Birds are pretty specific about what type of structure they need for nesting. or example, if you have a bird house and the opening is too large, smaller birds will not use it. I'm not sure what type of bird would use a gourd for a nest. You may find some info on Google about this. Also,wherever did your friend got it, they probably can tell you for whom it was intended.
You can buy ready-made mixtures of bird seed that will entice most seed-eating birds. They usually contain things like millet, sunflower seed, cracked corn, thistle seeds. Some birds like robins are insect eaters. They will get their own food by pulling up worms from the ground and eating whatever type of insect they can catch.
Also, if you have a bird feeder, the best type have several perches for birds to stand on while they select seeds. This is because not many birds can eat seeds on-the-fly.
The big problem with bird feeders is that squirrels think they are squirrel feeders. Even the most cleverly designed "squirrel-proof" ones will only deter them for a little while. I guess everyone has to eat and the enjoyment you will get from seeing so many lovely birds is well worth putting up with a few greedy squirrels!