Bird Feeder Basics
Bird Feeders
The fastest way to a bird's heart is definitely through their
stomach. Put up a backyard bird feeder and birds will certainly
come to feed in your yard. Where you live determines what you'll
see because of differences in birds' range and habitat
preferences. As words spread about your feeder, the kinds of
birds and the size of crowd will increase. Even if you live in
the city where it seems pigeons and house sparrows are the only
birds on earth, you'll get surprise visitors that find your food
or stop in on migration.
Bird Feeder Basics
When you shop for bird feeders, you'll find your choices are
almost limitless. You may wonder how to decide what to buy. Here
are some hints.
Ease of use - The most important factor in choosing a feeder is
how easy it is to use - for both the owner and the birds. You
want a feeder that's easy to fill and that holds a reasonable
amount of seed. If you are just getting started, look for a
feeder that displays seed in full view because birds are
attracted by the sight of food and by the sight of other birds
eating. An open tray is great for starters.
Make sure your bird feeder has plenty of room for birds to eat
without protrusions or decorations getting in the way. Birds also
like a feeder with a raised ledge or perch that they can grasp
while eating.
Size - When birds come to a bird feeder, they want food, and they
wait it fast. Choose a main tray feeder that's big enough for at
least a dozen birds to eat at once. Supplement that with hopper-
and tube-type bird feeders. Domed feeders are great for small
birds like chickadees. Feeders inside wire cages give small birds
a place to eat and peace without competition from starlings or
other larger birds. Once you have one or two large bird feeder
you can add as many smaller feeders as you like.
Quality - Make sure your bird feeder is well made. A sturdy,
simple, but beautiful feeder costs more than you'd think. Expect
to pay $30 - $75 for a feeder that will last for years.
Tray (Platform) Feeders
A must have for any backyard is a simple wooden tray feeder. It's
big, it's easy to fill, and it accommodates several birds. The
other feeders pick up the overflow and they can be stocked with
treats. Cardinals, finches, jays, grosbeaks, bluebirds,
blackbirds, nuthatches, chickadees, titmice, and buntings all
prefer an open tray feeder. The only birds reluctant to us a tray
feeder mounted on a post are ground-feeding birds. A very low
tray on stumped legs will accommodate these birds, which include
native sparrows, quail, towhees, and doves. You can put any kind
of seed in a tray except for small Niger, lettuce, and grass
seeds, which are prone to blow away or get wasted. Platform
feeders are also good places to put out doughnuts, bread crumbs
and fruit.
Platform feeders with a roof are often called fly-through
feeders. One problem with tray feeders is that plenty of seed
gets kicked to the ground. Adding raised edges to a platform
feeder transforms it into tray feeder.
Tray feeders can be hung. A popular hanging model, the Droll
Yankees X-l Seed saver is protected by a dome to keep seed dry
and prevent squirrels from raiding. This feeder works especially
well as a mealworm feeder.
Hopper Feeders
Hopper-style bird feeders with plastic or glass enclosures that
dole out seed as they're needed, are an efficient choice because
seed is used as needed and large amounts aren't exposed to wet or
snowy weather, or kicked out by scratching birds. Many birds,
including chickadees, nuthatches, titmice, cardinals, jays, and
woodpeckers, eat eagerly at a hopper feeder. Make sure the tray
of a hopper-style bird feeder has enough room for more than two
or three birds to gather and eat, and check to see if the feeder
will be easy to clean if seed spoils in bad weather. Be
especially careful if you mount your hopper feeder permanently in
the garden. If the hopper or frame blocks the tray, the feeder
may be very hard to clean.
Hopper feeders are not always rectangular. They can be many-sided
or tubular, resembling a gazebo, lantern, or silo, and may be
called by those names. A popular round hopper design is the Sky
Cafe by Arundale, a hanging feeder made entirely of clear
polycarbonate. The hopper and feeding platform are protected by a
large, steeply sloped hood designed to detour squirrels. The idea
of a large dome above a feeder to protect it from squirrels is
incorporated in a number of feeder designs, including Droll
Yankees' Big Top.
One of the most significant innovations in hopper feeders has
been the "squirrel-proof" models created by Heritage Farms, such
as The Absolute II. Birds must sit on a rail to reach the seed
tray. The rail has a counterweight that can be adjusted so that a
squirrel's weight or that of a jay or blackbird will cause the
shield to lower in front of the tray.
Wire-Mesh Feeders
Perfect for holding shelled peanuts wire-mesh feeders are fun to
watch. Blue jays, woodpeckers, and chickadees can cling to the
mesh and pick seeds out one at a time. Squirrels can pick seeds
too, but one seed at a time can be painfully slow. Wire-mesh
feeders work equally well dispensing black oil sunflower seeds
and most other larger seeds. Small, round millet grains pour
through the openings and are not a good choice for these
feeders.
Most commercial wire-mesh feeders are tubular, but some are
shaped like hoppers and may be attached to a platform where birds
can perch to feed, rather than having to cling to the mesh.
Mesh bags, often called thistle socks, are also available for
dispensing Niger seed. Refillable socks made of fabric and
disposable ones made of plastic are available. Squirrels or rain
can quickly ruin thistle socks, so hang them in a protected
place.
Window Feeders
Years ago, before the fancy screens and storm windows, many
people simply scattered a handful of crumbs or seeds for the
birds on their windowsills. You can mount a simple shallow tray
feeder on the outside of a window, mounting it like a window box
(but higher and closer to the pane). You can use wooden or metal
brackets that attach below the sill or on the sill. Perfect for
kids and indoor cats - many window feeders attach with suction
cups. Typically made of clear plastic, models by Aspects,
Duncraft and K-Feeders are among those available.
The most popular window feeders are made by the Birding Company.
A one-way mirror allows the feeding activity to be observed while
keeping the birds from being disturbed. The feeders need to be
placed in a sunny spot for the one-way mirror to work. The feeder
can be cleaned and food replaced from inside the house.
Tube Feeders
Simple tube feeders are a perfect example of form matching
function. They're self-contained, so seed stays dry; they hold a
good quantity of seed, so they don't need refilling too often;
and they can accommodate several birds at one time. Not all tube
feeders are created equal though. You should invest a few extra
dollars in the more expensive feeders such as Duncraft or Droll
Yankees. The tube itself is sturdier, the feeding holes are
designed better so there's less spillage or feeds as birds eat,
and the heavier metal used on top and bottom makes the feeder
much more stable. Being heavier they don't swing as easily in the
wind scattering seed on the ground.
Tube feeders are welcomed by goldfinches, purple finches, pine
siskins, chickadees, and house finches, who seem to know they can
eat in peace there without being disturbed by the bigger birds.
The size of the hole (port) determines whether you have a feeder
that should be filled with Niger, birdseed mix or sunflower
seeds.
There are two styles of tube feeders. One is designed with small
feeding ports for the tiny Niger seeds; the other has larger
ports for such seeds as black oil sunflower, safflower, or mixed
seed.
Not all tube feeders are cylinders. There are tube feeders with
three, four, or more sides. It is the idea of feeding ports built
into the elongated seed container that makes a feeder a tube
feeder.
The Droll Yankees A6 Tube Feeder is still a top seller. Droll
Yankee feeders have a lifetime guarantee. Other variations
include Perky Pet's Upside-Down Thistle Feeder. Perches are
placed above the feeding ports so that seed can be accessed only
by finches that can feed upside down, a design that excludes
house finches.
Two or three tubes are sometimes ganged together, as the Opus
TopFlight Triple Tube Feeder. With a total of 12 ports, it can
feed more birds than a single tube, and it also has the option of
being filled with a different seed type in each tube.
Most tube feeders are made of transparent plastic, but Vari-Craft
makes particularly attractive tube feeders of white PVC. Ports
are made of a hard plastic. A squirrel-proof model is available
with stainless steel ports.
Most tube feeders can be fitted with round trays underneath that
catch spillage from birds like finches, which are notoriously
messy eaters. The tray serves double duty as a small platform
feeder for such birds as cardinals and doves, which benefit from
the slung seed.
Tube feeders are sometimes placed inside a wire-mesh cage for
protection from squirrels. Cages also keep large birds like
grackles from perching on a tray and reaching up to the feeder
ports.
Nectar Feeders
Sweet sugar water, or nectar, is a huge draw for hummingbirds.
Put up a nectar feeder and you're practically guaranteed to get
hummers. The birds search for red and deep orange-red flowers,
andanything that color will bring them in for a closer look. Your
nectar feeder may also attract other birds with a sweet tooth,
including orioles, house finches, and woodpeckers. In the wild
these birds would satisfy that craving with real nectar from
flowers, or a sip of sugary tree sap or fruit juice. The sugar
boost gives them quick calories and the energy needed to live.
As with other bird feeders, look for a nectar feeder that's easy
to fill and easy to clean. Make sure you can remove the base to
clean out the feeding holes. Bee guards of gridded plastic over
the feeder openings are a necessity unless you like to watch
constant battles between wasps and hummingbirds.
Suet Feeders
Suet feeders are not nearly as complex as some seed feeders. They
can be as simple as a mesh sack - the kind often used for onions
and potatoes. Toss a chunk of raw suet in an empty mesh sack and
hang it on a tree trunk or from a branch or pole.
A popular way of presenting suet is in homemade suet logs.
Perches are not necessary and if used will attract grackles and
starlings. Woodpeckers and small clinging birds can get a grip on
the rough wood. Stuffed with suet, these logs have woodpeckers as
regular visitors. Standing dead trees can be drilled and filled
like giant suet logs. If meant to attract woodpeckers, a suet
feeder is likely to be found most quickly if it is attached
initially to a tree trunk. Once the woodpeckers have found it,
the feeder can be moved to other spots and the birds will
follow.
Suet cages are sometimes combined with bird feeders. Health
Manufacturing makes a beautiful redwood hopper feeder with suet
cages at either end, the Classic Suet 'n Seed Feeder. Woodlink
makes a similar model with a copper roof.
About the Author
Louise Desmarteau is the Owner of BirdShopper.com, an online e-tailer offering the highest quality wild bird feeders and birdhouses on the market today. BirdShopper's staff is very knowledgeable and can assist you with any questions you might have in selecting the product(s) that are right for you. Visit BirdShopper today.