Choosing Bird Feeders for Your Yard

If you are an enthusiastic bird watcher, then you probably want to get some feeders for your yard. There are many different types of feeders available on the market, and the greater the variety of feeders and food that you provide, the greater the variety of birds that will come to your front or backyard.

The ultimate feeding stations would have a variety of feeders, as well as a choice selection of seeds, suet, and nectar. You may only desire certain birds, so your selections would be limited in this case. Some feeders are only designed to attract a certain species of bird, so be choosy in picking out what birds that you wish to feed, or you will have all kinds in your yard.

Platform feeders are the simplest of all feeders. You can make a platform feeder by mounting a piece of plywood on a pole. These feeders attract both small and large birds, ranging from cardinals to chickadees, jays, pigeons, and woodpeckers. These type feeders give an open view of the birds that come, and are real easy to clean.

Tube feeders attract chickadees, finches, downy woodpeckers, and nuthatches. These are usually made of clear plastic, perhaps Lexan, and they have metal rims around the feeding holes, which make them squirrel resistant. They come in small and large hole.

Hopper feeders also attract a great variety of birds, and you can fill them with just about every kind of food except thistle. Hopper feeders provide a landing perch for most birds. The sides of these feeders are often made of glass or clear plastic, and you can view the amount of food that is inside of it.

Ball feeders are round or look like a bowl. The best food for these is black oil sunflower seeds.

Nectar feeders are designed to attract hummingbirds, and have very small feeding holes and perches. Many other birds such as orioles, tanagers, house finches, and mockingbirds might also try to drink from these feeders.

Suet feeders are the most interesting, very effective, and inexpensive types of feeders. These attract chickadees, woodpeckers, wrens, kinglets, titmice, and wintering warblers.

Window feeders are feeders that you can hang or attach directly to the window frame or sill. You don't have to get out your binoculars to watch birds from these feeders.