Can you put a bird feeder next to a birdhouse
Birdhouses with one or a collection of bird feeders can share the same yard in peace, but the key is to situate them at a distance to protect the occupants.
Bird feeders can not be by birdhouses, as feeder birds would normally be seen to use the top of the birdhouse to rest or feed for much of the day, disturbing the nesting birds and their young. Position of feeders to birdhouse can be 10 to 20 feet apart, with the birdhouse entry hole always facing away.
Don't put a bird feeder too close to a birdhouse as it would only go towards stressing out the nesting birds, as they raise their young.
In fact, this can get so bad parents can actually abandon their young in the box, with no other choice than to get away from this disturbance.
It really can play out like that, as birds at the nearby bird feeders would use a birdhouse, not so much to disturb the nesting birds, but to simply use the birdhouse roof for a way to feed at a distance, while resting when in your yard.
And as you can imagine, this would go on all day until birds disappear for the night.
You can put a bird feeder next to a birdhouse, but it must be at a distance. Aim for 20 feet if your yard allows it - but 10 feet at the minimum is within a safe distance.
If you feel birds using your bird feeders are appearing to be a cause of concern around the birdhouse, then simply remove the bird feeders - while not uprooting the birdhouse as its illegal once birds move in.
When setting up a birdhouse next to one or more bird feeders, don't situate it in a way that directs the birdhouse in a south, south/west position; as birdhouses must be safely facing a north or north east direction to protect the occupants.
While your at it, this advice can be used to setup birdhouses intended for multiple species, setup in the same yard.
Can NOT be near birdhouse
No, bird feeders can not really be situated close to a birdhouse, as the feeder birds can come into conflict with the birdhouse occupants.
So much so, the parenting birds in the box could be forced out of the box, with their eggs or young abandoned.
Never place a bird feeder close to a birdhouse, as only the occupants will suffer.
What happens is the birdhouse roof or indeed the whole box can become like a resting site for feeding birds at the bird feeding station - thus birds can be seen to disturb the birds inside the box, when its not their intention.
In the process, the occupants can be disturbed throughout the day, so would make a lot of noise, and possibly decide to disappear.
Birdhouses can be up to 10 to 20 feet within bird feeders, providing the birdhouse doesn't become a place that is disturbed by birds while visiting any one of the feeders in the yard.
Birdhouses become a simple stepping stone, so would end up being a real nuisance to the parents and their young.
Entry hole in line of sight
What you must do if you wish to setup a birdhouse along with a bird feeder, or a group of bird feeders in your yard, is to make sure the birdhouse is at a distance away, with the entry hole out of sight.
Its like this, the birdhouse can be placed up to 10 to 20 feet away, but the entrance hole, or indeed the front of the birdhouse, must not face the bird feeders even a little bit. Its therefore recommended the birdhouse entry hole be pointed at 20 degrees minimum.
What that means is the birdhouse entry hole is never aligned up with the bird feeders, thus the occupants of the birdhouse can't be faced with feeding birds around the clock.
When the mamma or poppa bird comes and go from the birdhouse they can do so by not attracting unwanted attention by nearby feeding birds.
The occupants will exit the birdhouse, forage for food at the feeders or elsewhere, then come back to their box without a fuss.
Keep the birdhouse out of sight of the bird feeders at all times, with either sides or the rear of the box facing any one bird feeder.
Birds jump over to birdhouse
Most common backyard birds don't intend to harm or cause stress to other nesting birds, as most ain't as aggressive or territory as all that.
But that is not to say your common Sparrow or Blackbird can't disturb nesting Bluebirds in a birdhouse setup near by.
Like I've said, a birdhouse won't be disturbed on purpose but it will all the same.
To most common backyard birds, an occupied birdhouse would simply be used for a way for birds to land on briefly, or more importantly - are likely to land on the roof of the box to quickly eat what they've found at the bird feeders.
Objects such as a birdhouse can become an easy target for birds to rest on or to feed, whereas if a tree branch and possibly a tree limb is used to hang birdhouse on, either one is sure to be a popular bird tree location. Similarly, fencing is always fully accessible to perching wild birds, whereas a wall location may see less visitation.
Birds will jump over to a birdhouse once they've taken a seed to crush up and eat, but at the same time the birdhouse occupants will be given a rough time.
I will remind you when deciding to setup a birdhouse at a fair distance away, be sure you follow strict instructions for where to correctly place a birdhouse, while being extra careful to keep the entry hole out of direct sunlight, while avoiding facing strong westerly winds.
Can disturb occupants
Occupants of a birdhouse can go weeks or months in a birdhouse without being disturbed, so would continue to nest quite happily to raise their young as they should do.
And while a number of wild birds can indeed land on the roof of a birdhouse currently in use - that is not enough to really be an issue for the occupants of any bird species.
What really becomes an issue is when birds come and go from the bird feeders, while doing so on top of the birdhouse for most of the day.
Noise with a lot of disturbance is what can happen for the nesting birds that would preferred to be left alone, so the parents and their young become noisy as a result. In turn, the bird feeder birds get more noisy, and can become more aggressive.
Occupants of a birdhouse must be left in peace and quiet, which is not possible if dozens - or if not hundreds of birds can tap on the roof of the box all day long.
Be extra cautious when setting up bird feeders with a birdhouse in the yard, while keeping a close on on proceedings to be sure the box is mostly left alone.
Do all this long before birds move into the box, so in winter if there's no roosting birds, or indeed just before spring to beat the nesting season.
To summarize
Birdhouses can not be near bird feeders because the birdhouse would soon become a stepping stone, and therefore a nuisance to the occupants of the birdhouse.
To avoid this ever happening be sure to locate the birdhouse 10 to 20 feet away from a single or group of bird feeders.
What to focus on is making sure the entry hole - so the front of the birdhouse - is never facing towards the bird feeders. What this would result in is the birdhouse facing at a near 45° angle, or indeed anywhere above this.
The birdhouse could be pointing the other way, or have its back to the bird feeders.
Benefit to this is to keep the occupants of the birdhouse out of the bird feeders line of sight - while making sure the bird feeder occupants can't see inside the entry hole.
Birds will jump over to the birdhouse roof briefly to rest or feed, which can't be avoided, but the key is to prevent the bird feeder users, using the birdhouse as a continuous stepping stone, 24/7.
Birdhouses can not be by bird feeders, as the occupants would be disturbed by the bird feeders around the clock, so keep a distance of up to 10 feet minimum.
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