Home Home & Garden SuppliesPatio & Garden 11 Best Backyard Bird Feeders to Let Your Feathered Friends Feast

11 Best Backyard Bird Feeders to Let Your Feathered Friends Feast

by Luke Conner

These 11 bird feeders provide a posh place for birds to perch and peck to their hearts’ content.

Good Directions Fly-Thru Bird Feeder

Good Directions 0113VB Be Still My Heart Fly Thru™ Heart-Shaped Bird Feeder, Copper with Heavy Duty Plexiglass
  • PATENTED FLY-THRU DESIGN - entices birds to stay awhile perched at the center, or simply dine-and-dash, taking seed back to the nest
  • EASY-FILL PANEL - allows you to add more seed easily
  • LONG-LASTING – featuring a copper finish, this feeder is both beautiful and durable
  • MEASUREMENTS – 13”L x 3”W x 15”H
  • LARGE SEED CAPACITY – holds 4.5 pounds of seed

A distinctive design for backyard display, this copper-colored feeder lets your feathered friends fly through and perch in the inner ring, and allows them to feed from the small cut-out below.

Perky Pet Squirrel-Be-Gone Country Style Bird Feeder

Sale
Perky-Pet 339-1SR Squirrel-Be-Gone II Home Style Bird Feeder with Chimney, Squirrel Proof Bird Feeder with Weight-Activated Perches, Large 8lb Capacity Outdoor Wild Bird Feeder
  • Keep Squirrels Out - When squirrels try to access the feeder, the weight-activated perch is pulled down, blocking access to the feeding ports
  • Durable Design - The metal is finished with a powder coating, adding to the rustic finish, and ensuring rust resistance for all-weather durability
  • Easy to Clean and Fill - The removable lid and large opening make the feeder easy to fill and clean. The windows also allow you to monitor seed levels
  • Versatile Placement - This feeder can be hung or pole mounted for versatile placement anywhere around your yard
  • Large Capacity - Holds up to 8 lb of black-oil sunflower seed, mixed seed, hulled sunflower seed, or safflower seed

This vibrant red metal feeder serves as a country retreat for your backyard birds — the bottom’s trough design thwarts any squirrel’s attempt to sneak away some seeds!

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Nature’s Rhythm Metal Hopper Bird Feeder

Let small birds dine safely by hanging this user-favorite feeder in your yard (over 700 reviews strong!).

The openings of the globe-shaped cage are just large enough for finches and chickadees, but small enough to prevent squirrels and blue jays from eating up the seed stash first.

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Whitehall Metal Tube Bird Feeder

Whitehall Pinecone Tube Bird Feeder, French Bronze
6 Reviews
Whitehall Pinecone Tube Bird Feeder, French Bronze
  • Aluminum and plastic bird seed feeder for use in your garden
  • Raised pine cone and pine needle motif on the lid adds style
  • Center tube holds 1.25 quarts of bird seed
  • Rod through the feeder body allows you to hang it and provides stability
  • Bronze colored finish enhances your garden

Encourage more winged visitors to stop by at a time — six feeding perches and a circular trough at the bottom will have them coming back for seconds, plus the shaped metal frame is weather-resistant and has a lovely, upscale look for year-round display.

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Duncraft Super Songbird Mirrored Feeder

Suction this feeder to your window to get a prime birdwatching view from your living room couch.

While there are more inexpensive options for window feeders, we like this one since the mirrored film allows you to watch the birds without them seeing you, and it prevents them from flying right into your window!

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National Geographic Modernist Bird Feeder

Need a real squirrel deterrent? This feeder is easy for you and the birds to get to, but less so for those pesky seed stealers. The slanted green roof also slides rain and moisture off of the unit to keep the seeds from getting soggy!

OurPets Colonial Bird Feeder

Colonial Bird Feeder
  • 10-Pound large capacity
  • No assembly required
  • Sophisticated design details
  • Easy to fill and clean

Your birds can’t live in this Colonial-style estate, but they can dine here to their hearts’ content. The house holds up to 10 pounds of seed and is constructed for durability and for keeping their feeding area dry.

Plow & Hearth Squirrel-Proof Bird Feeder

This leaf-detailed bird feeder will seem enticing to the squirrels — but their weight on the unit closes all of the feed holes so they can’t swipe any seeds inside. A chew-and-rust-proof cage lets birds happily peck at the rounded seed slots in between the gridded bars.

Target Bronze Small Panorama Seed Feeder

This simple, covered feeder provides an elegant home base for birds to feed. Hang it right outside of a main kitchen window so you can have your own dinner and a show every night!

Buying Guide – Best Bird Feeder

There is no one better resource for those looking for the best bird feeders than bird watching magazines. Magazines will give you some ideas about what is new and popular, what bird species you might like to attract, and even what you should avoid when setting up your bird feeding station. To get the best results, it pays to read the birding advice in various magazines, so you get a wide range of information. Here’s a sample of some popular bird feeding stations and the list below, arranged into a few categories to make it easier to find the perfect feeder for your birds!

Hopper bird feeders are great for attracting smaller birds, like martins and crows. They look very simple to set up, but once you’ve got them filled with food, you’ll have lots of power in your hands. Hopper bird feeder designs vary widely, with the most common being that of a platform design. With a platform design, the platform is held up by hoops or chains. Most people think this type of design is easy to fill, but this is not always the case. It’s usually a good idea to use a funnel, so the bird gets as much seed as possible.

Window bird feeders are generally designed to catch squirrels and other rodents. Many people find this setup quite effective at attracting more birds to the feeder. Squirrels like to jump from platform to platform, so a window bird feeder is great at catching them! They are also easy to clean. Make sure you use a wire cage so they can’t jump out!

Longer feeding ports are usually used on a pole and come in different shapes and sizes. Longer ones are better at catching bigger birds. You will see that smaller birds have trouble reaching the droll bird feeder from a longer port. This is because the droll is only an inch long. These are generally made of plastic and weighs about four ounces, making them quite portable.

The best bird feeders don’t just contain seeds. They contain other goodies that are sure to entice more birds into the feeder. Hedges, small twigs, nuts, and fruit are great lure ideas. It’s important to remember that many birds will only eat insects that are within their natural range.

bird feeder

Hummingbirds love suet-cakes, suet-barriers, suet-mixtures, and suet-treats. Such bird feeders usually contain sugar or honey as their main ingredients. Other ingredients used in hummingbird feeders are acacia wood, oak bark, wheat hulls, nectar, green leaves and buds, and seeds. Many times, these feeders are decorated with shiny beads, wood fragments, and feathers. You can attract hummingbirds by placing bird feeders near tall bushes and trees. If there is plenty of greenery around, you will also see birds feeding on flowers and plants nearby.

Another way to attract wild birds and improve backyard bird feeding is by providing natural food sources. You can do this by building a wooden bird feeder, which is highly preferred by most birds because it does not pose a danger. Building such bird feeders requires skill and hence is best done by those who know how to build it the right way. There are many different types of wooden bird feeders available in the market today. Still, it all boils down to the kind of material that was used for making them.

The most popular wooden feeders are those made from cedar and redwood. These two types of woods are known for their natural oils that make them highly desirable for use as bird feeders. Cedar bird feeders require a lot of maintenance to keep them looking beautiful. However, the good thing is that these bird feeders are very durable and can last for years. The suet feeders made from white cedar and redwood also last for several years.

If you prefer suet feeders, you must look out for those made from white, cream, or yellowish-colored suet. Most birds prefer suet feeders because it offers high-quality protein and essential fatty acids that are vital nutrients for them. Moreover, suet feeders are readily digested by birds, making them fat and thus ideal for feeding wild birds. Hence, suet feeders are perfect for backyard bird feeders.

Another advantage of suet feeders is that they do not require any special cleaning. You can simply wipe it with a damp cloth, and your bird feeders usually remain clean and fresh for many years. Some suet feeders are equipped with suction cups, which allow you to pour out the droppings after each bird feed. This is a great convenience because it allows you to clean out the feeders conveniently, usually without disturbing the birds.

On the other hand, sunflower seeds are usually considered a tastier substitute for suet feeders. Unlike suet feeders, sunflower seeds are easier to digest and require little cleaning. Although sunflower seeds may not provide substantial protein and fatty acids, they do provide iron, which is vital for feather health. To top it all, sunflower seeds are available in various colors, so you won’t have problems finding a suet feeder and a sunflower seedbed. Sunflower seeds can be purchased at virtually any garden store or delivered at home in small plastic packages.

Hopper feeders provide almost the same benefits as suet feeders, with a couple of minor differences. Unlike suet feeders, hopper feeders only provide the food on demand. Hopper feeders usually come in three to four-compartment baskets, and some even include a bird feeder door. However, since the baskets are wider than those found in suet feeders, it is likely to produce a greater volume of seed and a greater variety of seeds.

There are also specially designed bird feeders that are meant to attract specific birds or different species of birds. The best of these are made of hardwood or bamboo and can be found online or at your local feed store. Some of these attract insects like ladybugs and dragonflies, while others attract larger birds like grackles. In this case, you would want to get a larger one to attract more varieties of birds. These are a good investment because they are easy nectar refills. Your yard will be filled with healthy, attractive hummingbirds in no time!

Last update on 2024-04-06 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

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