You can buy premium wild bird seed near you at specialty wild bird stores that bag seed on site and sell no-mess seeds and mixes alongside single seeds. In Ontario, Urban Nature Store's ten stores bag their seed in store, from small bags up to 50 lb, and several premium seeds come in larger, lower-cost-per-pound sizes that are sold only for store pickup.
Which Premium Seeds Do Urban Nature Store's Local Stores Carry?
Urban Nature Store's local stores carry premium seed in three groups: no-mess seed with the shell removed, blends made only from seeds feeder birds eat, and single specialty seeds for particular birds.
- No-mess seed: Sunflower Hearts are sunflower seeds with the shell already removed, and the store's Happy Garden No-Mess Mix adds peanut halves and dried fruit to the hearts, so no shells land under the feeder.
- Blends: Red Carpet Mix combines black oil sunflower, sunflower hearts, safflower, peanut halves and gray-striped sunflower, and its product page recommends it for hopper and tub feeders.
- Specialty seeds: Nyjer is a tiny non-germinating seed for finch feeders, and No Shell Peanuts and safflower are sold as single seeds in the bird food collection.
Why Buy Premium Seed In Store Instead of Having It Shipped?
Buying in store gives you access to the larger bags, which cost less per pound than the sizes that ship. For several premium seeds, the smallest bag sold in store costs the same as, or close to, the smaller bag that ships to your door.
|
Seed |
Bag that ships |
Smallest store pickup bag |
Largest store pickup bag |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Sunflower Hearts |
4 lb, $15.95 (about $3.99/lb) |
6 lb, $15.95 (about $2.66/lb) |
50 lb, $112.95 (about $2.26/lb) |
|
Red Carpet Mix |
6 lb, $14.95 (about $2.49/lb) |
8 lb, $14.95 (about $1.87/lb) |
50 lb, $76.95 (about $1.54/lb) |
|
Nyjer |
4 lb, $16.95 (about $4.24/lb) |
6 lb, $17.95 (about $2.99/lb) |
50 lb, $124.95 (about $2.50/lb) |
Specs and prices from Urban Nature Store's product pages, November 2026.
Store pickup bags can be bought at the counter or ordered online and collected at the store you choose. For a full comparison of delivery and pickup for bulk seed, see the guide to ordering bulk birdseed online or picking it up in store.
Can You Try a Small Amount of Premium Seed First?
Yes. Several Urban Nature Store location pages, including Pickering and Mississauga, invite shoppers to ask for a 1 to 2 lb bag, and the Kingston store sells a 1.5 lb snack bag for walks. A small bag is an easy way to find out whether the birds in your yard take to a seed before you commit to a 25 or 50 lb bag.
How Do You Know If a Nearby Store Has the Seed You Want?
Each premium seed's product page lists stock for every store, so you can check before you drive. On November 4, 2026, for example, Sunflower Hearts showed more than 100 bags at nine of the ten stores, while Nyjer showed none at Oshawa and Thornhill and more than 100 at the other eight. Store addresses are on the store locations page.
How Can You Save on Premium Seed Bought Locally?
Urban Nature Store's free Rewards Program gives you the 11th bag of seed free after you buy 10, and store staff can sign you up at the counter. Combined with the lower per-pound price of the larger store pickup bags, it lowers the cost of feeding premium seed through a whole season.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Happy Garden No-Mess Mix contain fruit?
Yes. Its product page lists four ingredients: sunflower hearts, peanut halves, dried cranberries and raisins. None of them has a shell, which is why the mix is sold as no-mess.
Why is safflower recommended for cardinals?
Cardinals readily eat safflower, while squirrels, grackles and sparrows don't favour it. Urban Nature Store's guide to the best feeder for attracting cardinals names safflower as its top seed pick for cardinals for that reason.
Can you pick up seed at a store that shows zero stock?
Often, yes. Urban Nature Store's product pages note that pickup is still available at a store with no stock when the item is available for home delivery, because the order can be sent to that store for you to collect.
