Feeding our feather friends in winter is a great way to increase the number of birds around our house, but pay attention to what kind of food you put to attract the birds you want.

In winter, it is increasingly difficult for birds to find various natural foods (wild cherries, dogwood and holly berries). Supplementing their diet will provide them with enough food to stay warm on cold winter nights.

Although most birds are all-rounders and eat a variety of foods, many birds still prefer food. By choosing foods that are known to attract the birds you want to see, you won't be bothered by birds you don't want to see (such as starlings).

Black oil sunflower seeds attract most birds that eat seeds. Another good food is millet, commonly known as white millet or white millet. Millet attracts sparrows, cowbirds and partridges. The seed mixture containing peanut hearts strongly attracts starlings.

By buying black oil sunflower and white millet separately in bulk, you may achieve better success and save some money instead of buying a mixture. Flyover or platform feeders can accommodate most birds, or you can choose to use tube feeders to select specific birds such as goldfinch and grouse.

Bluebirds, cardinals, finches, and nightingales all like sunflower seeds, but Grackles prefers sunflower seeds and corn with their shells. Woodpeckers, chickadees, chickadees and nuthatch all like black sunflower seeds, nuts, peanuts and suet. Apples, oranges, chickens and other fruits will attract robins, brown thrushes, robins and thrushes. 

Other foods, such as suet, half a fruit nailed to a tree or post, peanut butter spread on pine cones or tree edges, and old breads and cakes can add to the diversity of birds in your backyard.

In addition to food, birds will easily use water placed near the feeder. The attractiveness of the feeder location, whether it is surrounded by trees and shrubs or on an open lawn, will directly affect the number of birds that visit the feeder. Place the feeder in a slightly open area with deciduous and evergreen trees and shrubs nearby as a shelter and escape cover. Try to place it so that it is protected from strong winter winds.

Many people believe that if you start a feeding plan, you must keep it uninterrupted. Birds waste very little time on empty feeders, and although supplementary food does help birds through the winter, occasionally empty feeders are unlikely to cause hunger.

Remember to clean the feeder regularly with hot soapy water and a bottle of bleach. Some small holes should be drilled at the bottom of the platform water feeder (and other water that may hold water) for drainage after rain.

Finally, watch out for domestic cats. Studies have shown that domestic cats are very effective predators and can severely reduce the number of birds visiting the breeder. If you have a cat, consider keeping it inside and/or putting a bell on its collar.

Winter is not necessarily my favorite time of the year, but watching the birds on the feeder will definitely warm up an otherwise dull day. If you have any questions about bird feeding this winter, please call the Henderson County Extension Office; we are happy to help!

P. Andrew Rideout is a gardening extension agent for the University of Kentucky's Henderson County Extension Office. You can contact him by email: pandrewrideout@uky.edu