds, not black. I adapted his diet when he came to me to a more balanced mix including pellets, fresh produce, etc. However, since he was on a seed based diet before, he still looooves his sunflower seeds and I use those now only in his foraging toys. So he gets his treat but not loads of it like before.
Anyway - the reason for my question : There is only one place in town that sells white sunflower seeds, a petshop that sells everything from hamsters and chickens to african greys.
Today was my second visit to this place and I can NOT go back. The conditions those poor birds are kept in, left me in tears. They have all kinds of parrots, and even some very vibrantly coloured budgie-like birdie that I've never seen before. They also have finches that never stop screaming. The poor parrots look completely stunned. The cages are filthy and there is not a single toy uin any cage.
Being so very involved with my Percy, I could tell that the birds in those cages are distressed and desperately unhappy.
I have reported the store to the local SPCA and I hope they will remove the animals from those horrid people.
So, back to my question - should I feed only white sunflower seeds or is blacl ok?

 

[Blueridge]

Black sunflower seeds are what the devil eats. He dyes them black to represent the color of his soul. If your parrot eats them he will become evil...

Besides that, they are fine. My bird eats them. I believe the black ones have a higher oil/fat content in them, so feed them sparingly as Amazons tend to be prone to fatty liver disease and obesity.

 

[MomtoPercy]

Black sunflower seeds are what the devil eats. He dyes them black to represent the color of his soul. If your parrot eats them he will become evil...

ROFL!!!!!!!!! Ok, my parrot is evil enough, no black seeds for him then!

 

[Megapixel]

Black oil sunflower seeds taste better to birds and are less healthy for them because they have a much higher fat/oil content than striped sunflower seeds. As with many things, offering black oil sunflower seeds in moderation shouldn't be a problem.

 

[thekarens]

Black oil sunflower seeds taste better to birds and are less healthy for them because they have a much higher fat/oil content than striped sunflower seeds. As with many things, offering black oil sunflower seeds in moderation shouldn't be a problem.

Black oil is what you should be putting in your wild bird feeders. Those birds need the extra fat. I wouldn't recommend it for your parrots. They don't need all that.

 

[Kalidasa]

Are you talking about those much smaller white seeds? Like mini-sunflower seeds? Or the lighter striped seeds? The small white ones might be safflower seeds, they're my conures fave...oddly he absolutely hates sunflower seeds, he'll sling his dish to the ground if I dare have any in there I let him have a helping every night before bed. The pic is of safflower seeds.

 

[bittybird527]

hi I was wondering what is the best parrot to have

 

[Mike17]

Are you talking about those much smaller white seeds? Like mini-sunflower seeds? Or the lighter striped seeds? The small white ones might be safflower seeds, they're my conures fave...oddly he absolutely hates sunflower seeds, he'll sling his dish to the ground if I dare have any in there

Yeah, I wondered about "white " sunflower seeds too. The "quality" ones sold here in Oz, plus the sunflower constituent of good 'tiel mixes, is called "grey stripe". The white ones are, as you say, safflower. Some of our birds love it, others ignore completely, but if given a choice between black and grey-stripe sunflower, they go for the grey-stripe always.

 

[Echo]

Are you talking about those much smaller white seeds? Like mini-sunflower seeds? Or the lighter striped seeds? The small white ones might be safflower seeds, they're my conures fave...oddly he absolutely hates sunflower seeds, he'll sling his dish to the ground if I dare have any in there I let him have a helping every night before bed.

Yes I was wondering the same. All white? Or striped white?

 

[thekarens]

Are you talking about those much smaller white seeds? Like mini-sunflower seeds? Or the lighter striped seeds? The small white ones might be safflower seeds, they're my conures fave...oddly he absolutely hates sunflower seeds, he'll sling his dish to the ground if I dare have any in there I let him have a helping every night before bed.

That's safflower.

 

[Echo]

Black sunflower seeds are what the devil eats. He dyes them black to represent the color of his soul. If your parrot eats them he will become evil...

Besides that, they are fine. My bird eats them. I believe the black ones have a higher oil/fat content in them, so feed them sparingly as Amazons tend to be prone to fatty liver disease and obesity.

Ahahah thanks for the laugh

 

[MomtoPercy]

They are definately sunflower seeds. I've attached a pic below. They are big fat seeds, even bigger I think than the black seeds I've seen. I opened a few (btw, Percy is way quicker at doing THAT little trick than I am! LOL) and put them alongside the seeds. They taste just like any "normal" sunflower seeds too.

 

[Kalidasa]

Yup, they sure look like sunflower seeds, but I've never seen white ones like that. Sunflowers come in all sort if colors now, so I guess that may be why they're white. that's a first for me!

 

[Mike17]

I saw some huge ones in a wholesale store in Perth, each seed 3 times bigger than the usual ones in seed mixes. They were grey-stripe though. Never seen pure white ones before- but the shelled seeds are definitely sunflower. Unusual ridges on the husks, though. Still, think of how many different sorts of potatoes there are....