Is my bird feeder too high

Cause of concern with a bird feeder being too high off the ground mostly relates to being inaccessible to most people, but if you can access it 24/7, its never too high.

Bird feeders can be hung or mounted high up as birds are all fully capable of feeding at an higher attitude, to what they would be used to. Benefits to a higher location is no more unwanted pests raiding the feeders, but of course the feeders must remain within reach, to change bird food with a regular clean out.

Safe height to hang or indeed mount a bird feeder of any kind would be where you can always reach it, with birds having no difficulty feeding too far off the ground.

Hummingbirds tend to feed lower to the ground, but if you must a Hummingbird feeder hung up as far as the second floor would be acceptable if necessary.

You'd want to hang regular bird feeders, including Hummingbird feeders only 4 to 6 feet off the ground - measured at the tip of feeder - if that is at all possible.

Your bird feeder can never really by hung too high off the ground, especially when you are determined to keep bears off the feeder, and other nuisance backyard pests.

Where else you might want to hang a bird feeder off the ground, is if you have a tall tree that is begging for a series of bird feeders to be hung off its branches. How to hang a bird feeder in a high tree is up to you, but again it must remain accessible.

Don't risk your own safety to purposely hang a feeder high up when its not needed, such as hanging off guttering - while relying on others to fetch the feeders down when its needed is a must.

Minimum 4-6 ft. safe height

To be safe, you must hang or mount bird feeders that are off the ground at 4 to 6 feet minimum, any lower then there's a problem with food standards or accessibility.

However, bird feeders can be way up off the ground, as birds are fully capable of rising up to the feeder, to feed at attitude.

Why bird feeders might be so high off the ground is a personal choice; but it could relate to a balcony position, high in a tree - or for the purpose of hanging bird feeders high up to avoid unwanted pests or indeed feeding birds without bears accessing the food.

Benefits to a high off the ground bird feeder would avoid all pest issues, unless pests finally make there way up.

How high a bird feeder hangs must not be in a way where air turbulence can unhinge it off its bracket, nor can a high up location disturb neighbors.

More importantly, your bird feeders must remain accessible to you at all times.

Is too high if out of reach

What if you finally find the perfect spot high up in your yard, or a mount on the side of the house that keeps pests well off the bird feeder.

Only later, the ladder or stepping stall used to hang or mount the bird feeder originally, is no longer available - thus you cannot access the feeder to clean out or replenish with fresh bird food later in the week.

Its therefore possible bird feeders can be too high if you are unable to reach them when you have to.

Why bird feeders only hang 4 to 6 feet off the ground is so the person responsible for maintaining the feeders - that would be you - can access the feeders when they need to, which can be once or twice a week.

Importance of owning and maintaining a bird feeder responsibly is being able to keep it topped up with any type of bird food, while cleaning it to prevent bacteria and mold forming.

If you cannot access any bird feeder without pulling out a stall or ladder, then this kind of responsibility is usually delayed, or completely avoided as it can be a bother.

To situate a bird feeder high up then be sure you can access it when you have to.

Difficulty observing birds

Bird feeders can't really be too high off the ground unless you can't reach it later, as previously mentioned.

But come to think of it what use is it feeding backyard birds when you can't really enjoy them gobbling up your bird food you've left out for them.

Feeders benefit birds in more ways than one, but is certainly good for your own wellbeing if you can observe wild birds feeding in the yard.

To hang or mount a bird feeder too high up then, the opportunity of watching birds come and go from an indoor location or under the porch, is only available if walking up to the window or going outside so you can look up to the feeders.

One downside to a bird feeder positioned too high is of course the location is not easily seen by you.

Certainly very accessible to birds, but there's no harm in thinking about yourself, to at least get an understanding of what bird food they like, and to admire their behavior.

With a too high location, remember the bird feeders are exposed to the elements, so no shade is possible so that is something to think about.

Feeder in direct sunshine

Bird feeders can be positioned anywhere in the yard where birds mostly frequent, or can freely move around the yard where more feeders are visible to them.

Its worth saying feeders setup directly in the sunshine would be more exposed, but that is not to say bird feeders can't be located in a shaded area for most of the day.

With that in mind, bird feeders that hang or are mounted too far off the ground, would be exposed to direct, strong sunshine all day - made worse in the summertime or in a hot State.

Feeders such as Hummingbird feeders need a placement that keeps the nectar at room temperature, which is not possible if exposed to the sun all day - so a Hummingbird feeder would benefit with a low down location over a higher up one

Similarly, seed or peanut feeders could see hard residue bleach onto the bird feeder interior, causing the clear window to mist over, or create a mess inside a mesh feeder.

But to keep suet feeders in a high location that is mostly in the sun all day, can cause the suet to deteriorate quicker, while causing a greasy mess.

To summarize

While the perfect height to hang or mount a bird feeder is anywhere between 4 to 6 feet minimum, at the tip of the bird feeder, any higher is perfectly acceptable.

Bird feeders cannot be too high if you intend to keep unwanted pests that visit the yard off the feeders - who would otherwise raid the bird feeders on a daily basis.

How high a bird feeder can be is measured at how easily accessible it is; if the feeder, once hung or mounted, cannot be reached thereafter - then your bird feeder is too high off the ground.

Location of a high up bird feeders is sometimes for the good, but if you can't enjoy birds coming and going to feed, then you are missing out with a poor view.

Feeders can be lowered to give you a better view, but don't move feeders too often.

What is going to be the biggest cause of concern for a bird feeder hung or mounted to high up, is direct sunshine is going to heat up the bird food, while causing it to expire under the heat of the sun, far sooner than expected.

Bird feeders do need shade for most of the day so think about that with your high up location.

Your bird feeder is probably never going to be too high then, unless of course its out of reach, and always in too much sun.

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