Not all bird feeders are created equal. There are some styles that are suited for general-purpose feeding and some that are more specialized and designed to attract or accommodate certain species of birds. Now that you've determined what types of feed you'll be offering to entice birds to your backyard, you'll need to decide on what types of feeders to use. Here's a guide to some of the common types.
Types of Bird Feeders
- Tube feeders are one of the most common and simplest of the general-purpose feeders. These are available in several sizes, and are well-suited for use with black-oil sunflower seeds. Large capacity tube-feeders require less frequent fillings, and some are equipped with trays at the bottom (figure A) that catch stray seed that falls out and provide an extra perching area. Some species such as cardinals are attracted to the wide perching area provided by the tray.
- Thistle feeders or finch feeders are a specialized type of tube feeder that has tiny holes that prevents the small grains of thistle seed (a.k.a., Nyjer seed) from falling out. These feeders are designed specifically for use with thistle seed. They are well-suited for attracting goldfinches (figure B) and other members of the finch family with beaks small enough to reach inside the small holes.
- Hopper feeders are another general purpose, large-capacity feeder (figure C). Typically hopper feeders are filled by lifting of the removable roof. The wide tray accommodates a wide variety of birds, including cardinals, mourning doves and some of the medium-sized song birds. Hopper feeders can be suspended by means of hooks or a wire, or they can be mounted on top of a pole.
- Suet feeders are cage-like containers that hold suet -- a rendered form of beef fat that offers nourishment to certain bird species such as nuthatches, titmice chickadees and woodpeckers. Suet feeders (figure D) can be suspended from a wire or mounted in trees. Some hopper feeders feature a side-mounted suet feeder as an accessory (figure E), thus seed-eaters and suet-eaters can eat at the same feeding station.
- Hummingbird feeders are specially designed feeders for holding nectar or sugar water that will attract hummingbirds -- the tiniest of our native birds. These feeders come in a variety of styles and configurations. The ones that tend to attract hummingbirds best are ones that display red color, have flower-like openings where the birds can feed and tiny edge-perches where the hummers can land (figure F).
One helpful feature for hummingbird feeders is a water-filled mote. This feature is either built-in to the feeder, or is available as a separate accessory. It is incorporated into the apparatus used for suspending the feeder, and it prevents ants from crawling down onto the feeder and ultimately spoiling the nectar.
Birds Commonly Seen at Feeders
If you utilize an assortment of bird feeders and food materials, here are some of the more common songbirds you might expect to see in your yard. - Goldfinches always appear in flocks, and are particularly attracted to thistle seed. Once they land on a feeder, they may remain there for some time filling up on their favorite seeds (figure G).
- Chickadees are interesting and acrobatic visitors to feeders. They can grasp onto the side of a feeder or the bark of a tree, and hold on at an almost perpendicular angle to the surface they're grasping. Frequently a chickadee will perch on a feeder just long enough to extract one seed, then will fly off to eat the seed in the safety of a nearby tree.
- Cardinals are often regarded as America's favorite bird. The male is the familiar crested songbird, bright-red in color with the black "mask" (figure H). The female is brown with an orange beak.
- Blue Jays (figure I) are members of the crow family, and act as the "sentinels" of feeders. They can eat lots of seed at one time, and several of them can empty a feeder fairly quickly.
- Titmice are another small but entertaining visitor to feeders. They are typically easily attracted. They are crested and gray in color (figure J) and often come to feeders in small flocks.
- House finches are one of the birds most commonly seen at feeders. The male has a brownish base coat with a bright red or purplish cast (figure K), while the female is brown and streaked.
RESOURCES :
Don and Lillian Stokes' website
Stokes Birds at Home
Website: www.stokesbirdsathome.com
Droll Yankee bird feeders
Droll Yankees Inc.
Foster, RI 02825
Fax: 401-647-7620
Email: custserv@drollyankees.com
Website: www.drollyankees.com
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