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Several types of bird feeders are available for attracting different kinds of birds, all having their advantages and disadvantages. A bird feeder has to be sturdy and able to withstand all sorts of weather, large to avoid constant refilling, easy to clean and assemble, and can keep the seeds dry. Generally, feeders fall into three categories: the tray, hopper and tube. But there are also some specialty feeders available like the suet, thistle, mealworm, humming bird and peanut feeders. Tray or Platform Feeder is a flat, raised surface on which bird food is placed. It works well either placed on the ground, mounted on posts, stumps and railings. It attracts ground-feeding birds like doves, sparrows and juncos when placed near the ground. Though the platform birdfeeder attracts a wide variety of birds, it also offers no protection against other animals and the elements. It is important to keep in mind that your platform feeder should have enough drainage holes to prevent accumulation of water. Hopper Feeder is a platform bird feeder with walls and a roof. It protects rather well against the weather, but not against the squirrels and other seed-feeding animals. It is quite convenient for refilling and can hold a fairly large amount of bird feed. This type of feeder also keeps the seeds relatively clean. It attracts most feeder birds, including jays, cardinals, finches and buntings. Tube Feeder is hollow, of cylindrical shape, and usually made of clear plastic. It has multiple feeding ports and several perches. It keeps food clean and may also protect against squirrels if they have metal feeding ports. The type of birds this feeder attracts actually depends on the size of the perches and the feeding ports. Normally, short perches have room for smaller birds like sparrows, grosbeaks and finches, but exclude birds that are slightly bigger like the jays and grackles. Window Feeder is usually made of plastic and attached to a window. It attracts finches, sparrows, chickadees and titmice. Its placement usually allows you to view the birds while they are feeding, though it is important for you to bear in mind that the bird feed might spoil easily since the birds stand on the food as they feed. Suet Feeder is a mesh bag that is used to hold suet or suet mixture. This type may either be nailed or tied to a tree trunk. It can also be smeared into knotholes or may also be suspended. This type of feeder attracts a wide array of birds like the chickadees, titmice, jays, woodpeckers and nuthatches. These cages, if opened only at the bottom, force birds to hang upside down while feeding, therefore making the suet feeder starling-proof. It is usually made of wire-mesh or plastic-mesh. Hummingbird Feeders may either be bottle type or saucer type. It is used as a container to hold a sugar solution or artificial nectar. The bottle or tube type feeder is usually made of plastic or glass, often with red plastic flower designs to help attract hummingbirds and a plastic screen that helps keep insects away. The saucer type feeders are typically made of plastic and have feeding ports in the top, which makes them bee and wasp-proof. The saucer types are also better than the bottle feeders in direct sunlight. Bottle type feeders tend to leak when exposed to the sun. And remember, to prevent your sugar solution from spoiling rapidly, you should avoid placing your hummingbird feeder in direct sunlight. Peanut Feeders are a wire formed holder that can be filled with peanuts and suspended on a tree or may even be mounted on a post. Thistle Feeders are a special type of feeder specifically designed to dispense thistle seeds. They are usually tubular in shape and have very small openings that cater to the tiny thistle seed. Ground Feeders attract a wide variety of birds and are generally very popular since many birds prefer to feed directly off the ground. |
