A well-chosen feeder turns a quiet corner of the garden into a stage. Get the basics right and you will find that birds arrive within days, not months, and that the visitors you attract are the ones you actually hoped to see. The secret is to think about three things before you buy anything: which species you would like to encourage, what food you are happy to keep in stock, and how easy the feeder will be to take apart and scrub. A feeder that is awkward to clean will quietly become a feeder that spreads disease, so this last point matters more than most catalogues admit.

Match the feeder to the birds you want

Different species have different beaks, different weights and very different table manners. A feeder that suits a goldfinch will baffle a blackbird, and one designed for a great spotted woodpecker is wasted on a dunnock. As a rule of thumb, small clinging birds such as blue tits, great tits and coal tits are happy on almost anything, while larger, heavier species need a perch, a tray or the ground.

• Tube and seed feeders with small ports and short perches suit tits, greenfinches, chaffinches and house sparrows.
• Nyjer feeders, usually a fine mesh or tiny-port tube, are the classic way to bring in goldfinches and, in a good year, siskins.
• Peanut feeders made from wire mesh attract tits, nuthatches and woodpeckers, which cling and hammer rather than perch.
• Suet and fat ball feeders keep birds going through cold snaps and are loved by starlings, tits and woodpeckers.
• Ground trays and bird tables serve robins, dunnocks, blackbirds, song thrushes and collared doves.

Most gardens do best with two or three different feeders rather than one large one. Variety reduces squabbling and means a single empty or dirty feeder does not cut off your whole supply.

Consider the food you plan to offer

Straightforward black sunflower seeds and sunflower hearts are the most versatile offering in Britain, taken by nearly everything and leaving far less mess than a cheap mixed seed blend. Mixed seed is fine, but the cheaper bags are often padded out with wheat and split peas that most garden birds simply flick to the ground, where they attract rats and pigeons. If you use a mix, look for one with a high proportion of sunflower, millet and canary seed.

Nyjer seed is expensive and goes stale quickly, so only buy it if you are prepared to use a dedicated feeder and refresh it regularly. Peanuts must always be fresh, unsalted and from a reputable source, because mouldy peanuts carry a toxin that is dangerous to birds. Fat balls are excellent winter fuel, but avoid the loose ones sold in thin red netting; the netting can trap feet and tongues, so decant them into a proper holder or buy them ready-boxed.

Kitchen scraps have their place, but keep them sensible. Mild grated cheese, cooked rice, porridge oats and soft fruit all go down well. Bread has almost no nutritional value for garden birds and should never be a staple.

Think about squirrels, cats and the weather

Grey squirrels will empty a feeder in an afternoon if you let them. A metal baffle on a smooth pole, or a feeder positioned on a wire between two points, solves most of the problem. Choose a feeder with a metal surround rather than plastic if squirrels are regular visitors, because they will chew through anything softer.

Placement is a compromise. Birds need somewhere to retreat to, so position feeders within a few metres of a hedge, shrub or tree, but not so close that a cat can lie in wait underneath cover. Two metres of clear space around a feeder gives birds a chance to spot danger. If you have a window nearby, either move the feeder within a metre of the glass, so birds cannot build up speed, or push it beyond three metres and add a window sticker.

Make cleaning part of the routine

This is the part that separates a thriving feeding station from a source of illness. Dirty feeders spread trichomonosis, salmonella and pox, and finches in particular have suffered badly from these in recent years. Aim to clean every feeder thoroughly at least once a fortnight, and more often in warm or wet weather, when food spoils faster.

• Take the feeder apart completely and wash it in warm soapy water, using a bottle brush for tubes and ports.
• Rinse well, then disinfect with a bird-safe cleaner and allow it to dry fully before refilling.
• Clear spilled seed and husks from beneath the feeder every few days, and move the feeder occasionally to avoid a build-up of droppings.
• Offer a shallow dish of clean water for drinking and bathing, refreshed daily.

If you see a bird looking fluffed up, lethargic or struggling to swallow, take your feeders down for a fortnight, clean everything, and let the visitors disperse before starting again.

Picking a feeder that lasts

Buy the best you can reasonably afford and check three details: whether it comes apart without tools, whether the feeding ports are metal rather than plastic, and whether replacements such as perches and bases are available. Powder-coated steel and UV-stabilised polycarbonate last far longer than thin plastics that go brittle after a season or two. A feeder that survives five British winters costs less than five cheap ones that do not.