Thistle seed is tiny and expensive, and it is the favorite food of the American goldfinch. Other birds will also eat thistle, but if there are any goldfinches in your area, they will make repeated visits once they discover your feeder. Platform feeders are most frequently used feeders, and they can range anywhere from the top of an old stump to a large, elevated feeding condominium with roof, perches, windows and feeding holes. Nearly every bird will come to a feeding platform, and large ones encourage bigger birds like blue jays. Red-bellied, hairy and downy woodpeckers will all come to platform feeders, although suet is more tempting to the downy and hairy varieties.
Pileated woodpeckers are also common suet feeder visitors.
Ground feeding happens in the natural course of events around the base of all feeders. They mine millet like badgers dig into soft earth, and all those seeds end up on the ground. Cardinals, juncos, sparrows, towhees and doves all feed on the ground but may also frequent feeders. The bird feed mix you buy at the store contains mostly milletsunflower and cracked corn makes a superior feed that with sunflower. Adding more will attract every bird in your area.