Any wild bird enthusiasts out there who can recommend a good hanging wild bird feeder? I'm overwhelmed by all of the choices on Amazon, and I know practically nothing about bird feeders, or even birds.
What are the best feeder construction materials, in terms of sturdiness, durability, and that won't be harmful? Should I get one that also provides water? Is one that dispenses seed sufficient, or should I get one that offers suet as well?
Any advice is appreciated, thanks!
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Feel free to reply to any comment by clicking the "Reply" button.I have 4 types of feeders and 2 suet holders. I like feeders that are easy to fill and easy to clean. I only buy black sunflower seed and the suet cakes. I attract mostly chickadees, cardinals, juncos, finches, and the occasional robin pecking around for worms/insects. I have recently been seeing two types of wood peckers also, which is exciting to me: the downy and the hairy woodpecker. They really like the suet cakes. There has been a nuthatch once in awhile but not as often as the chickadees! Water is provided in a low ceramic dish that also works as a birdbath. The feeders I have are 2 of the tube styles with a cage to keep out bigger birds, 1 plastic style with a slide off lid and clear window to view seed amount like this one [menards.com] , and a heavy duty metal one that keeps squirrels away kind of like this one but not quite as fancy: [farmandfleet.com] Happy bird watching! ?
mojo5501
Level 7
Apr 13, 2019
1
I like the smaller birds and have a couple of tube feeders to attract finches and sparrows. I fill with wild finch food. Seed falls to the ground and morning doves like to come and eat from the ground. Also have a thirteen line squirrel or two with burrows nearby who clean the seed on the ground.
Mark013
Level 7
Apr 13, 2019
2
Sounds like about what I am looking for. A little something for nearly everyone. I take care of the other wild life in other ways, as best I can.
I've always felt a strong pull to look out for nature for as far back as I can remember. As long as I am doing well, I like to make sure that all of the animals in my immediate vicinity are also being taken care of. Just imagine if everyone did the same thing.
I started out with a hopper style feeder, with perches suitable for small and medium sized birds, and a floor that is well perforated to allow rain drainage, preventing molding of the seed.
Something like this:
Zster
Level 8
Apr 13, 2019
1
I need something that can hamg from the eaves of a partially covered balcony. But I like the info about how to help avoid seed rotting. I also was not aware I could choose perch sizes. I am literally a beginner at this.
@Piratefish Hanging feeders from the eves rocks!!! I use various sized hooks for mine. In this case, light weight becomes important, unless you want to test the security of you house gutter attachment. I would look for a smallish, lightweight plastic gazebo or tube feeder, preferably with a draining floor, to prevent seed molding. These feeders are tougher to get in a style that supports bigger birds, but works great for small song birds which is a good starting point.
I will come back with what examples I can find...
Long gutter hooks:
Short gutter hooks:
Gazebo feeder (not sure if perforated floor)
Tube type:
FYI - finches like thistle/nyjer seed. Most birds, including finches eat black oil sunflower or shelled sunflower seed. Tube feeders can have tiny holes for nyger. The sunflower (my recommendation) requires a larger pecking hole. Read feeder labels carefully.
Also, check out our "Feathered Friends" group here on Agnostic.com! We love to help people get started in the hobby!!
What kind of birds are you trying to attract? I have three feeders for song birds and six hummingbird feeders. Two of My song bird feeders are wood and one is a clear plastic tube. All my hummer feeders are glass.
Namaste
Level 7
Apr 13, 2019
1
To the best of my knowledge, I do not think there are hummingbirds where I live. Other than that, I don't know enough to be particular about which birds I want to attract (although I hear blue jays are kind of mean). I just noticed some birds nesting in a nearby tree, and a lot of other, different species of bird flying around frequently. I have a general love and concern for all animals, so I just wanted to provide some food and water for some of the local wildlife. And it would be a bonus to ocassionally enjoy watching the birds feed, too.
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