How to Choose a Birdfeeder

Gold Finch at a nyger seed feeder

Wild birds add beauty and color to a garden, and by feeding the birds you are making a positive contribution to songbird populations. Here's a quick and easy guide to picking out the best birdfeeder that's right for you.

Things You'll Need

• High quality local field guide to birds
• Pole, hook, platform or cable
• Brushes, hot water and bleach for cleaning
• Squirrel baffle (optional)

Instructions

1. The first step is to determine what birds are in your neighborhood. What birds do you see in your yard already, or in your neighbor's yard or in the park? If any of your neighbors have birdfeeders, ask them what they see. This will give you a better understanding of which birds are most likely to come to a feeder in your yard. If there are birds you don't recognize, look them up in a field guide specifically written for your area. Most books should also tell you what the birds eat, and if they are likely to be "yard birds" or "feeder birds."

2. Decide where you want to put your feeder. Do you want to be able to watch the birds from your kitchen window, or from the deck out back? To prevent birds from hitting your window, position your feeder either very close to the window (within one or two feet) or very far away (more than ten feet). If you are planning to hang your birdfeeder from a tree branch, make sure that it is sturdy—many birdfeeders hold several pounds of seed. Most birdfeeders are designed to either be mounted on a pole or suspended from a hook, but some can be attached to flat surfaces, such as a balcony railing.

3. Now it's time to pick out your birdfeeder! Many of the birds likely to be seen in your yard are seed eaters, and there are a wide variety of seed feeders available. Tubes feeders are good for smaller birds, like finches and sparrows, and trough or tray style feeders might attract birds like cardinals, grosbeaks and jays. Keep in mind, too, that different birds eat different seeds—sparrow like millet, finches like nyger (sometimes called thistle) and cardinals like sunflower seeds. A high quality mixed seed will attract a variety of birds, and once you have a few regular visitors you can fine tune your offerings to their appetites.

4. Suet feeders are also very popular, especially in cooler climates or in the winter, when birds need the quick and easy energy that suet provides. Suet feeders will attract many seed eating birds, as well as clinging birds like woodpeckers and nuthatches. You might want to discontinue suet in the summertime, when birds have more food sources available, since it could melt or go rancid in the heat.

5. In warm weather, and especially during spring and fall migrations, consider putting out nectar feeders for hummingbirds and orioles. Orioles, catbirds and other birds will also visit fruit or jelly feeders. Nectar can be made by combining one part refined white sugar to four parts water, bringing the mixture to a boil, then allowing to cool to room temperature. Do not use food coloring, or any sweetener other than refined white sugar. Put out oranges cut in half, raisins or dollops of grape jelly for fruit eating birds.

6. Seed and suet feeders might attract more than just birds. If squirrels are cleaning out your feeder before the birds can get to it, consider getting a squirrel baffle. Squirrel baffles are plastic or metal cones that attach to poles or birdfeeders to prevent squirrels from reaching the feeder. Make sure that your feeder is at least five feet off the ground and ten feet away from any tree, and that there are no low-hanging branches nearby. Squirrels are very persistent and will work very hard to ransack your feeder. There are also specially designed squirrel-proof or squirrel resistant birdfeeders, and some people have luck using birdseed treated with hot peppers (the birds can't taste it, but squirrels can and will avoid the spicy seeds) or by simply creating a diversion and spreading sunflower seeds, peanuts or cracked corn on the ground for the squirrels.

7. You'll have to keep your feeders clean to make sure your birds stay healthy. When purchasing a birdfeeder, make sure it is one that you can take apart completely. If you are cleaning a long and skinny tube feeder, or a hummingbird feeder with small nectar ports, you might need specially designed birdfeeder cleaning brushes. At least once a year, take your feeders down and clean them thoroughly with a 10 percent bleach solution (one part bleach, nine parts hot water). Rinse well and allow to dry in the sun. If you notice any sick or diseased birds coming to your feeders, take the feeder down for a week so that the sick birds will disperse, and thoroughly clean your feeder before putting it back up.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep your birdfeeders filled year round. In the wintertime food is scarce, and in the spring and autumn many birds are fueling up for migration, which might be hundreds or even thousands of miles. Birds also appreciate a consistent food source in the summertime, when they are raising their babies and when the fledglings leave the nest.

• Keep your cat indoors. This is vital for the safety of wild birds—as well as the safety of your cat.