Wild Bird Feeders - Information and Advice

There are many different kinds of wild bird feeders on the market today, but when you boil it all down, they all can fit into just a few categories of feeders.

Our goal with this section of our site is to help you determine what type of feeder you may need to get and to give you some basic information that can assist you when you are ready to make that purchase for your own backyard.

Of all the different types of wild bird feeders out there, I feel they can all be basically broken down into just a few categories. The platform feeders, hopper style, tube feeders, window feeders which are all basically seed feeders. Then you have suet feeders and of course the nectar feeders for hummingbirds.

This tube feeder is used to feed finches. They are using mixed seed here, but with the proper feeder you could use Nyger seed as well. The holes are just slightly smaller.

When your shopping for wild bird feeders, you do have many choices to choose from. You can get some basic, simple and inexpensive feeders to use or you can look at the many unique bird feeders that are out there as well.

Regardless of what you decide to buy, in my opinion, the ideal wild bird feeders would offer a few basic features.

They should be made of sturdy construction and they should be tight fitting to help keep your food dry. They should also be easy to put together and take apart and your wild bird feeders should be easy to keep clean. Something often neglected with the backyard enthusiast, but a very important detail indeed.

Fun Fact: Placement of your wild bird feeders shouldn't be closer than 10' to your house or window.

Your backyard birds might get hurt when the feeders are only a couple feet from the house and windows. They don't see the glass and fly right into it. The exception would be if you are using an actual window feeder.

Another important point is, below I tell you what types wild bird feeders bring in what types of birds, but that really is dictated by what kind of seed you use as well. For example, in a platform or hopper feeder you might use sunflower seed verse a small seed. That would bring in some of the bigger birds I am talking about.

If you took the same feeder and brought in a smaller seed verse a sunflower seed, it might bring a smaller type bird to your feeder. We have sections for specific birds as well and they discuss what type of seed each bird prefers.

Tray or Platform Feeders

These types of feeders tend to attract a large variety of birds from cardinals to blue jays, grosbeaks, sparrows, pigeons etc. Again it depends on the seed that you use.

They can have a covering or not so they offer little of no protection from the elements and bird droppings. Because of this, they do need to have good drainage, so the bottom should be made with a screen and it should be easy to remove for cleaning.

These feeders can be extended and hung by a chain from a tree, mounted on a pole or put closer to the ground to attract ground feeders like the blue jay. It really is your choice how you set them up and that could dictate the type of birds you get.

The Hopper or House Feeder

This type of feeder will attract many birds from finches to cardinals, blue jay and chickadees.

It will also attract the squirrels like the platform type does so you would want to get one with squirrel baffles. This type of feeder is basically a platform with walls and a roof so it does offer much better protection from the elements and bird droppings.

Another advantage with this feeder is it can hold a large amount of seed. Depending on the style you get it might hold up to several days worth of food.

Fun fact: Black oil sunflower seed is by far the most popular among backyard enthusiasts.

This seed has a thinner shell which is easier for the birds to break open plus it offers a high amount of fat which is best for winter feeding.

Window Bird Feeders

This feeder is generally made of plastic and attaches to your window with suction cups.

These feeders might attract smaller birds like finches and chickadees to name a couple. The fun part is these birds are so close to you, you get great close up views of them.

The disadvantage with these feeders is the seed should be changed daily and the feeder should be cleaned regularly since the birds tend to stand in them while eating.

Tube Feeders

These feeders are a hollow tube that will keep your seed dry and attract the smaller birds like sparrows and finches.

They can offer one size hole for using a mixed seed feed mix or a bit smaller hole for Nyger seed. Some will say these feeders will slow up the squirrels, but not by much. I have actually seen them chew through the plastic so if you hang these, try to hang them with squirrel baffles as well.

That should help a little bit. Also, one with a cage around it like the one shown below would help.

You can get these wild bird feeders with larger holes as well so you can offer sunflower seeds. This will not only attract the goldfinches, but it will also attract the larger birds to your yard.

You can buy them with the perch above the feeding hole for birds that prefer to eat upside down like a goldfinch or with the perch below the hole.

Nyger feeders can be the tube type that we are talking about here or a mess bag to hold your food. They can hold either thistle or Nyger seed. There is a difference.

When trying to slow up the squirrels you can get a cage feeder pictured here. This is basically a tube feeder with a cage around it. It will keep the larger squirrels out, but not chipmunks, red squirrels or other smaller rodents.

Fun Fact: Nyger seed is great for attracting finches. They love this seed and the squirrels hate it.

That is one way you can slow up the squirrels. Just have what they don't like.

Suet Feeder

These feeders are constructed with wire mess or they can be a mesh type bag. They can be nailed or hung from a tree.

In my opinion the wire mess is probably the safer type to use. These type of feeders can attract woodpeckers, nuthatches, blue jays, chickadees etc. They tend to do better in cold weather otherwise the food that is in there can get rancid quickly.

There are other specialty feeders that you can get as well like meal-worm feeders, thistle and peanut feeders.

Also if you are interested in humming bird feeders just follow this link. We have a whole section for those birds.

Cleaning Your Wild Bird Feeders

If you really care about your birds, it is a must that you keep your feeders clean and disease free. If you don't clean them regularly, moldy decomposing seeds and bird droppings (depending on your feeder) can cause the spread of disease and make your birds sick or even worse.

We have specific instructions for cleaning your hummingbird feeders. You can follow the link above. For all your other feeders below is how to clean those feeders.

I would recommend cleaning your wild bird feeders at least once every two to three weeks. Even more if they are getting heavy use or you are in a weather pattern where you are getting a great deal of rain.

Most often you can get by with using just hot soapy water to clean your feeders however if they are getting really bad you can soak them in a water / bleach solution. I would recommend 9 parts water to one part bleach.

I would soak the feeder for a few minutes, rinse it very well and make sure that it is completely dried before you use it again.

I would also suggest that you clean the ground below your feeders. Some birds do eat off the ground and old decaying seed would not be good for them either.

Best places to put your wild bird feeders:

Obviously you want to put your feeders where you can watch the birds, but beyond that I would make sure that it is a quiet place as well. A great deal of commotion and excitement will keep the birds away.

Putting them some place close to a natural shelter like trees and shrubs works the best. Areas like this offer the birds a place to rest and eat. This would also give them refuge from predators. Evergreens are ideal for acting as a refuge from predators plus they make a great buffer from the wind.

Well good luck. I hope you found our page on wild bird feeders helpful and happy bird watching.

SBI!

Wild Bird Feeders - Basic and Helpful Information