How to Choose a Wild Bird Feeder - Page 1

This first page discusses bird feeders by shape and style. Feeders designed for specific food sources such as suet, peanuts, mealworms, sugar water and fruit are discussed on the second page.

If you wish to attract certain specific wild birds or if you wish to choose the most popular wild bird seed to attract the largest number of birds, we can help you.

How to Choose Bird Feeders
by Shape and Style

PLATFORM BIRD FEEDERS can be used to feed the largest variety of birds with the largest variety of food. They are frequently used as ground feeders but can be hung, post mounted, pole mounted or attached to windows.

Cardinals love these tray bird feeders! I think every bird that visits backyard feeders will use these feeders except hummingbirds. Depending on what food is in the feeder that would include all finches, sparrows, buntings, grosbeaks, towhees, bluebirds, jays, juncos, chickadees, titmice, nuthatches, orioles, mockingbirds, wrens, robins, thrashers, doves, crossbills, blackbirds, cowbirds and pyrrhuloxias. You may not want all these birds so it is good to monitor your feeders and to choose seeds that will attract the species you wish to attract.

HOPPER BIRD FEEDERS probably have the most variety of styles, shapes and sizes. We have large metal hoppers, decorative metal and acrylic feeders, totally clear polycarbonate bins and baffle combinations and clear globes. We also have metal mesh seed hoppers.

These popular bird feeders can offer a wide variety of food choices including all sunflower seeds, safflower seeds, cracked corn, millet, peanut pieces and mealworms and most backyard birds that use feeders visit hopper bird feeders. These feeders accommodate cardinals, chickadees, titmice, house finches, doves, bluebirds, wrens, sparrows, jays, nuthatches, buntings and the rarer mockingbirds, grosbeaks, robins, towhees, juncos, blackbirds, crossbills, pine siskins and pyrrhuloxias.

Some hopper feeders come with perching bars at the feeding stations but some have little platforms. Cardinals have happily used our hopper feeders even though they might prefer larger platform feeders.

TUBE BIRD FEEDERS attract perching birds such as house finches, American goldfinches, lesser goldfinches, pine siskins, all chickadees, all titmice and more. We've had cardinals use these feeders also.

These tube bird feeders are usually filled with either sunflower seeds, safflower seeds, cracked corn, millet, peanut pieces or thistle (niger or nyjer) seeds or a combination of the above.

(When filled with thistle, these feeders are often called finch feeders. The nyjer seeds are prized by all goldfinches! These seeds are tiny and the feeding ports on a finch feeder are small slits in the polycarbonate tubes.)

Most tube bird feeders are constructed of UV protected polycarbonate. Metal feeding ports, perches, caps and bases will last longer than plastic. You can find tube bird feeders enclosed in squirrel-proof cages. These keep most squirrels away from the precious seeds.

**Add a tray at the bottom and you can also attract birds which like to stand on platforms such as cardinals. (The picture above depicts a cardinal using a tube feeder with a tray.)

WINDOW BIRD FEEDERS use suction cups to attach to windows. They bring birds so close that you can almost count their feathers. This magical opportunity sets the stage for great photos. The view will entertain young and old and everyone in between.

These bird feeders work great for all seeds, nuts, bluebird pellets and mealworms too. You will likely get chickadees, titmice, finches and cardinals to these feeders.

There may be a "breaking in" period with these feeders, as with many new feeders. Birds hesitate to use something they haven't used before and there is the reflection issue from the window. Give the birds some time to accept these feeders because once they are comfortable you will enjoy every minute. A family of Painted Buntings used our feeder at our computer station for the entire season.

How do you make the suction cups stick to the windows? Folks will argue about whether or not you should clean the window first. We've tried it both ways and it has worked but you can try it both ways to find your best solution. The real trick seems to be in oiling the dry cups. You can use a fingertip of cooking oil applied to the center of the cups. Don't smear it all the way to the edges but cover the center of the cups. Press the feeder gently against the window until the cups flatten some. Drag the feeder downward until the cups really grip.

CLINGING BIRD FEEDERS

Some bird watchers really love the little birds such as chickadees and titmice. These birds like to grab and fly. Small clinging bird feeders are perfect for such feeding styles. Clinging feeders may be globe feeders or seed socks. Seed socks usually hold thistle seeds (nyjer seeds) for finches.

BOWL OR DISH BIRD FEEDERS

These bird feeders serve multiple purposes. They can offer all seeds, nuts, corn, mealworms, bread and fruit. They can provide a platform feeding presentation. Most backyard feeding birds will use these feeders.