Bird feeding has become an increasingly popular hobby for people who love watching and learning about our feathered friends. With so many different types of bird feeders available, it can be tricky to know which style birds like best. This article will explore the pros and cons of various bird feeder designs to help you pick the right one to attract birds to your yard.
Hopper or Tube Feeders
Hopper or tube feeders are cylindrical containers that hold birdseed and dispense it through holes as birds feed. These are one of the most common styles of bird feeders and are popular with many backyard bird enthusiasts. Here are some key points about hopper and tube feeders:
- Hold a good amount of seed – Hoppers can hold several pounds of seed so you don’t have to refill as often.
- Protect seed from weather – The seed is covered so it stays dry in rain and snow.
- Feed many birds at once – The multiple feeding ports allow many birds to eat at the same time.
- Easy to use and fill – These feeders are simple to fill through a top opening. Just pour seed in.
- Accommodate various seeds – You can put sunflower seeds, mixed seed, peanuts, and more in hopper feeders.
- May attract messy eaters – Aggressive birds like starlings may kick out a lot of seed.
- Can jam – Seed hulls or other debris can sometimes clog the feeding ports.
Overall, tube and hopper feeders are excellent for attracting many common feeder birds like chickadees, finches, nuthatches, sparrows, mourning doves, blue jays, and cardinals.
Platform or Tray Feeders
Platform feeders are flat trays or platforms that hold birdseed, usually mixed seed or sunflower seeds. Some key advantages and disadvantages are:
- Allow easy access – Birds can perch on the tray and freely feed.
- Good for messy eaters – The open design lets birds toss seed casings off the feeder.
- May attract non-seed eaters – Platforms attract insects which draws insect-eating birds.
- Accommodate fruit slices – Platforms easily hold chopped fruit and mealworms.
- Need frequent refilling – The open design means birds eat seed faster.
- Seed gets wet – Rain can ruin the seed if the feeder isn’t covered.
- Prone to seed hull build up – Seed casings accumulate needing cleaning.
Platform feeders appeal to birds like mourning doves, juncos, towhees, cardinals, grosbeaks, waxwings, robins, and jays.
Suet Feeders
Suet feeders hold suet cakes or plugs made of fat, nuts, seeds, and fruit to provide birds a high-energy food source. Suet feeders attract insect-eating birds and are especially popular in winter when insects are scarce. Here are key suet feeder facts:
- Energy dense food – Suet is high calorie to help birds survive cold weather.
- Special treat – Suet complements seeds and expands food options for birds.
- Draws insect eaters – Woodpeckers, nuthatches, wrens, and chickadees favor suet.
- Use with suet or seed cakes – Fill with premade suet cakes or make your own seed-based suet.
- Prone to melting in summer – Switch to no-melt suet in warm weather.
- Can get messy – Suet is sticky and melts if temperatures get too warm.
In addition to the birds above, tufted titmice, cardinals, starlings, and jays also like suet.
Nectar Feeders
Nectar feeders hold a sugar water solution to attract hummingbirds and orioles. Key features include:
- Provide important food for nectar-feeders – Hummingbirds get most of their diet from flower nectar and tree sap.
- Specially designed for petite birds – Tiny, moat-like feeding ports accommodate hummingbird’s long bills.
- Easy to make nectar – Mix plain white sugar and water, no need to buy premade nectar.
- Should be cleaned frequently – Nectar spoils rapidly in heat so wash every few days.
- May attract bees, wasps – Insects are also drawn to the sweet nectar.
- Prone to ants – Ants will crawl in and drown unless using an ant guard.
Orioles and hummingbirds are the key visitors to nectar feeders. Orioles also happily drink grape jelly from these feeders.
Nyjer Feeders
Nyjer feeders specifically cater to finches with their tiny tubular ports that dispense tiny nyjer seeds. Here’s an overview:
- Hold very small nyjer seed – Specially sized for smaller bills of finches.
- Foil port design – Discourages use by larger birds like sparrows and starlings.
- Finches’ favorite food – Nyjer seed has a high oil content perfect for finches.
- More expensive seed – Nyjer costs more than mixes or sunflower.
- Thistle seed is very small – Can be messy around the feeder as it drops.
- Need heavy seed baffles – Baffles prevent squirrels from stealing the pricy nyjer.
Goldfinches, siskins, redpolls, and pine siskins are attracted to nyjer feeders.
Mealworm Feeders
Mealworm feeders serve live mealworms to provide birds, especially in winter, with an essential source of protein. Key mealworm feeder facts:
- Provide essential protein – Birds need protein from insects, especially in breeding season.
- Helps insect-eating birds get nutrients – Chickadees, nuthatches, creepers eat live mealworms.
- Keeps worms fresh longer – Ventilated designs keep worms alive and accessible to birds longer.
- Can be messy – Worms may crawl out and get squashed, creating a mess.
- Labor intensive – Requires constantly checking and replenishing worms.
- May attract predators – Mealworm activity can draw unwanted skunks, rats, etc.
Bluebirds, robins, wrens, thrushes, woodpeckers, and mockingbirds will come to mealworm feeders.
Window Feeders
Window feeders attach right to window glass to provide an up close view as birds feed just inches away. Key considerations for window feeders are:
- Offer front row view – See details like feather coloring at very close proximity.
- Allow easy observation – Watch behavior through the window from inside.
- Detach for cleaning – Easily take down to clean and refill.
- May attract window strikes – Confusing reflections can cause bird collisions.
- Only holds small amounts of seed – Frequent refilling required.
- Woodpeckers may damage – Woodpeckers may peck and crack plastic feeders.
All feeder birds will visit window feeders if placed correctly. Position away from reflections and clear views to outside.
Ground Feeders
Ground feeders simply scatter seed on the ground or have a tray floor allowing access by ground feeding birds. Here are key ground feeder facts:
- Accommodate ground feeding birds – Doves, juncos, towhees naturally feed on the ground.
- Provide accessibility – Ground level access is essential for disabled or young birds.
- Allow large flocks – Larger groups can gather compared to restricted feeder space.
- Prone to seed waste – Seed gets buried, wet, or uneaten more readily.
- Draws squirrels – Difficult to restrict ground feeding rodents.
- Increased risk of disease – Droppings can accumulate and spread bacteria.
Sparrows, doves, quail, pheasants, juncos, towhees, larks, and more ground dwellers will come.
Peanut Feeders
Peanut feeders cater specifically to birds that favor peanuts and larger seeds. Key peanut feeder considerations are:
- Hold peanuts and large seeds – Dispenses whole peanuts, big seeds, and hearts.
- Favored by large billed birds – Nuthatches, woodpeckers, and jays can crack large nuts.
- Provides high fat food – Peanuts offer high calorie fat and protein.
- May attract rodents – Peanuts draw competitive squirrels.
- Choking hazard concern – Peanut pieces could choke smaller birds.
- Heavy feeder requiring sturdy mount – Holds up to several pounds when full.
Chickadees, titmice, woodpeckers, grackles, starlings, and jays enjoy peanuts.
Oriole Feeders
Oriole feeders cater to the food preferences of colorful orioles offering nectar and fruit. Key features of oriole feeders include:
- Provide nectar and jelly – Orioles sip nectar and eat fruit jellies.
- Allow access to larger birds – Larger ports suit orioles’ bigger bills.
- Bright colors attract orioles – Orioles are drawn to orange and the color contrasts with green jelly.
- Discourages smaller birds – Larger ports prevent smaller birds from easily accessing jelly.
- Only attracts orioles in range – Only useful if orioles are in your area.
- Jelly can melt and drip in hot weather – No-melt jelly helps avoid this.
The Baltimore oriole is the primary visitor attracted to oriole specific feeders.
Conclusion
When choosing a bird feeder, it’s important to match the feeder design and seed or food offered with the species you want to attract. The feeders suited for ground birds won’t work well for insect eaters. Think about your goal for bird feeding – do you want to observe maximum variety or target a particular species? Providing assorted feeder styles and foods will attract the greatest diversity of birds. Make sure to also place feeders in suitable spots to keep seed dry while also offering birds shelter and protection from predators.
Here are some final tips for great results with different feeder types:
- Tube feeders – Use mesh tubes to reduce waste.
- Platform feeders – Add drainage holes so rain won’t ruin seed.
- Suet feeders – situate in shady spots to prevent suet melting.
- Nectar feeders – Clean every few days to prevent mold.
- Nyjer feeders – Add weight or place low to foil squirrels.
- Mealworm feeders – Keep in cool spot to prolong worm life.
- Window feeders – Apply decals to prevent bird strikes.
- Ground feeders – Use in open areas away from dense cover where predators lurk.
- Peanut feeders – Hang sturdy peanut feeders from metal poles.
- Oriole feeders – Offer ripe fruit halves to supplement jelly.
The best bird feeder depends on the species you want to attract and your feeding goals. With so many great options available, experiment to find the perfect feeders to bring colorful and lively birds to your yard.