Best way to hang a bird feeder from a tree

Birds who forage within trees in the wild won't find it all that difficult to access feeders hung up in a tree, thus its more important to make sure bird feeders remain accessible.

What is the best way to hang bird feeders from a tree is with safety in mind at first, thus a 4-6 ft. height off the ground is a must. Next, pick an opening in the tree where there's fewer leaves, so it appears like an opening. Suspend a bird feeder on the outer branch, where birds can find and access the feeder.

I once had a perfectly positioned tree outside of my living room window, up to 10 feet or so away, which become a backyard birds heaven.

I found the bird feeders hung up in the way they did - which were facing towards my large window - didn't trouble wild birds at all, nor did they appear to have any difficulty flying into this dense tree from all sides, thus it become a safe yet highly successful bird feeder location.

Thirty years this tree stood in place until it died in the early 2010s, thus I only depend on putting my bird feeders on a bird feeding station these days.

Secret to the success of this popular wild bird tree sitting so close to my window, is of course plenty of bird feeder varieties, containing all kinds of bird feeder food.

Do use one bird feeder if you must but it sure helps to use as many bird feeders as you can, to attract a wider variety of common backyard birds.

Best place to hang my bird feeder within this tree was in a clear opening that was beneficial to me in such a way, it made viewing birds out of my window a pleasure - yet wild birds were mostly seen to enter the tree on the opposite side.

Best way to hang a bird feeder is different to the position you choose, although a sturdy branch is vitally important.

Hang bird feeders in your tree where you feel its safe, but do allow a bit of room to locate a bird feeder in a way it can be noticed by birds in order to attract them to a new bird feeder that so happens to be hung in what can be a discreet location.

Hang on branch up to 8-10 ft.

Whether you have a small or large tree in your yard frequented by wild birds on a daily basis, its important to utilize this natural habitat for your bird feeders to hang - which is sure to assist birds when food is low in nature.

Best way a bird feeder can hang in any tree location is on a branch up to 8 to 10 feet off the ground.

Small trees won't allow such a high position but for a larger tree, its a must. If you only have small tree in your yard then of course go ahead and hang the feeders up to 4-6 feet off the ground.

Such height will match that of bird feeders usually suspended off a bird feeder pole in the middle of the lawn, so it isn't all that low really.

What way you'd hang a bird feeder from a tree on will be on a branch that is really sitting out in an opening.

Opening being a bold spot within the tree leaves of which it will become a viewable area for you to observe wild birds - all while wild birds themselves can use this opening to find the bird feeders - to then dive down into the dense leaves to access said feeders.

Feeder within reach always

Best way to hang bird feeders from a tree must of course always be accessible to your backyard birds, where they'd really have no difficulty flying into the most dense tree to access feeders - just as they will do foraging within trees in the wild.

With the best way to hang bird feeders in a tree being in any available clearing, or at least any gaps among the leaves - its important to think about you.

People will often suspend bird feeders high in a tree to avoid predators lower down on the ground.

How that is achieved is with some kind of pulley system to provide unrestricted access to the bird feeders, by a simple pull of the wire.

Small trees available in your yard won't provide you a way to avoid bears or even deer's, but if you aren't concerned about predators or backyard pests at this time - do proceed with hanging bird feeders anywhere they remain accessible.

Bird feeders must be within reach of you despite a higher location recommended.

Be sure the suspended bird feeders hang off a branch that is within reach when you stretch up, but never allow bird feeders to be so high it forces bird feed to spill in the process of accessing - or indeed hanging back up - bird feeders in the tree.

Lean or wedge in tree branches

You know what, while this technique will certainly be a great way to hang suet feeders in a tree, it can apply to most types of bird feeders.

Woodpeckers like a suet cake feeder that is mounted to a trunk, as these often large backyard birds, won't be able to access a freely hung bird feeder.

What I am referring to is not necessarily suspended bird feeders off a branch or more mature twigs, but to hang bird feeders in such a way they appear to be leaning - or wedged if you like - to stabilize all bird feeders in a tree.

Most wild birds who come to a bird feeders location within a tree - like Finches or Warblers - will do so with little difficulty at all.

When you think about Cardinals or Jays who may come to bird feeders hung up on a mature branch - and while the location can be quite familiar to them - these awkward wild birds will in fact find it hard to tackle a suspended bird feeder.

To stabilize a bird feeder that is suppose to be suspended - but is now leaning against a branch or the tree trunk - it will only open up your seed, suet or peanut bird feeders to even more bird species.

When leaning a hanging bird feeder on an adjacent branch or the trees' trunk for example, there may be an opportunity to wedge a bird feeder among a cross section of branches or twigs... so hanging bird feeders can be avoided all together.

Other branches sit above

Best way to hang all types of bird feeders within a tree will be hopefully in a clearing of tree leaves - and possibly less branches - to create an opening that is facing towards your house, thus you can view birds coming and going all day.

What goes on within this location with wild birds at your bird feeders will really be what is seen with birds feeding off a bird feeding station pole.

Birds who forage within trees are the same wild birds who will enter a tree to take advantage of your bird feeders, thus their natural feeding behavior will kick in.

Instead, wild birds will hop between branches to find an adjacent branch to reach over and feed out of the bird feeders. When bird feeders remain accessible with no branches or twigs blocking feeding ports - then of course the smaller birds will perch on the bird feeder to eat as they should.

What you can do then to improve a bird feeder location within a tree, is to make sure additional branches cross over and run along side the bird feeder, or what can be many bird feeders in use.

Large birds in particularly will perch on these branches to eat the accessible suet, seeds or nuts if they can.

To do that these wild birds will remain on near by branches where its easier to feed but at the same time, the branches will feel more stable.

Conclusion

Of course wild birds who frequent a tree in your yard will absolutely come to bird feeders in this tree - and if you don't do a good job of hanging feeders - you might not really know about it as wild birds will soon adapt in to finding a way to feed regardless.

Its still important to find the best way to hang a bird feeder from a tree in spite of that, as some birds like Jays or Cardinals struggle to use any feeder that is suspended.

Be it a small or large tree where you intend to hang a bird feeder or two, try to at least hang the bird feeder 4-6 feet off the ground minimum - as it keeps bird feeders out of the way of pets or predators.

Where in the tree I consider to be the best location for bird feeders to be hung, is on the outer branches with any opening or clearing.

Clearing being a bold spot among branches where you can hang the feeder without actually walking deep beneath the tree itself.

Benefits of this location is this opening which also acts as a clearing for wild birds to enter, will make it easy on you to watch wild birds coming and going to the bird feeder.

Suspend the bird feeder at the lowest part of the tree with no more branches beneath the hanging point if you can. If not, then do utilize a branch that provides distance between the branch or twig the feeder is hung off, away from the branches or twigs surrounding it.

To contradict that, twigs or branches crisscrossing between the bird feeder can actually assist birds when accessing the bird feeder hung up in a tree.

I'll leave you with the option to not just freely suspend bird feeders off a branch, but if you can lean or wedge bird feeders on a near by trunk or branch, do so in an effect to stabilize the bird feeders of which, some wild birds will find it easy to eat at feeders.

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