What makes a GOOD bird feeder
Its impossible for me to outline what is good about all kinds of bird feeders, thus its vital I only outline what to look for with any type of bird feeder with it all being important.
What makes a good bird feeder regardless of its purpose, it should be allowed to filter or dispense bird food without too much waste. It must utilize a perch if suitable while made to hang to keep safely off ground. Can be dismantled for maintenance with a hanger is used to hang over what is spinning prone wire.
Sure enough what I usually consider to be what is the best features of a bird feeder, usually comes back to applying to clear tube seed feeders only.
With that in mind I do consider bird feeders for peanuts, suet or open dishes referred to in my what makes a good bird feeder advise below.
What is the number one feature of a bird feeder to consider is always disassembly; reason being bird feeders need to be cleaned and maintained regularly as they get quite messy if unkempt - to which full access to the interior must be made available in order to carry out your duties as a cleaner twice a month.
Second of all, I would prioritize a hanging bird feeder as bird food off the ground and out of the rain can at least last far longer without expiring to early.
Now its just a matter of making sure as many of your common backyard birds can access your bird feeder - and therefore can feed when they want to regardless of size or limited ability at feeders.
If the seed feeder comes with a perch, which it will, then do buy a seed feeder with a perch providing you prioritize a longer perch if possible.
Similarly, long peanut bird feeders are good but what would make a good bird feeder for nuts is indeed a wreath 'style' peanut feeder; as it provide nut-eating birds a way to land on top of the wreath or ball, or birds can choose to cling onto the sides if capable.
Most accessible bird feeder kind there is are suet cake or fat ball feeders; to which I'd suggest you find a way to lean or sit the suet feeder rather than let it just hang.
You can never have too many bird feeders of which the more you have the better chance you can fix mistakes - but begin by utilizing different feeder styles for any one bird feed.
My suggestions below prioritizes regular bird feeders for seeds, suet or nuts; thus my what makes a Good hummingbird feeder advise is made exclusively for hummingbird feeders which are basically clear plastic tubes.
Bird food dispensed in open
Whilst its important to utilize a bird feeder made to be hung, let's not forget a hanging bird feeder tends to be more restricting.
And on that note many common backyard birds cannot feed off a small compact feeder as such - nor is it ingrained into their foraging behavior to ever attempt it.
Its therefore possible many kinds of small yet limiting bird feeder features can be a contributing factor why birds won't use bird feeders - as it could be because there's no bird food made available out in the open.
With that in mind you'd need to be sure any kind of hanging bird feeder - be it for seeds, peanuts or suet - will allow bird food to be dispensed on the outside.
What that can refer to is not so much long rounded clear plastic tube seed bird feeders, but rather much wider 'panoramic style' seed feeder used with a wide tray mounted to the base - along with seed mixes fed to birds externally in the tray.
If you are struggling to keep pigeons off bird feeders then pigeons will continue to struggle; whereas to keep squirrels off this kind of open to all bird feeders will need additional deterrents in place.
Fully accessible wide perching area
Unlike the few wild birds who frequent our yards to feed out of bird feeders such as hummingbirds - remember that as perches or a place to cling onto must be readily available on all active bird feeders.
Bird feeders really do need a perch, especially in tube seed feeders with a perch next to each feeding port well - while a wire bird feeder made for nuts can be used for birds to cling onto it in any direction.
What makes a good bird feeder is a perch of any kind, but the longer it is the better.
Now understand not all types of bird feeders require a perch because those made in wire for peanuts or nuggets, the birds can simply cling rather than perch.
Whereby birds usually utilize a perch surround on any open dish or platform bird feeder.
More perches isn't necessarily better but to utilize perches on feeders that need them will insure all birds that can feed off the bird feeder, can do with ease.
Made to hang for safety
Just maybe I should of hit on this subject earlier on, but for the most part the best type of bird feeders are those that are made to be hung.
Vital reasons for that, among them bird food can sustain for longer if stored away in a almost sealed up device - whereby you'd still need to make bird food available out of the bird feeder - such as throwing it on the ground - so ground feeding birds can eat.
With that a bird feeder made to hang can remain safe when avoiding pets or nuisance wildlife - such as pigeons or squirrels.
How to keep squirrels or pigeons off bird feeders - among other larger birds who raid bird feeders - can only be achieved on a hanging bird feeder vantage point.
Try deterring nuisance animals with a bird feeder on the ground as you'll soon realize you have no chance in succeeding.
Options where to hang a bird feeder can be the reliable bird feeder pole, with a bonus way of placing bird feeders on a tree branch.
Birds often frequent trees in the wild to forage for anything from buds to fruits, thus you can be sure this is an area where birds can find bird feeders if its made to be hung.
Hanger over Wire to hang on pole
Back on the subject of bird feeders made to hang only, let's not get to far ahead of ourselves until we know how this kind of bird feeder must hang.
Now to hang suet, seeds or a peanut bird feeders it would normally be on one of a metal hanger or a single length of wire only.
What I can tell you is if any type of bird feeder is hung off a single length of wire only, you would experience the bird feeder spinning in unexpected circumstances - which you wouldn't of thought could happen in the beginning.
Why, because this length of wire - which could also could be rope - will want to twist around when birds converge on the feeder or if its caused to swing in wind.
And it won't end anytime soon as a prone to twisting up length of wire for hanging will continue to do so without your constant intervention.
What makes a good bird feeder is if its made to hang where it comes with a solid metal hanger.
What this often made in plastic coated wire hanger will do is prevent spinning while stabilizing the bird feeder hanging off its bracket or branch a little bit better.
I can't recommend the use of a hanger enough, but bear in mind a thin, very long length of wire to hang may be needed to squirrel proof bird feeders which are hung beneath a squirrel baffle.
Can be dismantled to maintain
Not all types of bird feeders can be dismantled, nor can they a little, thus its important you still prioritize any bird feeder that can be properly taken apart.
Why that is because mold, bacteria and generally old bird food residue is bound to build up mostly on the bird feeder interior.
I will say this relates mostly to clear tube bird feeders like a hummingbird feeder or those made for seeds - whereby seed mixes stain or cause a build up of grime that can only be cleaned up if accessible internally.
And this is why bird feeders of any kind must allow internal accessibility to maintain.
Right now, I can only think of this effectively applying to clear tube bird feeders, whereas any bird feeder made in wood - or what would be cedar as the best quality wood - would be unable to be disassembled for cleaning and maintenance.
Can your bird feeder by dismantled for maintenance with clear access internally?
Well if it can't that may not be a bad thing as it just means a permanently assembled bird feeder is easier to access internally from the outside, if that makes sense.
Roof cover to keep bird food dry
Once again I am going to refer back to bird seed feeders as the best kind there is for this to happen - though I have seen it in many kinds of bird feeders for peanuts - as a roofed bird feeder is a vital feature to have.
Let me say bird feeders can get wet while the bird food must remain dry to prevent germination - although a little rain won't hurt birds.
Bird seed feeders that are in the panoramic style, hexagon or if its a hopper style bird feeder; all of which come with a roof mounted above which happens to be lifted up to replenish with fresh bird seeds.
Roof cover is available on all bird feeders as any design calls for keeping bird food dry.
However what makes a good bird feeder that emphasis on a featured roof, will indeed be a roof with an extra wide overhang.
Overhang will hang over bird food available in the tray on the base which will be exposed to the elements, thus the roof is designed to protect the bird food as best it can.
Option to stabilize
What I can say is for sure, while many kinds of bird feeders, such as those for seeds, nuts, mealworms or suet... do hang, to stabilize bird feeders will be a bonus.
Bonus it will be, but I can assure you bird feeders can see just as much activity with birds if its allowed to just hang as it does.
What I am getting at is while all birds who use bird feeders will do so, you just may be able to encourage even more wild birds to feed off you bird feeder if it remains stable.
Not all birds like a bird feeder that can spin, swing or shake, thus a few more birds can be attracted to the feeder if its stabilized for them.
In regards to a peanut or any kind of seen feeder than be sure to use a hanger as mentioned above to stop spinning. With that you can tie on a length of wire or rope to an adjacent pole or branch to prevent the bird feeder twisting.
What is the possibility of not allowing a suet bird feeder to hang at all, when its seen to be used more by the limited capability of larger birds - such as Northern Cardinals or Blue Jays - whereby the feeder will be leaning, rather then freely hanging.
Example of a really good bird feeder to use is a platform bird feeder on a pole, or it could be made to be hung or is closer to the ground.
Open top platform bird feeders allow all birds to access it, only its made difficult to deter nuisance animals wishing to eat the bird food.
To summarize
Bear in mind there are many types of bird feeders made for all kinds of bird food, thus its impossible to pin-point what makes a good bird feeder for all styles.
With that in mind my advise is purely based on what are good features to include for all bird feeders - made for dried mealworms, seed mixes, peanuts to suet cakes.
Most important feature of any bird feeder is it must be made to dispense bird food where it applies - such as seed feeders.
Dispensing bird food can be sure feed is made available to birds at a pace of which they arrive to eat. With that there's no intervention on your part needed other than re-filling what is probably going to be a seed feeder in which this mostly applies to.
To allow bird food to also dispense, or filter through on the outside of the bird feeder can be sure to encourage more birds to take up your offer.
And as all birds have varying abilities at bird feeder - or none at all - do utilize bird feeders with a perch if applicable to allow the larger, more clumsy birds to feed.
As a bird feeder made to be hung is your priority, do make sure it can be hung off a solid metal hanger versus a single length of wire - as wire tends to cause the feeder to spin out of control.
Most importantly than anything else, do insure your bird feeder of choice can be dismantled in a way that provides you access to the interior to give it a proper yet regular clean with a scrub of a brush.
Not at all important but certainly can make a good bird feeder feature, is one that has a wide overhang roof - all in an effort to keep the bird food on the outside nice and dry.
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