Breezy and brisk or sunny and sweltering, birds will flock to a backyard feeder in any season if the setup is appealing.

Brandi Miller-Parrish, an environmental education specialist at the Jennings Environmental Education Center, said there is no need to wait for spring to be in full bloom to attract birds to feeders.

Dozens of birds stay in the area year around, she said, such as the North American goldfinch, tufted titmouse, black-capped chickadee and several kinds of woodpeckers.

"It's good to keep in mind the basic things birds need to survive: food, water, lots of space and shelter," Miller-Parrish said.

"When you're actually placing the feeder, you want to look at your habitat, your yard, and place feeders close to a large tree or shrubs.

"Birds have a pecking order, and only one or two come to the feeder at a time. So, if you have a nice tree or shrubs, it gives them a place to wait or rest."

To attract a high variety of birds, Miller-Parrish suggests using black oil sunflower seeds. They are small enough for finches and nuthatches, but also can be enjoyed by northern cardinals and blue jays.

Additionally, the black oil sunflower seeds are high in oil content.

"That's really what birds need with the colder temperatures at night, a higher fat content," Miller-Parrish said.

Suet feeders, typically placed inside a small bird house, also fill that need.

Suet is usually made of beef fat, berries and seeds, shaped into a block which is placed in the house and attracts, most often, woodpeckers.

"Most feeders do the same thing, but one thing to keep in mind is that you will have perching birds that will come to a feeder, as well as ground-feeders who cannot perch," Miller-Parrish said.

Ground-feeders such as the dark-eyed junco often pick at the seeds tossed away by other birds at feeders, but they can benefit from platform feeders, as well, which allow them to stand on a surface.

In addition to platform feeders, "sock" feeders with small holes are designed for tiny birds, like finches, and tiny seeds, like thistle seeds.

"We sell thistle feeders, feeders just for sunflower seeds, mixed seed feeders and woodpecker feeders, as well as nuggets feeders for blue jays and woodpeckers," said Rose Mainhart, a manager at Oesterling's Lawn and Garden in Butler.

"Additionally, most any bird likes suet very well"

With all of those choices, it can be confusing, but Mainhart said variety attracts variety.

"Most people would go with a regular bird feeder (usually a cylinder with several holes and perches on it for feeding), for the simple fact that you can put in a good bird seed mix to attract different types of birds," she said.

"I've learned over the years, the better the mix, the more variety of birds you get and the less waste you have."

Any number of bird feeders can be serviceable, though. They are usually differentiated by the size of the holes through which food passes, and the type of food they hold.

Hummingbird feeders, for example, are filled with nectar or a sugar-water mix.

The startup cost can vary, but a good feeder will run about $25, and 20 pounds of mixed seed costs about $10, Mainhart said.

She agreed with Miller-Parrish that accompanying comforts work well with birdfeeders.

"A lot of birds really like the birdbaths because it can be difficult for them to find a good water source," Mainhart said.

Miller-Parrish said trickling water, from a fountain or small stream, works well.

As for shelter, bird houses will work if no trees or shrubs are available. They can be homemade or store-bought.

"I have bird houses my kids made and they're used every year," Mainhart said.

At the other end of the spectrum, purple martin bird houses, constructed of vinyl, featuring multiple compartments and resembling miniature Victorian houses, can cost more than $80.

Becky Lubold, also an educator at Jennings, said migratory birds do not follow a set timeline when returning to the area.

"Males in a lot of species, like blue birds, come back prior to the females to start scouting out nesting sights," she said.

"Most of the returning birds are insect eaters and have to migrate to find a source of food."

Among those birds that settle back in Western Pennsylvania are killdeer, red-winged blackbirds and phoebes, Lubold said. Other birds just pass through.

"One of the things people look forward to here is early May when the wood warblers come back through on their way to Canada. A few stay here to breed, though." she said.