Brimming with morsels to delight avian epicure, feeders stuffed with fat sunflower seeds, both stripped and solid black, draw Chickadees and their kin while fat chunks of white suet lure big woodpeckers from the deep woods. While snow cover isn't all that good for the birds, it sure is great for birders, and there's no better time to learn about your feathered little seed snappers than when you can see them so close. Seeing a wide variety of species out the window isn't all that hard to do in this part of Indiana, but different species like different foods and feed in different ways. So, if you want to get many different birding opportunities, you need to feed to those varying tastes and habits. Finch feeders are tube feeders with modifications for loading and feeding thistle seed, mainly in the form a tiny slits instead of large access holes.
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.