Martin: About five billion wild birds return to Canada each spring from their southern nesting grounds and millions of Canadians are delighted to welcome them home enticing their feathered friends to take up residents in backyards. Bird feeding is something everyone can do and wildlife experts say a few simple tips will ensure your backyard patio becomes a haven for Canada’s wild bird species. Kathy Russell is the category manager for bird food at Scotts, Canada, a leading supplier of quality bird food for backyard feeders.

Kathy: Different types of birds require different types of seeds. Birds such as blue jay’s, cardinals require nuts and sunflower seeds versus smaller birds such as finches and black chickadees, they prefer thistle seed and finch food. A couple of things to remember when placing the feeder, make sure they provide shelter for the birds, so hang the feeders somewhere that it is up off the ground but also accessible by the birds. Secondly make sure that the feeder is in plain view so that you can see when to refill it and you can enjoy your feeder all season long.

Martin: One of the most popular lines of bird food was created by Scots and nutrition experts at the metro Toronto Zoo. It’s been designed to attract birds to your backyard and to supplement the bird’s natural diet. And for those who are not sure how to get started or for people looking for a more convenient way to attract wild birds, there is a wide range of ready to hang options.

Kathy: There are a lot of different options for conveniently hanging bird feeders. Basically you hang it and it is ready to go. A couple of examples would be the bell feeder. The bell feeder is great. You hang it in a tree and you will get blue jays, you will get nuthatches, woodpeckers coming to it. They perch on it and eat it until it is completed. Secondly is the sock. The sock is great because it is filled with neither seed and it will attract finches and black chickadees.

Martin: The internet is a great source for information on how and what to feed our feathered friends. Scottswildbirdfood.com has plenty of advice or you can find a helpful guide to feeding wild birds at Canadian stores nationwide. Knowing what to serve and how to set the table will ensure this colorful and musical guest settle in for a long term stay. Martin Vanderwood reporting.