The American goldfinch's diet consists of mostly seeds. They love Nyjer® Seed and Sunflower Seeds. These seeds are high in oil and easy to eat with their smaller beaks. Because finches prefer the combo of Nyjer® seed and socks, this duo is your best bet for attracting a bright yellow feathered friend.

Ingredients: Foxtail millet, pearl millet, paddy, oats, flax seed, sorghum, oats, spirulina, cuttlefish bone, grit, etc. Suitable for: All finches like society, Bengal, zebra, java, canary, Gouldian, long tail, cut throat, owl, nun, red adavat, spice, house sparrow, etc. Instructions: Not for human consumption.

Try a teasel One of the best plants for attracting goldfinches is the teasel. Though you might think of them as being just brown and prickly, did you know they're also great for attracting insects? In summer teasels have pale purple flowers which go down a storm with bees, butterflies and moths.

Inexpensive birdseed mixes typically contain large quantities of milo and millet, as well as smaller amounts of cracked corn, sunflower seeds, and other seeds or grain. Wheat is a popular filler addition but has little nutritional value for birds.

The most bird-catching seed is sunflower. Seasoned bird feeders will also include niger and pumpkin seeds. Other good birdseed choices include black oil sunflower, and red millet. Nuts are also a great choice for birds, but the better the quality, the more seeds will be needed.

Full spectrum lights are necessary when housing finches in an indoor aviary where they won't be getting the direct sunlight. While they may have light from large windows in the aviary room they probably won't be getting the UV needed to synthesize Vitamin D3.

Finches are generally seed eaters that eat a variety of plant seeds, especially grasses. Depending on the season, seed availability, insects and certain fruits, berries, and other vegetation will constitute the bulk of a finch's diet during certain times of the year.

Bird food or bird seed is food (often varieties of seeds, nuts, and/or dried fruits) intended for consumption by wild and domestic birds. While most bird food is fed to commercial fowl (such as chicken or turkey), bird food is also used to feed pet birds or to provide a feeding site for wild birds.

Black oil sunflower seed appeals to the greatest number of birds. Offer sunflower seeds, nyjer (thistle) seeds, and peanuts in separate feeders. When using blends, choose mixtures containing sunflower seeds, millet, and cracked corn - the three most popular types of birdseed.

Buy one or a combination of the three types of seed offered in this guide: sunflower, Nyjer, and millet. It will attract more birds and waste less money than any other option. If you want more seed options, consider milo, red millet, corn, or canary seed.

Bill Thompson, III, over at Bird Watcher's Digest offers his top 10 picks:

• Mealworms.
• Cracked corn.
• Safflower.
• Nyjer/thistle seed.
• Good mixed seed.
• Suet.
• Peanuts.
• Black-oil sunflower seed.

Full-Spectrum+UV-B lamps made especially for birds are very effective and safe to use if used in the correct way. These lamps are not 'tanning lamps' and direct exposure to human skin should not be allowed. Birds should not be forced to sit more closely than 6” between the birds head and the lamp.