How to Choose a Wild Bird Feeder - Page 2

This second page about choosing bird feeders discusses feeders by food type. If you wished to learn about bird feeders by design and shape such as platform, hopper, tube, etc. please visit our first page.

How to Choose Bird Feeders
Designed for Specific Foods

SUET BIRD FEEDERS are usually manufactured to accommodate pre-packaged suet cakes and blocks. These suet products can be plain or they can have ingredients mixed in to enhance their appeal to wild birds. Berries, insects, peanuts, peppers, egg shells and other added ingredients can help you attract more wild birds to your feeding stations.

Suet bird feeders could help you attract the following wild birds: Woodpeckers, nuthatches, wrens, chickadees, titmice, jays, bluebirds, grosbeaks, warblers, tanagers, sparrows, roadrunners, juncos, towhees, kinglets, thrashers, mockingbirds, buntings, red polls and kinglets.

PEANUT BIRD FEEDERS are often called mesh feeders or caged feeders. They hold shelled peanuts and peanut pieces. Some of these feeders will accommodate sunflower seeds, safflower seeds and cracked corn too. These feeders can be crafted of metal tubes with holes punched out.

Woodpeckers, chickadees, titmice, jays, nuthatches, finches, towhees and wrens enjoy visiting these peanut bird feeders.

MEALWORM BIRD FEEDERS attract bluebirds better than any other bird feeders. Mealworms can be purchased and preserved in the refrigerator until needed. Bluebirds can be taught to use the enclosed feeders. (See instructions on the mealworm bird feeders page.) This preserves the precious mealworms for the equally precious bluebirds. In other words, other bigger birds won't devour the mealworms before the bluebirds get to them. You can always offer mealworms in other feeders too.

Many birds will eat mealworms including bluebirds, chickadees, titmice, finches, tanagers, flycatchers, robins, warblers, woodpeckers and mockingbirds.

THISTLE TUBE BIRD FEEDERS FOR FINCHES actually hold nyjer seeds. Anyone who has ever fed goldfinches can testify to the effectiveness of these feeders for attracting the beautiful yellow and black birds. American goldfinches, Lesser Goldfinches, House Finches and Pine Siskins will readily use these tube feeders. You want to serve fresh nyjer seeds so we wouldn't recommend buying a years worth of seed at one time. Use a reliable store and educate them about keeping fresh seeds on hand.

FRUIT BIRD FEEDERS are another way to add variety to your bird feeding station. You can attract more birds when you offer more than seeds. Orange halves are very popular with orioles (and grape jelly) but many other birds will enjoy some fruit also. I've even seen cardinals nibbling at the fruit. Mockingbirds and robins may visit these feeders so keep watching! An added benefit of fruit feeders is that they often attract butterflies.

SUGAR WATER FEEDERS FOR HUMMINGBIRDS are an excellent way to attract hummingbirds if your flowers aren't doing the trick and if you wish to supplement the food supply for these incredible birds. Keeping these feeders clean and full of fresh sugar water is a joy when you see the eager hummingbirds vying for positions. If you have aggressive birds, need to know how to mix the correct ratio of sugar to water or if you have more questions about hummingbirds, please visit our hummingbirds section before leaving us today.