Feeding winter birds is a pastime everyone can enjoy. It's a wonderful way for kids to show kindness and compassion, and a great educational tool, too, says Greg Sadowski, a project ecologist with Toronto and Region Conservation in Downsview, Ont.

Here are some tips for enticing birds to your backyard feeder.

• The more types of feeders you have – hanging feeders, ground feeders and platform feeders – the more species of birds you’ll attract.

• Small, unsalted black oil sunflower seeds (sold at specialty stores or garden centres) are a favourite food for many types of birds, including finches, cardinals and grosbeaks. Finches also like niger seed, and woodpeckers and chickadees like suet.

If there aren't cats in your area, you can also sprinkle millet on the ground for sparrows, or peanut hearts for nuthatches and blue jays. (You will also be feeding the squirrels.)

• Place feeders in a sheltered area, but make sure the spot is a good vantage point for watching the action.

• Encourage kids to monitor what’s going on at their feeders and submit their data to Project FeederWatch at www.bsc-eoc.org.

Read about the 7 ways you can keep healthy and fit this winter!