Why do bird tables have roofs
Certainly a bird table without a roof should be used in the nice weather, whereas a bird table roof would benefit more during the wet weather.
Why a bird table will have a roof is to first to keep the bird food from getting wet in the ran, while keeping it accessible in the snow. A roof on a bird table can also help keep the bird food cool, which will all help to sustain the quality of the bird feed mix. And let's not forget, a roof can keep pests away.
What is essentially a wooden or metal platform that is open to the elements, is made in a way to attract as many wild birds as it possibly can.
To do that, this bird table would have no cover so the bird feed mix is exposed to any passing birds who will definitely notice it laid out in your yard below.
And while this type of bird table platform has huge benefits when it comes to attracting different birds to this feeder, unfortunately, a no-roof bird table can cause a lot of issues beside all the benefits it will bring.
Among them, wild bird food is going to be fully exposed to all kinds of weather, which will see the bird feed rapidly spoil.
Rain can cause bird table food to rot as its always wet, whereas any snowfall will cover up available bird food, just as it would if its provided on the ground.
What's worse is how a wide open, uncovered bird table can attract practically any wild life to it - which in effect can end up deterring birds you want to attract.
Which is why bird tables have roofs because its the only way to at least deter large birds, like Doves and Pigeons, from eating all the food.
What's more important, a bird table with have a wide overhang in an effort to keep every drop of rain off the variety of bird food you've made available on the bird table platform.
Why do bird tables have roofs, is first to keep the bird food in optimal condition, while deterring larger birds who will end up eating all the food.
Best way to attract birds to a bird table is with no roof mind you, whereby a roof can actually have the opposite effect by concealing available food.
Keep bird feed out of rain
First thing about a roofed bird table is how it does well to keep rain off the bird food, which can germinate far sooner when its kept wet, versus when its kept dry at all times.
Damp weather doesn't help mind and while bird seeds can get wet, it sure helps to have a bird table with a roof to protect bird food flooding in pools of water - and when it rains for several days or weeks at a time.
Which is why your bird table will 100% have some kind of drainage to allow standing rain water to naturally drop away.
To keep bird feed as dry as you possibly can, a number of bird tables will have a roof that would stretch out quite wide, to create a wide overhang.
Benefit to a wide roof overhang is it will allow light or torrential rain to flow off the roof, and spill out far over the sides. As a result, the rain water cannot flow back under the roof, where it can spoil the bird food overnight.
Birds do come to bird feeders in the rain and so it helps to provide a little shelter, whilst providing birds a clear way to escape on this wide open type of bird feeder.
Bird feed kept cool in shade
Other than rain which all wild birds continue to forage in by the way, both in the wild and at bird feeders, we must also be concerned about the dry, warm weather.
Why else a bird table would utilize a roof of some kind would be to provide some sort of shelter from the sun.
Sun doesn't help exposed bird food at all as the heat can only speed up the germination process, and that is on top of the bird food getting wet once in a while in summer days.
With both sun and rain hitting the bird seed mix laid out on an uncovered bird table, you really shouldn't expect it to last very long.
Bird tables that have a roof will provide shelter for bird food, but less so for birds who won't be bothered about either. Roof on a bird table cannot keep bird food completely out of the sun, but it will at certain times of the day.
On hot days in the summer you can be sure the bird food is going to be heated up also, and while the conditions under the bird table roof can feel uncomfortable - the roof will provide cooler conditions even if it isn't noticeable.
What type of bird food left out on a bird table can be any kind of suet, which must be kept cool, and out of direct sun - to basically prevent the cheaper kind melting in the sun.
Serve to deter pests
While its important to have a roofed bird table during the wet and colder months, plus the hot summer days, let's not forget a roof can benefit all year when common bird feeder pests show up to disrupts wild birds on the table.
Bird tables often utilize a roof that has low eaves designed to prevent larger birds, along with a wide wingspan, from getting under the roof where the bird food is laid out.
What birds this will apply to would be Crows, Doves, Pigeons, and Magpies; whereas smaller songbirds like Finches, Chickadees and Warblers can fly under the roof with no problems at all.
Bird tables can have a roof just to keep nuisance wild birds away, although little can be done to to keep squirrels or raccoon's out of the bird food.
When you're thinking about using a roofed bird table to keep any nuisance birds out, just never make it one with a too high roof position, as it would make no difference.
In the meantime, a low down roof position will help towards keeping the sun off the food and the rain from splashing onto the platform, positioned underneath the roof.
Conclude
In an ideal world we would throw out bird food anywhere in the yard without giving it a second thought; in reality though bird food must be dispensed in what can be a hanging bird feeder where bird food is kept dry and sheltered.
Bird tables on the other hand will make use of a roof as its a great way to attract a wide variety of birds, to a wide mix of bird food left out in the elements.
Bird tables do well to provide bird feed to all wild birds while providing a platform that is off the ground - yet remains fully accessible to all common backyard birds.
Unfortunately, in terms of bad weather a bird table must have a roof in an effort to keep a mix of bird feed out of rain and snow.
In addition, any bird feed exposed to the sun for a long period of time will soon germinate, and thus the roof can shelter the food out of the sun.
What can be just as important, is how a bird table with a roof can help to deter larger, more nuisance wild birds who are intent on eating all the food, whilst scaring off more friendly songbirds who'd probably prefer to attract to the bird table.
Share this article:
