Wild Bird Feeders

The easiest way to attract wild birds to your backyard is to put up a bird feeder. There is a wide variety on the market today. The largest selection is made for seeds, but there are other feeders for certain foods, such as nectar for hummingbirds, suet or peanuts. Depending on the kinds of birds you would like to attract, selecting the right one is essential.

There are benefits and shortcomings for the majority feeder types. Each style of feeder comes in a variety of models and sizes. The perfect bird feeder has to be robust to resist winter weather, sealed properly to keep seeds dry, large enough to avoid constant refilling and easy to clean. Bird feeders can be made from plastic, metal or wood, although feeders can be made from recycled materials such as milk cartons.

To attract the greatest assortment of birds to your yard, use different feeder types offering a mixture of foods. Selecting the right mix of feeders and foods will attract the species you want and deter others.

The following will help you make the proper feeder choice.

Platform Feeder:

• A flat, raised surface sprinkled with bird seed.
• Attracts most species of feeder birds
• Offers little protection from competing wildlife or inclement weather.
• Placed near the ground will likely attract ground-feeding birds such as juncos, doves, jays, and sparrows.
• Placements include deck railings, posts, tables and may also be suspended.
• Platform feeders require ample drainage so seed does not become moldy.
• Seed can quickly become contaminated by droppings.

Hopper Feeder:

• Platform with walls and a roof, forming an enclosed "hopper."
• Protects seeds reasonably well against the weather, but less well against competing wildlife.
• Less chance of seed being contaminated from droppings.
• Attracts most feeder birds, including finches, jays, cardinals, buntings, grosbeaks, sparrows, chickadees, and titmice.
• Most hold a large quantity of seed.
• Few are weatherproof; seed may become moldy in a matter of days if not eaten.
• Placement can be on a pole or suspended.

Tube Feeder:

• Hollow cylinder, usually of clear plastic, with multiple feeding ports and perches.
• Keeps seed fairly clean and dry.
• Metal feeding ports are somewhat squirrel resistant.
• Attracts birds depending on the size of the perches under the feeding ports:
• Short perches hold small birds such as sparrows, grosbeaks, chickadees, titmice, and finches;
• Large perches may hold birds such as cardinals and jays.
• Perches above the feeding ports are designed for seed-eating birds that like to feed hanging upside down such as goldfinches, while dissuading others.

Thistle Feeder:

• Tube feeder designed with extra-small openings to dispense tiny thistle or nyger seed or thistle socks, fine-mesh bags on which birds cling to extract the seeds.
• Attracts an assortment of small songbirds such as finches and redpolls.

Window Feeder:

• Include platform, hopper and tube feeders in smaller sizes.
• Usually made from clear plastic and suction-cupped to a window.
• Attracts finches, sparrows, chickadees and titmice.
• Allows close-up views of birds as they come to feed. .

Suet Feeder:

• Wire mesh cage, plastic-mesh bag or log (directions below), which holds suet or suet mixture.
• May be nailed or tied to a tree trunk or suspended.
• Suet may be smeared into the knotholes of trees.
• Attracts a variety of woodpeckers, nuthatches, chickadees, titmice, jays and starlings.
• Attracts starlings, but a suet cage open only underneath, may be starling-proof. It forces birds to hang upside down to feed, something starlings find difficult to do, yet does not affect the other birds attracted to the suet.

Suet log feeder

1. Cut a log approximately 3-4 inches in diameter to a length of 16-24 inches. The log does not have to be straight and bark should not be removed.
2. Starting 2 inches from the top of the log, drill a 1 inch hole through the log.
3. Turn the log and drill another 1 inch hole perpendicular and 4 inches below the first hole.
4. Continue turning and drilling 1 inch holes until you are about 4 inches from the bottom of the log.
5. Drill a ¼ inch hole through the log 1 inch from the top and thread a 12 inch length of cord through the hole and knot the two ends
6. Fill the 1 inch holes with suet and hang from a hook.

You can add perches by drilling holes ½ inch below the suet holes. This is not necessary if bark is still on the log.

Hummingbird Feeder:

• A container to hold artificial nectar or sugar solution; may be bottle or saucer shape.
• Usually made of glass or plastic with red flowers and insect proof feeding ports.
• Attracts insects, use feeders with screens inside the feeding ports. This allows hummingbirds to insert their beaks and prevents most insect from getting in.
• Should be washed frequently, select one that is easy to take apart and clean.
• Avoid locating in direct sunlight, causes the nectar or sugar solution to spoil quickly.
• Saucer-shaped feeders have feeding ports on top, making them bee-and wasp-proof.

Peanut Feeder:

• Tube feeder made from steel
• Large holes in tube allow birds to chip at peanuts held within.
• Steel construction prevents squirrels from destroying the tube.
• Attracts woodpeckers, nuthatches, chickadees, titmice and jays.