Choosing a Bird Feeder
Birdfeeders are an important tool for caring for our bird friends, and keeping a full bird feeder near your home or in your garden is sure to attract birds to your location, and keep a few bird families well fed and healthy. Many birdfeeders are ideal for almost any bird, and other bird feeders are designed specifically for a certain size and family of bird. Decide which type of birds you want to feed, and then select the appropriate bird feeder, or select a style you like, and relax and enjoy learning which types of birds will find your feeder and use it. Consider the following factors when selecting birdfeeders for your backyard:
Durability and Capacity
The ideal bird feeder can withstand extreme weather conditions for years - from cold and wet winters to hot, humid summers. Birdfeeders made from heavier gauge plastic and acrylic and those with metal fittings generally last longest. If you prefer wooden birdfeeders, cedar and cypress are best due to their weather resistant nature, and they are environmentally friendly options.
To avoid constant refilling, select a feeder with ample capacity. For beginners, sometimes smaller feeders work well while birds become familiar with your location and feeder. As your feeder begins to need refilling more often, it is time to upgrade to a larger feeder. It is important not to let your bird feeder have food that sits still for so long it begins to mold.
Simplicity
Your feeder should be easy to assemble, set up, fill, clean, and maintain. Look for birdfeeders that have a quick release, or one where you can throw in the dishwasher. Maintaining the cleanliness and food supply of your birdfeeders is an easy task when maintenance is not a hassle. Platform Bird Feeders are easy to maintain and ideal for all birds from large cardinals to small chickadees, and can hang or be at ground level for ground feeding birds such as doves and sparrows. Selecting a birdfeeder that is well ventilated also helps to keep seeds dry, insuring no spoilage. A ventilation system allows fresh air to enter and push out the hot, humid air, keeping the seed fresh. Suet Feeders are an ideal solution for increased ventilation and are also ideal for attracting birds such as mockingbirds, jays, bluebirds, wrens, and chickadees.
Feeding
Unless you are choosing a Hummingbird Feeder or Suet Feeder, you should start off filling your birdfeeder with black oil sunflower seeds. This particular birdseed attracts most birds and is ideal because of its high fat and nutritional content. Loose birdseed works best for most birdfeeder owners because it flows easily, creating less maintenance for the birdfeeder. Thistle seed is also a popular bird seed, and many birdfeeders are designed specifically for use with thistle seed, and fruit and peanuts can be used in platform feeders.
Suet cakes are designed for use with Suet Feeders, and nectar should be used with Hummingbird Feeders. We offer many Hummingbird Feeder Tips to help with Hummingbird feeders.
Squirrel Proof Bird Feeders
Squirrels are not the best friend of most birdfeeder owners due to their taste and desire for bird food. If you have a lot of squirrels in your yard, try one of our Squirrel Proof Bird Feeders to ensure your the safety of your birds and their food supply. Our Squirrel Proof Bird Feeders offer features such as breakaway perches, weight sensitive mechanisms and cages that squirrels can not fit through. Every season new squirrel proof devices are introduced, many of which can be extremely efficient. Some of our squirrel proof feeders offer seed capacities of up to 5 lbs!
If you are not satisfied with simply feeding your neighborly birds, perhaps you should consider investing in a Bird House. Birdhouses are designed for every type of bird, and we offer bird houses ranging from Decorative Birdhouses and multi apartment Purple Martin Birdhouses to small Wooden Birdhouses. Your birds will nest and return annually to your birdhouse as long as you are a careful and attentive landlord.
