What is The Best Style of Bird Feeder?

There really is no ‘best style’ of bird feeder. Each style or type of bird feeder has a purpose. Is there a certain bird species that you want to attract? What type of seed will you provide? Are you in an area where squirrels abound? Do you have a lot of cats in your neighborhood? Do you just want to provide food to birds and be able to watch them? You’re in luck! There are bird feeders available for all of these situations.

Attracting a certain bird species; research to find out what seed that species prefers. Select your hummingbird feeder accordingly. In other words, you wouldn’t purchase a humming bird feeder to attract cardinals. If the bird species you want to attract prefers oiled sun flower seed, select a feeder that has holes big enough for the larger seed to easily fall through and has perches large enough for the bird to comfortably stand on to eat.

Squirrels will invade your feeders, but there are bird feeders designed to keep squirrels away. Some are low volt battery powered - When squirrels try to feed, they make contact with top and bottom that gives them a very mild electric shock. Squirrels do not like this, and will not return to the feeder. The birds, however, are oblivious to this mild current, and they happily feed away. Others have a design that makes it impossible for the squirrels to get to the seed.

Cats love to eat birds! Hang your feeder on a branch that the cats have to struggle to get to. By the time they get close enough, the birds will have flown away.

Do not worry about ‘spillage’ because there are birds that prefer to eat on the ground. Doves are an example.

What is your preference in styles? Bird feeders can be very ornate, or very simple. Choose a style that is practical for your purpose, and that you will enjoy looking at.

A few bird feeding facts:

* It is estimated that over 55 million Americans feed wild birds and spend more than $3 billion a year on bird food!

* Do you have pet birds? If so, when refreshing the food – do not throw the old food away. Put it in a container and add to your wild bird feeder. (There is plenty of uneaten seed in their cup!)

* Do you have dogs, cats or rabbits? Put the crumbles in the bottom of the bag in the bird feeder – they LOVE it!

* The first documented record of feeding wild birds was the 6th century monk Saint Serf of Fife who tamed a robin by feeding it.

* Fall and winter are the best time to provide wild bird food. Food abounds for them in the spring and summer months, but is scarce in the colder months. If you decide to feed during the winter be diligent – the birds are now relying on you to provide them sustenance in the bird feeder.