Pick the Perfect Bird Feeder for Your Backyard Guests

Use these tips to choose the right bird feeders for the wild birds in your garden. The various options each have pros and cons and suit specific bird species.

Ready to fill your feeders? See How to Choose the Right Birdseed And Avoid Waste and How to Attract Birds to Your Feeder.

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How to Choose a Bird Feeder

As much as we love watching birds at our feeders, bird feeders should be regarded as a supplemental, non-essential food source. What they truly need for survival is a healthy habitat rich in natural food sources.

Also note that feeders are never recommended if they may attract animals like bears or rats or if there are known bird diseases in the region.

Here are some things to consider when choosing a bird feeder:

• Style | The style of bird feeder you use can determine which birds can and cannot use them. Rather than one feeder for all, consider having several different styles placed some distance apart throughout your yard. This helps prevent larger birds from dominating over the food, reduces stress, and can lower the risk of disease transmission.
• Cleaning | An easy-to-clean and fill feeder makes it much more likely that you’ll keep them clean and disinfected.
• Quality | I’ve never found the perfect feeder but some of the ones shown below are quite good. If you can manage the cost, good feeders can last for many years, proving more economical in the long run.
  
  My best ones are made of metal with few plastic parts. There are some excellent wooden ones but often they are not as long-lasting as the metal ones and can be difficult to disinfect.
• Safety | Anyone can design a bird feeder and that means there are some styles on the market that can harm birds. I’ve shown one example below.

I’ve listed several styles below including the pros and cons.

If you get feeders, consider adding an automated wildlife camera to capture candid moments and see who visits when you’re not around. You can save the images on an SD card. Some also transmit the images by Wi-Fi.

Here are some favorite moments at my backyard bird feeders:

Types of Feeders

1Tray or Platform Feeders

Platform Bird Feeder | Amazon

• These are open feeders that can be placed close to the ground, mounted on stumps or legs, or suspended from a hook or branch.
• Birds can easily access the food, but so can squirrels and other animals, and they leave the feed exposed to the elements, which means you need to clean it daily.
• You often see large tray feeders like this one used for bird cam sites because they are open and roomy, accessible to a variety of birds.

Related: How to Attract Birds to Your Feeder

2Hopper Feeders

• These feeders are somewhat better than platform feeders for protecting seed from the elements which in turn can help prevent mold or rot.
• Suspended from poles or tree branches or mounted on stumps, these feeders are good for larger species.

Related: This describes how blue jays help oak trees with seed propagation.

3Tube Feeders

• There are different types of tube feeders available depending on the birds you want to attract and the size of the seed offered.
• Some are intended for medium and small birds who eat mixed birdseed.
  Mine attract finches, chickadees, titmice, and cardinals, both based on the seed offered and how easy it is to perch.
• There are also the long, narrow feeders with small ports made for nijer seed, which is a tiny seed. This helps avoid waste and offers it just to the smaller birds like goldfinches.

4Squirrel-Proof Feeders

I’ve never found a truly squirrel-proof feeder, but you can definitely slow down their birdseed consumption.

There are squirrel-proof feeders available in both hopper and tube styles.

The feeder shown above works by weight. Lightweight birds can perch and access seed from the ports. When an animal (squirrels, large birds) beyond a certain weight perches, the outer frame will lower, blocking the ports. It’s great when it works but squirrels do come up with clever workarounds.

Dealing With Squirrels

It is unfair to expect birds to be the only visitors to our feeders. It’s normal, natural, and essential survival for all wild animals to feed wherever they can.

Any deterrents used should be ethical and humane.

• Never use things like Vaseline or vegetable oil to grease posts. It can be impossible for animals to clean off grease or oils and this can be harmful ongoing.

• Cayenne pepper as a deterrent is also considered cruel due to its burning properties.

Most squirrels can jump up four feet and leap across ten feet, so, if possible, place your feeders up and away from jumping points.

Related: Get a Backyard Bird Cam

Squirrel Baffles

I have not tried this product, but I have seen others say this addition to a feeder pole makes it impossible for the squirrels to climb up to the feeder. But, you still have to make sure the feeder is not within jumping distance from the ground or a fence.

The pole baffle is another option. The outer edge of the flared part needs to be far enough from the pole that the squirrel can’t reach it.

I’ve seen raccoons get around both of these baffles.

If your feeder is on a pole, consider adding a pvc pipe around it—at least 8 inches in diameter. Some gardeners have good success with this—it makes it very difficult for a squirrel to shimmy up.

Not Recommended

This cage-style of bird feeder is fairly popular, but I don’t like them. The little birds go inside to get food, but, if they are startled, they can injure themselves trying to get away quickly.

5Bird Feeder Cameras

More Backyard Birding Tips

Watch Bird Cameras

~Melissa the Empress of Dirt ♛