Johnston Jeff Safflower Seed is a great alternative to sunflower seed if you want to keep your birds off of it.Safflower has a thick shell, hard for some smaller birds to crack open, but is a favourite amongst cardinals. Some grosbeaks, chickadees, doves, and native sparrows also eat it. According to some sources, House Sparrows, European Starlings, and squirrels don#t like safflower, but in some areas seem to have developed a taste for it.