Plural of birdseed; seeds such as millet, sunflower, and nyjer that are specifically prepared and sold as food for wild or domestic birds.
Compound of 'bird' (Old English 'brid') and 'seed' (Old English 'sēd'). The commercial term emerged in the 19th century as feeding wild birds became a common household practice.
The birdseed industry is massive—in North America alone, people spend over $4 billion annually on birdseed, making backyard bird feeding one of the largest forms of wildlife interaction for ordinary citizens.
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