The bird seed shelf is full of choices and confuses most bird lovers. A reader named Joann requested this article about feeding birds. It appears sometimes birds are picky about what they eat. So if watching birds devour your free offering is a priority pay attention.

Small black-oil sunflower seeds are the single choice for attracting the most birds. This small high meat to shell ratio seed is an acceptable food source for most birds. Small birds can manage to eat this offering easily due to its thin shell.

Some birds such as doves prefer white proso millet. Corn is also high on their list but this offering also attracts blackbirds.

Hummingbirds of course love sugar water which we will call nectar. Everyone can make their own by mixing 1 part sugar to 4 parts boiling water. The reason you should boil the water is to remove any impurities. Allow this mixture to cool before it's added to the feeder. Store the extra mixture in the refrigerator. Be sure the mixture is changed every 3 to 5 days to prevent spoilage. Never use honey in the mixture because it will mold and do more harm than good.

Suet cakes are great for attracting insect-eating birds like woodpeckers or nuthatches. But these birds enjoy black-oil sunflower seeds as well.