If you would like to attract birds to your garden, you should consider putting a bird feeder out. But there are so many feeders to choose from! So which one should you choose?

Platform Feeders

A platform feeder is essentially a tray and is perfect for all types of birds. It will also give you a great view of your birds. They are really versatile and can be placed at different heights. A lot of people have double ones, with the bottom tray catching the seeds that the birds drop. You can expect to see doves, native sparrows, chickadees, towhees, jays, juncos, titmice, and cardinals. The problem is, however, that they are difficult to squirrel proof.

Hopper Feeder

A hopper feeder is also very attractive to large birds. These will attract birds like woodpeckers and jays, as they can easily land on them. Plus, these feeders hold a lot of seeds, which means you don’t have refill them all the time. They can also be very pretty, being designed like chalets or barns. Usually, you can attach a sued feeder to them, so that you can also attract some other birds. A counter balance system can be installed to squirrely proof your feeder.

Tube Feeders

These are the most common feeders found in people’s backyards. Imagine a long tube with short perches and feeding ports in different spots. These feeders attract small birds like goldfinches, nuthatches, titmice, and chickadees. You can also get some with longer purchase at the bottom, so that you can attract grosbeaks and cardinals. You can fill these tubes with lots of different seeds, but do make sure that the seeds can get through the ports. For instance, if you have a nyger feeder, sunflower seeds won’t work. One of the great benefits of tube feeders is that they protect the food inside them. This means that the seeds are even protected from sleet, snow, and rain. Usually, they are also perfectly squirrel proof, which is also a bonus. Because of the fact that these feeders can cope with various weather elements, they can also be used during winter, meaning you will protect the bird wildlife as well.

These are just some of the bird feeders you could choose from, but there are many others. It is important that you think about the types of birds you want to attract so that you can choose not just an appropriate feeder, but also the right food. Another thing to take into consideration is when you put your feeder up. Birds spend the end of spring and most of summer looking for sources of food. A lot of people make the mistake of not putting feeders up until fall, because that is when birds are most hungry. Unfortunately, this means that the birds won’t come anymore, because they hadn’t identified the spot for their food. Last but not least, make sure your feeders are protected from cats, and secluded enough from you.