Bird Feeders Are An Excellent Way For Attracting Birds

Bird feeders are an excellent way for attracting and feeding birds that normally find their food in bushes, trees, and other off-the-ground places.  Bird feeders come in many different types and styles and are used depending on the species you are trying to attract.

Ground feeding is one way to attract birds that normally take all or part of their food from the ground anyway.  Some problems with ground feeding are that the food is exposed to the weather and is easily accessible to pests.

Keep things simple when you first start out.  Get a couple of bird feeders and fill them with one or two seed types or mixtures.  Start expanding as you learn what type of birds you want to attract. Remember not to put your feeders too close to heavy brush where your neighbor’s cat can hide.  Many types of bird feeders are available in our Nature Shop.

Platform Feeders

The most basic type of bird feeder is a low table with a little lip around it to keep seed from falling off, called a platform feeder.  It is great for a beginning bird feeding program and is ideal for many ground feeders without putting the seed on the ground.  Simple platform feeders can be attached to window sills if you live in an apartment or are trying to bring the birds up close.

There are two basic problems with platform feeders.  There is no protection from the weather and you can’t select the types of birds that come to them.  A flock of aggressive jays or blackbirds can empty one in a very short period, leaving nothing for others that you are trying to attract.

Hopper Feeders

Hopper feeders come in many different styles, shapes and sizes, but many favorites look like little barns or small houses.  At least one side is made of glass or Plexiglas which allows you to see how much seed remains.  Many types of seed mixes can be fed from a hopper feeder.

The basic problem with hoppers is that if filled with mixed seeds birds will litter the ground with the seeds they don’t want while they are looking for the ones they do want.  But this provides food for the ground-feeding birds that might not go to the hopper, so some people don’t consider this a large flaw.

Tube Feeders

Tube feeders are long cylinders, usually made of some type of plastic, with perches at the feeding ports.  They are usually hung by a chain or rope from a tree limb or a pole.  These are the standard bird feeders for small birds like chickadees, titmice, and nuthatches.  Tube feeders are great for screening out the ones that are too big for the perches.

These types of bird feeders provide some protection from the weather, but in high winds they tend to swing and sway which scares off the smaller birds the feeders are designed to attract.

Suet Feeders

A suet feeder is a simple container that holds the suet together and allows access to it. You can also purchase commercial wire baskets that hold the popular sizes of suet cakes.

Suet can become rancid during warm weather.  So you should stop using it during the summer or only put out small portions frequently.  Suet does not require any type of special protection from rain or snow.

Nectar Feeders

Usually called hummingbird feeders they are nothing more than a container of artificial nectar dressed up to look like a flower.  Many inexpensive feeders are available commercially.  Some commercial hummingbird feeders can sometimes be quite ornate, with half a dozen or more feeding holes.  They can also attract birds other than hummingbirds.

The problems with this type of feeder are that the sweet sugar mixture also attracts pests such as yellowjackets and ants and they have to be cleaned more often than the other types of feeders.

If you wish to enjoy the beauty of attracting more than just ground-feeding birds, then you will need to purchase or build one or some of the types of bird feeders just mentioned.  Our bird feeder preference table can give you some idea of the types of feeders to use to attract particular birds.