Bird feeding offers a simple way to connect with nature right outside your window. Establishing a successful backyard feeding station requires careful decisions about equipment, location, and long-term maintenance. This guide simplifies the process into clear, actionable steps, ensuring your new setup is both attractive and safe for visiting birds. Following these guidelines will help you quickly begin enjoying the lively activity of local bird populations.
Selecting the Right Feeder and Seed
The initial decision involves matching the type of feeder to the seed you plan to offer, which in turn determines the species you will attract. Tube feeders are highly effective for small seeds and small-bodied birds like finches and chickadees, providing multiple feeding ports while shielding the contents from rain. Hopper feeders resemble miniature houses and hold larger volumes of seed, making them a good option for attracting medium-sized species such as cardinals and grosbeaks. Suet cages, which hold high-energy fat cakes, cater specifically to clinging birds like woodpeckers and nuthatches.
Selecting the right seed is just as important as the feeder style. Black oil sunflower seed is widely considered the universal favorite, appealing to the greatest variety of birds due to its high fat content and thin, easy-to-crack shell. Safflower seed is a practical alternative, as many birds enjoy it, but pests like squirrels and blackbirds tend to avoid its bitter taste, naturally mitigating nuisance feeding. Nyjer seed, often mistakenly called thistle, is the preferred food for specialized feeders designed for small-billed birds such as American Goldfinches and Pine Siskins.
Strategic Placement for Safety and Visibility
Placing the feeder correctly is the single most important action for ensuring bird safety and maximizing visits. To deter ground predators like cats, the feeder should be positioned approximately five feet off the ground, a height that allows birds a clear line of sight for approaching threats. It is helpful to locate the feeder about 7 to 10 feet away from dense cover like bushes or low-hanging tree branches, which can otherwise provide an ambush point for lurking predators.
Window collisions represent a major hazard for backyard birds, but proper feeder placement can dramatically reduce this risk. Experts recommend positioning the feeder in one of two locations relative to a window: either very close, within three feet, or significantly far away, at a distance greater than 30 feet. When a feeder is within three feet, a bird fleeing the feeder cannot gain enough momentum to cause a fatal strike if it hits the glass. Placing the feeder beyond 30 feet ensures the birds have enough space to maneuver safely away from the house structure entirely.
Loading, Mounting, and Attracting Birds
Once you have chosen a location, you can secure the feeder using one of the common mounting options. Pole mounts are highly versatile and allow for easy incorporation of pest baffles, while shepherd’s hooks are a simple solution for hanging feeders in open lawn areas. For locations near a deck or railing, specialized clamps can secure a feeder directly to the structure, providing a close view of the feeding activity.
When filling the feeder, ensure the seed ports are clear and the seed level is easily accessible. If the feeder is new, scattering a small amount of seed on the ground beneath it can visually cue ground-feeding species to the fresh food source. This initial scattering acts as an immediate attractant, as birds rely on sight to find food.
After installation, patience is required, as it can take anywhere from a few days to two weeks for local birds to discover a newly placed feeder. Certain seeds, such as Nyjer, can sometimes take several weeks longer to attract the target species. Avoid moving the feeder or changing the seed during this initial discovery period, as consistency is key to establishing your station as a reliable source of nutrition.
Ongoing Care and Troubleshooting Pests
Long-term success depends on a routine of hygiene and pest control to maintain a healthy environment for visiting birds. Regular cleaning is necessary to prevent the buildup of mold and harmful bacteria, such as Salmonella, which can spread rapidly through a feeding station. Feeder cleaning should occur weekly or bi-weekly, depending on usage and weather conditions, using a solution of one part bleach to nine parts water to properly sanitize the surfaces.
After scrubbing and disinfecting, the feeder must be allowed to dry completely before being refilled with fresh seed. This step ensures that no residual moisture remains to promote the growth of mold or dilute the new seed supply. To prevent attracting rodents, and to reduce the risk of disease, it is also important to rake or sweep up spoiled seed and hulls that accumulate on the ground beneath the feeding area.
Squirrels and raccoons are common and persistent pests that require specific equipment to deter. The most effective strategy involves combining a physical barrier with strategic isolation.
Physical Barriers (Baffles)
Pole-mounted feeders should be equipped with a baffle, which is a smooth, dome-shaped or cylindrical barrier placed on the pole below the feeder. Baffles prevent pests from climbing the pole to reach the seed.
Strategic Isolation
For the baffle to be effective against squirrels, the pole must be placed a minimum of 11 feet away from any structure or tree. This isolation prevents pests from launching a jump onto the feeder.