Should bird feeders be out in the open
If you are regularly visited with an abundance of birds daily, even if in your neighbors yard, then begin with feeders situated out in the open to attract many birds as possible.
No doubt about it, feeders should be out in the open to give you the best chance of receiving visits by all bird species, who can spot the feeders up the air. Out in open can refer to being central to you yard or decking, but it helps if there's no obstructions located above - with the exception of natural coverage.
To be given the best possible chance of receiving visits to your yard with an array of bird species, the feeders you intend to attract birds to the yard with must be seen.
Feeders can indeed by placed in more of an obstructed way - such as when avoiding the direct sunshine on hummingbird feeders - but you'd still need to aim for bird feeders that are out in the open, thus are see by passing birds as they frequently fly above.
If you regularly receive many visits by birds to your yard daily, at this point you only need to situate feeders in the yard where birds frequent the most... such as on a certain tree.
To situate feeders out in the open, you basically are inviting every bird you know; to restrict the visibility then basically that restricts the feeders to birds that already know you yard has feeders present.
In order to receive more visits by different many more species, locate the feeder in the open with absolutely no restrictions.
With that in mind, you'll still have to make sure the bird feeders of any type remain close to natural coverage, as to allow birds to fly off in order to hide or feed a distance away.
Situate feeders out in open
With a few exceptions, bird feeders of any kind should be out in the open, to be seen and made accessible to small and large birds alike.
Situate bird feeders central to your lawn, patio or deck if you wish, focusing on accessibility as to not restrict birds feeding on their favorite food.
In the meantime, you'd need to make sure the location of the bird feeders are within your eye line - as an out of sight bird feeder won't be much benefit to you if you can't sit back and enjoy the abundance of feeding birds.
Exception to locating a bird feeder not out in the open, is in relation to having to hang a bird feeder on a wall or fence bracket; while in effect restriction the space needed for larger birds.
With that, birds large and small, can still access a bird feeder located in a more confine area, especially when food is readily available.
Be sure to keep an eye on proceedings as you may in time, need to move the bird feeders one at a time, or all together to see more birds accessing the feeders.
Feeders visible in clearing
Bird feeders should be out in the open for sure, providing we're talking about in the center of the lawn or say on a deck or patio that is not restricted by passing birds.
Feeders need to be seen by all passing birds or else birds simply won't come to it.
You can make an exception to re-locating a bird feeder in a more confine space, when the need to situate a bird feeder in the shade and away out of the full strength of direct sun - in which kills off the bird food within days, rather than the week food often last for.
Clearings suitable for bird feeders can be spacing between trees, bushes, hedgerows and vegetation - as long as the foliage isn't blocking the visibility of the feeder in the air.
Similarly, to situate a bird feeder near to a house - much like hanging a feeder off a wall bracket - then the visibility of the feeder is reduced dramatically - thus less birds can be seen using the feeder.
What you should so in order to receive the best chance of receiving as many visits by your feathered friends, is first observing where birds congregate mostly in the yard, then place the bird feeders near by.
Regardless, bird feeders ideally need to be situated by foliage as natural cover for birds.
Still close too foliage
Its not often that easy to attract birds to what could be a concrete jungle of a neighborhood, thus natural coverage in trees and vegetation can be sparse near you.
Birds don't often flock to busy suburban areas devoid of places to perch or even nest, so to attract birds to a bird feeder out in the open still, must be near natural growth.
Bird feeders must be located up to maximum of 6 feet away from natural coverage, but to place any feeders closer would be ideal.
Not so much feeders can't be seen by random passing backyard birds - but not so far away the coverage of foliage can't be taken advantage of. Birds need to fly quickly away to hide or feed on seeds on a different location than those of the feeders in use.
Where you can hang bird feeders within or under the natural coverage of hedgerows or trees, is if your yard is frequented by birds daily - so they know where food is to be found.
Rather than locate bird feeders out in the open then, feeders can indeed by hung off a branch within a tree that is visited by birds without fail.
Play it say for now by making sure feeders are out in the open, but place feeders any way you know how where they remain visible from above.
To conclude
Exclude specialty bird feeders such as window feeders, handheld or not hanging them under a porch for now, as its best to locate feeders out in the open.
What is especially important when situating feeders out in the open in your yard, is when you struggle to attract birds to your backyard, let alone get them to use your feeders.
Locating bird feeders in a wide clearing with no obstructions is sure to help birds spot them as they pass over above.
Feeders can be grouped, but to space a mix of feeders around the backyard in order for them to get spotted, can certainly be considered.
Keeping in mind bird feeders ideally need to be hanging off a bird feeding station impaled in the ground, or hanging off a bracket - make use of a tree branch of the tree or hedge if its currently busy with birds.
What you need to do is always make sure bird feeders remain near to natural coverage for two reasons: first, so birds can quickly escape if startled; second; so birds can carry seeds to a nearby branch to allow them time to break it up in their beak.
While bird feeders should be out in the open then, situate them no more than 6 feet away from natural coverage, but only if it applies to your backyard landscape.
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