Attracting birds requires selecting the right food and prioritizing their well-being and safety. A successful feeding station is secure, where placement and hardware choices protect visiting species from predators, window collisions, and nuisance animals. Careful planning during the installation process helps mitigate common backyard hazards. The following considerations detail the best practices for installing a bird feeder that will serve as a safe and reliable food source.
Strategic Placement for Bird Safety and Viewing
The location of a feeder is the first consideration for bird safety, specifically to prevent fatal window strikes and ambushes by predators. To minimize the risk of collisions, feeders should be positioned either very close to the glass or a significant distance away. Placing the feeder within three feet of a window prevents birds from building up enough momentum to sustain a serious injury if they flutter into the pane. Conversely, positioning the feeder more than 30 feet from the house also reduces collision risk, as birds are more likely to recognize the structure as a barrier at that distance.
A safe location also incorporates natural cover, providing birds with a quick escape route from flying hunters like hawks. Placing the feeder within 10 to 15 feet of natural shelter, such as a dense shrub or evergreen tree, offers a convenient refuge. This placement allows birds to dart quickly into cover while still keeping the feeder far enough away that predators cannot use the branches as a hiding spot for a sudden attack. Placing seed feeders in a shaded spot can help prevent the contents from spoiling quickly in direct sunlight.
Selecting the Appropriate Hanging Hardware
The method of hanging the feeder must be chosen based on the desired location, with hardware selected for stability and durability. For pole mounting in an open area, sectional steel poles are often stabilized using a ground auger or a ground sleeve. A ground auger, sometimes called a twist-in ground socket, is screwed deep into the soil to anchor the pole firmly against wind and shifting ground. Alternatively, a ground sleeve is cemented into the earth, providing a permanent, stable base into which the pole can be inserted and removed as needed.
When hanging a feeder from a tree branch or an existing overhang, specialized hardware is necessary to prevent damage to the tree. Metal S-hooks are commonly used, often connected to a chain or wire to achieve the ideal hanging height. Their open design allows for quick removal of the feeder for cleaning and refilling. If the desired location is a deck or porch, a clamp-on deck hook or an adjustable clamp bracket can attach directly to the railing without causing permanent damage. These brackets typically extend the feeder away from the railing to reduce mess and provide better viewing.
Securing the Feeder Against Nuisance Animals
A successful feeding station requires measures to deter nuisance animals, most notably squirrels and raccoons. The primary defense against squirrels is adhering to the “5-7-9 rule,” which uses the animal’s physical limitations to set boundaries. This means positioning the feeder at least five feet off the ground, seven feet horizontally away from any launch point like a fence or deck, and nine feet below any overhead structure. Maintaining an eight to ten-foot clearance zone from trees, railings, and roofs is the minimum distance to prevent squirrels from leaping onto the feeder.
If a pole system is used, a cone or cylindrical baffle is necessary to prevent climbing access from the ground. A pole-mounted baffle must be placed a minimum of four feet from the ground to prevent squirrels from jumping over it. For feeders hung from a line or tree branch, a dome-shaped hanging baffle placed above the feeder can prevent access from above. Protecting against ground predators, such as outdoor cats, requires keeping the area beneath the feeder clear of dense ground cover, which could provide an ambush point.