5 tips for bird feeders

What my tips will focus on is reminding you not all birds can feed on unstable, hanging bird feeders, thus feeders must be open to all species.

Tips for bird feeders involves dumping the more restricted options, whilst replacing it with larger, open to the element feeders if applicable. Seed feeders of the panoramic kind uses a tray attachment for larger birds to perch, whilst a wreath peanut feeder is not limited only to clinging birds.

My best tips I can offer you for what bird feeders you must use, yet making sure all popular bird food groups are covered, are designed to be less restricting.

Most birds that frequent our yards will feed off seed mixes. Rather than use an enclosed clear plastic tube, you'd need a large seed feeder with a wide tray attachment.

Birds of all sizes can then be seen to land on this perch attachment with ease, with seeds spilled in to the tray on the outside.

Similarly, a nut feeder must be a wreath - while known as a ring - bird feeder that can allow birds that cling on the side or upside down to do so, yet at the same time allow less able, larger birds to perch on top of it in safety.

Regular peanut bird feeders can feature a wide perch [as pictured above] which is a better option than one without.

Stabilize a suet cake bird feeder only as its easier to work with when offering suet to all birds in the backyard.

Don't hang it in the conventional way, when you can secure it flush on a tree branch or bird feeder pole for larger birds - or birds that don't use bird feeders - to perch on the feeder without it swinging, if it were hanging off a chain.

Birds are not all seed or nut eaters, with a big part of their diet consisting of insects. Thus a clear plastic, open or covered in a dome dish is a must to add in live or dried mealworms.

It must remain stable for any bird to use it, while a window bird feeder tray is similar in its complexity - yet a little more difficult to get birds to use.

And with all this in mind, you must always offer a ground bird feeder to allow less able, more larger birds to feed near to the ground, as their natural feeding behavior demands.

1. SEED mixes in tray feeder type

When catering to as many backyard birds as possible, they would most likely be seed-eaters, thus a seed feeder is what you will need to prioritize.

Seed feeders can be restricting mind you, as the long, twin or quadruple port hole feeders are only suited to birds capable of using a more compact, yet more restricting feeder in a clear plastic tube.

You'd have no choice than to buy a seed feeder that is usually promoted as a hexagon or panoramic seed feeder.

What they are is a wide, rounded clear window tube tube feeder that is made to hang. It has a roof with a little overhang, and a 360 degree seed dish attached to the base to hold seed mixes on the outside.

Birds can perch here including the larger Cardinals, to feed only on seeds that have spilled on to the outer tray.

Tray attachment is quite wide so you can serve up seed mixes to more birds than ever, if avoiding the more compact version.

Stabilize this hanging seed feeder with its wide dish to allow more agile birds to perch.

2. More birds in NUT wreath feeder

Birds that tend to feed off seed feeders are usually the same faces who would use a nut feeder - if the peanut feeder is compatible with their abilities.

Common peanut feeders are similar to seed bird feeders, only the clear plastic window is replaced with a steel mesh.

Birds don't land on a perch featured only on seed feeders, so are forced to cling onto the mesh wire with their feet, in an upright position - or if its Woodpeckers or Chickadees who like to feed upside down.

To be sure these less able bird species can feed without restrictions, a normal peanut feeder can be present - only it will be an unusual yet fun to use wreath peanut feeder.

What wreath peanut feeders do is function the same way as regular steel mesh nut feeders; they are surrounded in a mesh with the nut feeder in a shape of a wreath, or a ring or donut.

How this benefits birds less likely to feed off a peanut feeder, such as Blue Jays - is that these birds can perch on top of the ring, making it easier to feed than clinging off the side.

Similarly, smaller birds not regularly seed to use a peanut bird feeder can land on top, or in the middle of the ring, where it has a flat surface.

Other species can continue to feed off the steel mesh as they normally would.

3. Stabilize SUET Feeder

You absolutely must have any kind of suet bird feeder in your yard all year round, as suet can be used in summer - as much as they are vital for use in winter.

I recommend use of a suet cage feeder to hold suet cakes, as this type is mostly used with common backyard birds over any other kind of suet.

Suet cake bird feeders are made in a square, flat shape that can make it easier for all kinds of birds to feed off. Whereas fat ball bird feeders are shaped like a regular peanut feeder, so are seen to be more restricting.

Suet feeders that hold cakes can be hung up off a tree branch to be within range of most Woodpeckers; whilst Chickadees and Nuthatches will feed off suet on the bird feeder pole or bracket, hung up in the open.

Go beyond hanging up a suet cake bird feeder off any bracket or tree branch with the use of its chain to hang, when it can be more supportive.

Why not affix the suet cake feeder flush against the tree branch or wedge it on the bird feeding station pole - as to be sure its fully secure, and unable to move.

What this would do is allow regular birds to feed as normal, while encouraging less able, but larger Northern Cardinals or Blue Jays to feed as they use an adjoining branch or bracket to perch, while feeding off the suet.

4. Mealworms in open tray

Let's not forget there's plenty of insect-eating birds that frequent your yard, so one of my top tips must involve feeding insect based bird feed to wild birds.

What this would involve is dried up mealworms for most of you, with an option to use live mealworms if your stomach can stand it.

Dried mealworm bird feeders can include enclosed steel feeder with gaps for birds to poke their beaks in to feed. What you want to use is a less restricting mealworm feeder as normal, so a wider range of bird species can eat up the mealworms.

No shortage of birds that eat dried mealworms either, with even dried mealworm suet being popular with most birds in the yard.

Rather than a hanging, enclosed mealworm bird feeder, only add dried mealworms to a covered, or open to the elements bird feeder dish.

This bird feeder dish can be a clear plastic tray that is open or with a dome cover; or what not use a hopper style bird feeder with a roof to protect the feed, yet allow all size birds to use it with ease.

Open top platform bird feeders on a pole or made to hang can be used to feed dried or live mealworms - preferably with a steel mesh base to allow moisture to run off.

5. Ground-feeding birds feeder

While I've recommended only the best type of seed, peanut, suet and dried mealworm bird feeders to use for most common backyard birds, let's not forget... many of these birds are exclusive ground feeders.

Ground feeding birds can be the larger Cardinals or Blue Jays, and smaller American Robins - who are less likely to feed off a restricting hanging bird feeder.

To allow these bird species and many more to feed in your yard, you'd need to at least setup one ground bird feeder, situated on the lawn or turf, set back in vegetation.

What you can put on a ground bird feeder will be all what's been explain above, with the bonus of adding additional but more fun bird feed such as dried or fresh fruits.

Bird food can be thrown over the lawn to be sure all of those wishing not to use a ground feeder can still eat; whilst making sure most who will use a ground bird feeder can eat what is part of their diet.

Seeds must be added to the ground feeder, and so must peanuts, in and out of their shell.

Suet cakes can be remain in its own suet cake bird feeder to prevent larger birds or pests steeling the whole thing. While dried mealworms must be offered to ground feeding birds at all times - as they mostly feed off insects in the wild.

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