What is a platform bird feeder

Believe it or not its possible you would of seen or owned a platform bird feeder, only they are not always promoted as such, so it goes unnoticed.

What is a platform bird feeder would be a feeder made in wood, with a square or rectangular flat platform that is the designated bird food holder. And as its much larger than other feeders, it can cater to all backyard birds. More commonly mounted on top of a post, it can also hang, fix it to the fence or be ground level.

In true style a platform bird feeder is sure to compliment any garden environment, and is a favorite of those looking for any made in wood bird feeders.

Not the cheapest either as these made in wood bird feeders are often built by hand, and therefore would be more expensive to buy over more common bird feeder options.

What you can expect with a platform bird feeder is to open up your daily bird feeding efforts into a larger audience, in terms of more bird species in the larger variety.

Common bird feeders designed to hang can only cater to more agile birds, whereas a platform bird feeder uses a large flat surface, so what bird can't land on that.

Well, not all I grant you if you decide to go for a platform feeder with a roof, as it can be more restricting - but that can only be a good or bad thing for your needs.

But a platform bird feeder mounted to a post is sure going to create a stable bird feeding location.

Hanging platform feeders are the next step, but generally only cater to smaller birds.

To be confused with a hopper style bird feeder which is designed to dispense bird food, whereas a platform feeder is a table that can hold any bird feed you desire.

Platform feeders is a food tray or dish

What you need to know most about what actually is a platform bird feeder, is knowing it must always be a rounded or square dish where you can throw on bird feed.

Unlike traditional hanging bird feeders that are in a rounded cylinder shape to accommodate all types of wild bird feed, platform feeders a designed to be compatible with any bird feed possible.

Similarly, platform bird feeders are mostly capable of feeding small backyard birds, as well as the large unwanted birds.

Platform bird feeders act as a tray, much like your own dinner plate, to hold bird feed that would otherwise have to be placed around the yard, in an untidy, unkempt way.

Whilst its common to see platform feeders with a wooden base with openings to allow drainage, its possible to find platform feeders that make use of a mesh tray to allow rain water or moisture to drain even better.

Open to the elements or covered

What you may imagine to be a platform bird feeder would indeed probably be classed as one, providing it uses a larger open flat platform to hold all kinds of bird feed.

The most common type of platform bird feeder is one that is open to the elements, thus is exposed to all kinds of weather conditions.

Certainly beneficial to all types of birds, but bit of a pain for you as it requires a more regular change out of food to keep it fresh.

Open to the elements platform feeders can be referred to as open platform feeders, with no roof to protect the food left for the birds.

It can hang, be attached to a post - in which is very popular at the moment - or indeed can be mounted to a wall or fence post.

What you are likely to see more often is a common platform bird feeder mounted on top of a corresponding wooden post, at various heights.

Hanging style a favorite

Hanging design platform bird feeders are among the favorite style for homeowners as it allows them to hang food high up in a safe and secure way.

Platform bird feeders on a post have their place, but those that need to hang, mostly off a tree branch; can reduce the number of bird species that can actually use it - thus deterring nuisance birds that scare the smaller birds away.

Hanging style platform feeders are mostly made in wood with a surround where birds perch to feed. Though it is common to see all birds walk over the feed to peck at what they prefer to eat.

Holding the food would be a mesh tray that uses smaller gaps to allow smaller pieces of food to be used, without it falling through to the ground while making a mess.

No guarantee a hanging bird feeder in the platform style would keep larger birds at bay, but the three to four connecting chains to hang it up can stop the biggest landing to feed.

Make use of a hanging platform feeder for hanging in a natural environment, or why not refer to a smaller but more stylish metal rounded dish for hanging off the bird feeding station or wall bracket.

Fixed on post or mounted

What is less known in the United States but commonly referred to elsewhere, is a platform bird feeder can be called a bird table.

Its therefore possible to suggest when people think of a platform feeder, they imagine it to be a platform mounted on top of a post or stand.

Perfect then because this option usually includes a heavy-duty, made in wood platform feeder with no roof, but with the feeding platform mounted on top of the post.

This wooden post would be anywhere between 3-5 feet tall, with up to four-legs to keep it standing - but can be a nuisance when trying to balance the table in high winds.

Options can include a platform feeder being impaled into the ground using a metal post as a spike, but this style is less common or available.

Platform bird feeders on a stand are what you would call a traditional platform bird feeder, as oppose to the hanging or wall mounted styles.

Ground level option

While you'd expect the most common platform bird feeder to be mounted to a post, or one that hangs, a ground level platform feeder certainly serves an important role.

Not all backyard birds are capable, or at least its not in their behavior to use a tall platform feeder, as it would be within their nature to feed off the ground, thus here is where a ground level bird feeder comes in to play.

It would still be a rounded but more commonly a square or rectangular shaped table that would use legs or stumps to keep the feeder off the ground for health and safety reasons.

This now opens the possibility of feeding Blue Jays, Cardinals and even Blackbirds, who would prefer to avoid the harder to reach hanging platform feeder.

Ground level bird feeders they may be called then, but that isn't completely accurate.

Make use of a platform ground bird feeder if you only receive ground feeding birds the most in your yard, or else you'll be wondering why no birds are using it at all.

Commonly made in wood

Absolutely can platform bird feeders be made in metal or more durable plastic, but expect the most attractive to be made in wood, or more precisely, cedar wood.

Traditional platform bird feeders would be crafted in wood, while using metal fixings to assemble it, along with metal mesh wiring to create the tray.

It can be unpainted to allow to weather, but a painted platform feeder to match the decor of your backyard would be the route to take.

What really distinguishes platform bird feeders to the plastic or metal kinds that hang up while dispensing bird feed - it the platform design allows for a genuine, handcrafted wooden bird feeder that is a favorite of backyard bird watchers.

Not only can you use a wooden platform bird feeder as is, but the use of wood allows you to make adjustments in its design, fortify it against predators or pests such as squirrels or indeed give you the ability to mount it to any corresponding wooden object.

Strongly consider a wooden platform feeder, but be aware it would need to be treated in preserve once or twice a year.

Mesh tray to allow drainage

To be clear, not all platform bird feeders make use of a metal mesh tray, instead it would rely on several openings to allow rain water or moisture to drain through.

This would relate to mostly wooden platform bird feeders, whereas metal mesh trays can spoil the look and feel of the platform feeder in question.

However, regardless of what style of platform bird feeder you decide to go for, the one that makes use of a mesh tray for the bird feed to sit on, would be the most efficient feeder in terms of cleanliness.

To use a feeder that uses a simple wooden platform, would require regular cleaning on your part, to prevent discoloring of the wood with mold setting in.

Its inevitable rain water will reach the food even under a roofed platform feeder, so unless you are prepared to regularly intervene with cleaning up and changing out food often - go for a platform feeder that uses a mesh tray.

Life can be made easier by making do with the rounded mesh tray that is commonly made available on bird feeding stations.

Large size for more birds

Now that you know what a platform bird feeder is actually, allow me to remind you a platform style feeder is not for everyone.

Buy a platform feeder only if you are prepared to receive visitation by all bird species, including the larger ones, or indeed the more predatory birds that can be a nuisance to the kinder birds.

Similarly, platform bird feeders are more accessible to pests, so unless you can guarantee little issues in this area, a platform bird feeder would be best forgotten.

Platform bird feeders do have the benefit of being open to all kinds of birds, so its safe to say you'd likely to see more birds converge on this type of bird feeder.

Its not a guarantee by all means because wild birds foraging habits can see them never consider using a hanging platform feeder, whereas a ground bird feeder might be more their thing.

And there you have it, only go for a platform feeder if you are indeed prepared to feed more and more birds in your backyard over time.

To summarize

What actually is a platform bird feeder is what you'd call a traditional bird feeder, no plastic in sight yet uses a simple flat wooden base to hold bird food.

Platform bird feeders would commonly be made to be open to the elements with a large square or rectangular base for it to hold any type of bird food imaginable, thus the platform feeder is unrestricted in its use.

It can hold any food including its ability to attract all types of birds, big or small.

The term platform refers precisely to the large base of the feeder, a flat top where the bird food sits; it can be made in all wood but the platform can also be made with a metal mesh tray.

Benefit to a mesh tray is rain water is allowed to drain away with ease, whilst an all wooden platform would use openings on the corners for moisture build up to go through.

No one style with platform feeders as there's always a style you'd need to fit in with the decor of your yard.

Most common type of platform bird feeder is the one that is open to the elements, yet is mounted to a solid wooden stand.

Without a stand in use the platform that is open or can be made with an angled roof would be fixed to a fence post of a stump of a tree.

Other types of platform feeders is the highly popular half wooden, half metal hanging feeder that is commonly hung up on a tree branch.

What else you can get is a ground level feeder or a fence or wall mounted platform.

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