Bird feeders come in many different shapes and sizes and the choices can often be overwhelming to new comers. Despite the wealth of choice, setting up a bird feeder in your garden in relatively straight forward and in this article we explore some of the options open to home owners.

Floor Standing Bird Feeders (Hopper Feeders)

These are becoming less popular these days as people tend to favour tree hanging alternatives. Floor standing feeders usually have a solid base and some type of platform at the top. Your average floor standing bird feeder is around 1 meter tall and more expensive than other types of feeders. Despite this they can an excellent feature in the garden and provide a comfortable resting area for birds.

Squirrel Proof Bird Feeders

Squirrels are notorious for stealing bird food and can become a real problem for home owners. They not only steal the food but damage less robust bird feeders. Fortunately, there are many high squirrel proof bird feeders on the market. These usually make use of a cage and are much more heavy duty than your standard feeder. Implementing one of these will eventually reduce the number of visits you have from squirrels and keep the birds happy.

Tree Hanging Feeders

These types of feeders come in many different shapes and designs and hang from the branches of a tree. You will find these types of feeders in most gardens and can be purchased cheaply on the high street. These types of feeders can be prone to attack by squirrels but are quick and easy to maintain for home owners. When hanging these home owners should be careful to choose a strong and steady branch. This is because they will need to support the weight of many visitors.

Hummingbird Feeders

These are nectar feeders and are typically made of plastic or glass. These are designed to allow several birds to feed at once and have 3 to 5 feeding ports. Hummingbird feeders can be home made and are relatively easy to put together.

Suet Feeders

These hold nutrient rich bird food called suet. These types of feeders tend to made up of wire or a cage to help hold the suet in place. The specialist food is high in fat and perfect for birds in the winter. This can be homemade or purchased on the high street and should be kept in different positions dependent on the weather.

These types of feeders do work well but you can get problems with starlings and black birds. They can eat the suet in a very short period of time. It is also important to keep these types of feeders clean.

With so many different types of bird feeders out there it can often be difficult to choose which one to go for. If, like many, you are new to this, then a tree hanging option might be best. However if you are frequently visited by squirrels then a squirrel proof cage might be the choice for you. Whichever feeder you go with make sure the birds can access the food and regularly fill it up.

Author Bio: Richard Garret – Bird enthusiast and specilist in bird feeders

Category: Home Management
Keywords: birds, garden, home, bird feeders