Hanging a bird feeder is a great way to attract local birds. It’s also not as simple as setting it and forgetting it. It involves taking responsibility for their health and safety, too.
This guide covers everything you need to know about feeders:
- 5 types of feeders & bird food
- how to choose a feeder
- deterring predators
- feeder placement
- 6 tips for success
Why feed birds?
Many people do it for the enjoyment of bird watching but there’s more to bird feeders than seeing birds.Here are a few other reasons to use a bird feeder:
- feel connected to nature
- helps food supply during crop failures
- positive impact on health
Did you know? Humans evolved to feel safe when birds sing. That’s because birds only sing when they’re safe– from natural disasters, weather, predators, and more. Bird song is an indicator that you can relax.
Chickens are known to remember faces and who they like or dislike. Some people even befriend crows, exchanging gifts and even having them swoop in for defense when danger strikes! There's a lot of communion with nature through birds that just feels right.
Whatever your reason for feeding the birds you're on track for living a balanced life.
Types of Feeders
Bird feeders can be broken down based on design or function— either it’s the type of food they hold or they offer some kind of unique feature. Some may even be hybrid feeders that hold more than 1 kind of bird food. For the most part you’ve got 5 types of bird feeders:
- Tube Feeders: Tube shaped gravity feeder for a variety of seed mixes. Nyjer feeders are a special kind of tube feeder with a mesh bag. Mention "anti-clinging" versions for smaller species.
- Hopper Feeders: gravity feeders that often, but not always, look like a small house. These keep seed enclosed and dry in a compartment (the hopper), has a roof, and dispense seed to a tray. Smart feeders are in this category, too. Great for a variety of birds.
- Platform (Tray) Feeders: a shallow tray that can be hung up or sat on the ground. Ground placement has the caveat of being exposed to the elements and pests. Window-mounted feeders are also a type of platform feeder. These are ideal for ground-feeders like doves and sparrows.
- Suet Feeders: Suet is a high fat bird food in cake or dough form. On its own, suet is a common cooking fat made from beef, lamb, or mutton. Suet bird food is often hard and combined with seed or nuts and can sometimes be made of nuts instead of suet fat. Birds that eat suet include woodpeckers, nuthatches, and starlings.
- Nectar Feeders: some birds’ diet consists of nectar, or a sugar water. They need to metabolize the food quickly for energy due to high activity and calorie burn. These birds are mostly hummingbirds and orioles.
Nectar feeders are most common in the spring and summer when hummingbirds migrate further north. They can be found in the US Gulf Coast, along the Pacific from California to Arizona, Mexico, and Central American in winter. Where applicable you can keep a nectar feeder year round.
- Related: 9 Ways to Attract Hummingbirds
Choosing a Feeder
There's plenty of overlap of which birds will visit your feeders. Here's a breakdown of which birds visit which types of feeders. Since native birds vary by region use this as a non-exhaustive rubric. Save the bird feeder guide below for quick reference.
Tube Feeders - small songbirds like finches, juncos, chickadees, jays, grosbeaks, sparrows, doves, blackbirds
Hopper Feeders - cardinals, buntings, grosbeaks, jays, nuthatches, titmice, **** sparrows, chickadees
Tray Feeders - blackbirds, pigeons, jays, juncos, doves, grosbeaks, sparrows, towhees, quail
Suet Feeders - woodpeckers, chickadees, nuthatches, wrens, warblers, jays, goldfinches, redpolls, buntings
Nectar Feeders - hummingbirds, orioles, mockingbirds, waxwings, tanagers, warblers
The only "standout" feeders are nectar feeders. Hummingbirds and orioles are primary nectar eaters whereas the other birds eat a variety of foods.
You can’t go wrong with any feeder you choose. The birds will be grateful to have a helping hand!
What you need to know about bird food
Different species have different dietary needs. The bird feed or bird seed you choose to put out largely depends on which birds are native to your area. Other factors include migration, eruptions from crop failure, and season. For example, the cold weather climate isn’t suitable for nectar feeders (and the primary nectar eaters have all migrated south).
There are 5 main types of bird feed:
- Black Oil Sunflower Seeds: The universal seed that attracts the widest variety.
- Safflower Seeds: The "secret weapon"—most birds love safflower seeds, but squirrels and grackles hate the bitter taste.
- Nyjer (Thistle): Nyjer seeds are small black seeds from the African Daisy plant. It’s high in oil making it a great high-energy food for birds. Nyjer is often labeled thistle even though it’s not. Marketers chose this because finches love thistle and it would grab the attention of people who already catered their to finches.
- Peanuts & Nut Mixes: Birds love nuts. We recommend shelled nuts for less feeder mess. You can use peanuts, pine nuts, pecans, almonds, and many more. They’re great snacks for jays and woodpeckers.
- Fruit: fresh or dried fruit (without added sugar) are great foods to add to your feeders. Esser known berries are the most popular like holly, juniper, and mulberry. You can even tie slices or oranges and grapefruit to trees.
Make sure to avoid cheap "filler" mixes containing mostly red milo, wheat, or oats. Birds usually just toss these on the ground but companies make these mixes to give you the appearance of variety. There’s no sense buying something the birds won’t eat even if it’s cheaper.
Please never feed birds bread. It lacks nutrition for birds but makes them feel full, causing malnourishment. It can even cause death in cold climates or winter when calories are necessary to keep body heat up. We understand it's tempting to use stale bread or crackers to attract ducks but it's terribly bad for them. Toss them frozen peas, raw unflavored oats, or leafy greens.
You can also keep dried mealworms on hand for ducks and other birds.
Feeder Placement
As they say in real estate, “location, location, location.” Nothing matters more than location. You can have the best feeder and food but if you place it wrong your results will be amiss. A few safety measures are a must for feeder placement.
Window Clearance: Place feeders within 3 feet of a window (to prevent high-speed collisions) or more than 15 feet away. Remember that old windex commercial?
Birds can’t tell what a window is and can often crash into them leading to injury or death. Try adding window decals. They use UV reflection to give warnings to birds that there’s something there.
Decals are great if you want to place the feeder near a window for your viewing pleasure.
Cover & Protection: Put bird feeders near shrubs or trees so birds can quickly hide from hawks, but not so close that cats can hide and pounce. An ideal distance is about 10–12 feet. Putting the feeder in an area that’s more difficult for birds of prey to pluck them up is recommended— they won’t visit your feeder if they feel unsafe!
Finally pick a spot based on the birds you’ve got. There’s no sense deviating from what works if there are hot spots in your yard. Got ground feeding birds like doves, juncos, sparrows, and thrushes? Put your feeder low or on the ground, under the cover of small shrubs.
Want to target insectivores that scavenge in trees, like chickadees, robins, waxwings, titmice, jays, and woodpeckers? Hang higher up and near natural cover.
Deterring Predators
Squirrels are public enemy #1 for bird feeders. They’re persistent, agile, and cunning. They steal your birds’ food and scare them off. Mice and chipmunks can be a problem for feeders. Other predators like raccoons, snakes, cats, and birds of prey will scare birds away from using your feeders or houses. Here are some ways to keep your birds safe:
- The 5-7-9 Rule: Squirrels can jump 5 feet up, 7 feet across, and drop from 9 feet above. Following the placement rules from above, keep feeders and birdhouses away from natural perches. This also means choosing birdhouses without perches. Check out our article to learn how to choose a safe bird house.
- Incorporate predator guards
- Weight-Activated Feeders: You can add a mechanisms that close the ports when a heavy squirrel lands.
- Hot Pepper Seeds: Birds can’t taste capsaicin, the spicy part of hot peppers, but mammals find it painful. Sprinkle in some spicy pepper or hot pepper seeds with the bird food to teach squirrels and other mammals not to eat the bird food.
6 Tips for Success
Creating an inviting and safe environment is essential for birds to visit your feeder. Here's how you can prime yourself for success:
Use native plants
- Natural food sources and shelter from shrubs, trees, and the like creates a habitat birds want to be in. Consider adding berry bushes that have mulberry or juniper. You can also keep small potted plants like flowers on decks and patios to encourage birds.
Avoid chemicals and pesticides
- Many chemicals directly harm birds, wildlife, and insect populations, a core food group for birds. Fledglings especially need insect protein to thrive. Yard treatment chemicals have a direct effect on birds' ability to feed and reproduce. Pesticides and other chemicals can impair the food web and reproduction cycles of birds and their food sources, creating lasting effects.
- Take bees for example. Dwindling populations are partly attributed to pesticide exposure. Pesticides are linked to early death and birth cohorts almost have the size as bees not exposed-- producing around 42% less larvae. Pollinators are necessary for many bird's food and the human food supply chain. Both hang in a delicate balance.
- A simple weed killer on your driveway effects your future more than you think.
Get a bird bath
- Birds need water year round for drinking and bathing. Unlike people, they use the same source for both purposes. Pedestal bird baths make bird watching easier. When they're made of plastic or resin, it's best to stake them down to keep from falling over in windy conditions. Stone or ceramic bird baths are less likely to fall over.
Follow placement and predator precautions
- Feeders out in the open where birds of prey can dive bomb or swoop in for their next meal aren't inviting environments. Using natural plants and predator guards to obfuscate is a must.
Use bird houses
- When in doubt add a bird house. Place it at least 5 ft away from the feeder, though, since birds don't eat and sleep in the same area for safety reasons. Having shelter nearby to rest, roost, and weather the elements is key. Birds will use it to nest in the spring and will want food sources nearby for fledglings. You can add shelter options for rain and predators to increase comfort, too.
- Related: 5 Best Winter Bird Houses
Store bird seed properly
- Bird food should be stored in a cool, dry place in an airtight container. This keeps bird seed from growing mold, bacteria, or fungus which can harm birds. Keep in mind that prolonged heat exposure nukes the nutritional value of some foods, like sunflower seeds. We recommend
Clean your feeders
- Feeders are best cleaned between refilling during dry conditions. Clean feeders help keep House Finch Eye Disease and Salmonellosis at bay. Consider changing bird seed more frequently with higher humidity and dampness to keep bird seed safe. Nectar feeders need more frequent cleanings. The nectar spoils easily in warm weather and poses a health risk for the birds. Check out our article below for cleaning tips.
Related: 5 Steps to Clean Hummingbird Feeders
Choose a sturdy pole
- Would you eat at a restaurant where tables collapsed during your meal? Choose a sturdy connection to secure your feeder of choice. Bird feeding poles are a popular way to hang feeders, bird baths, and birdhouses. The base should be at least one foot in diameter with 3 or more prongs that are 6 inches long.
- Use a rubber mallet to help secure it in the ground to prevent leaning or falling. You can add weights like a cinder block on top of the anchors (1 on each side) if your pole is prone to leaning.
What birds have been to your feeders lately? Got a favorite bird feeder brand worth sharing?
Share them on the Sparkbird App! Available in the Apple App Store.