Using the right wild bird supplies is essential when attracting wild birds to a yard or garden. Many birds are attracted by small water features, such as bird baths, while others are drawn by particular kinds of food or shelter.

Some bird species are drawn to particular foods. While finches, for example, will eat from feeders offering sunflower seeds or safflower seeds, they are especially drawn to thistle seeds. Woodpeckers and nuthatches come to feeders offering suet or peanuts. Hummingbirds are drawn to feeders filled with sugary nectar, and some birds change their diet throughout the season. Feeders that attract orioles in the spring with slices of fruit lose their appeal later in the season when the birds switch to insect diets.

Bird feeders are available in many styles, shapes and colors. To draw in wildbirds, it is important to offer not just the preferred food but also the preferred style of feeder. Woodpeckers and nuthatches are climbing birds. For them to feed on suet blocks, they must be able to grip the feeder as if it were the trunk of a tree. Suet socks or feeders featuring heavy gage wire that the birds can grip and climb are great for these birds.

Finches and buntings are perching birds. They are drawn to feeders that allow them to stand on small branch-like perches while feeding. Doves, cardinals and jays are ground-feeding birds. Mourning doves must be offered food on the ground, but cardinals and jays prefer flat trays above the ground level.

Just as there is a right tool for every job, there are also the right wild bird supplies for every species. Small birds like titmice and buntings will flock to feeders with very short perches. Larger birds may attempt to eat from these feeders, but the size of their body forces them to stand in awkward positions and makes a small feeder less attractive to them. Feeders with protective wire housings are no hindrance to small birds, but larger species may struggle to reach the interior seeds.

Bird houses or nest boxes are features that also attract wild birds to a yard. It is especially important to use they houses with an appropriate entry hole and interior dimensions. The entry has to admit the birds the box is designed to house but must also exclude marauding bird species and predators. It is also a good idea to place nesting boxes in areas that are somewhat removed from feeders. Birds want to nest near sources of food, but they often become territorial when nesting and too much activity at a feeder can cause them to behave aggressively or ignore a nesting site.

Seeds disperse naturally from plants, so birds feed in widespread areas where the seeds are found. Feeding stations are in a fixed location and are refilled by the homeowner. This is a great feature for drawing wild bird species to a yard, but it can also concentrate droppings, bacteria and molds. It is extremely important to keep feeders cleaned. Ease of removal and cleaning should also be considered when choosing a particular style of feeder.