BIRD FEEDERS
Behind the Tube Feeder 
In the wild, birds never become totally dependent on a single food source. It's too likely that one day the food there would be gone, and the birds would be out of luck. So birds forage, often making a regular circuit, taking a bit of food here, a bit there. Even though birds would survive winters without feeders, their lives would be less pleasant if they were not able to snack in our back yards. And so would ours.
To attract a nice variety of birds, use a tube-style feeder filled with black oil sunflower seed. Be prepared to do daily maintenance. Besides running out of food, the single reason why birds taper off using a feeder is that the feeding slots become filled with debris: hulls, stems and the like.
Peter Kilham, founder of Droll Yankees, Inc., designed the first hanging tubular bird feeder. Known as the father of the bird feeder industry, Kilham's innovative approach to bird feeder design led the industry out of garage workshops and into high-tech factories.
Because different birds have different eating habits, you can tailor your feeding stations to particular species by feeder design as well as the food offered. Although there are variations on the seed tube theme, these feeders all operate the same way. Seed is placed into a vertical tube, usually made of hard plastic. There are several perches and feeder holes that permit birds to extract the seed. As the seed level drops, the birds must move to a lower feeding position.
Tube feeders come in several sizes, but there are three types. Basic tubes have seed ports large enough to accommodate sunflower seeds, popular with most seed-eating birds. Second is the tube feeder designed with portals small enough to dispense only the tiny black Nyjer™ seed, a favorite of all the finches.
The third type of tube feeder is meant just for goldfinches, uniquely designed by George Petrides, founder of the Wild Bird Centers franchise company, with the perches above the feeding portals. The original intent of upside-down tubular feeders was to give goldfinches more opportunity to eat while making it more difficult for house finches to crowd them out.
House finches are less adept at eating with their heads lower than their feet. But goldfinches, like chickadees, are naturally born acrobats. Eating upside down is no trick for them. They customarily feed that way on the heavy, seed-laden heads of sunflowers that hang upside down in the field.
Tubular feeders have three important advantages: they're easy to fill; they permit the birds and us easily to see the seeds, and there is minimal spillage. Ideally you would attach a tray underneath to catch any scattered seed. A dome-like squirrel baffle above or a stovepipe baffle below may foil furry, four-footed visitors.
When choosing your tubular feeders, invest in well-made models that will last a long time and reward you with years of enjoyment. They should be easy to maintain and hold enough seed so you don't have to reload too often. Metal perches and reinforced feeding portals are helpful against chewing by squirrels.
Tubular feeders may have either tiny feed holes to dispense Nyjer™ seed or larger ones for sunflower seed. Some are designed with interchangeable fittings that give you flexibility in the choice of seed to use. Most tubular feeders have separate perches far enough apart to reduce some of the competition that often occurs around the feeding station.
Those tubes with short perches and small feed portals make it difficult for larger birds to use them, an advantage if you're trying to be selective. A recent innovation in tubular feeders is a tube surrounded by a plastic-coated, wire cage. The spaces are wide enough for small birds easily to reach the seed but too small for larger birds or squirrels to get through.
Small songbirds may use tubes almost exclusively. Even so, it may take several days, or even weeks, to attract birds to your feeders. But, like people, they are creatures of habit and will become regular visitors -- especially if they approve of your menu.
Ever Owned a Hopper?
Due to its straightforward simplicity, a hopper feeder often is the one that people choose when they first start feeding wild birds. Hopper feeders hold large quantities of seed and are easy to place and refill Hopper feeders can be hung from a tree, a "shepherd's crook" or under the eaves of a house. Or they can be mounted on a post, wall, fence or deck rail.
As the name implies, a hopper feeder is a box-like storage and dispensing system that automatically replenishes birdseed, usually through gravity, until the hopper is empty.
Most varieties of seed, from straight sunflower to a mix, can be fed through a hopper. Major exceptions are black Nyjer™ seeds, sunflower chips or a combination of the two because of their small size.
Birds, looking for the most desirable seeds in a mix, easily kick out from a hopper feeder what they don't want. You can control this somewhat with a tray or screen hung beneath the feeder or some sort of collection apparatus on the ground.
Hopper feeders accommodate several feeding birds at the same time and are attractive to a number of species, such as grosbeaks, cardinals, jays, woodpeckers, finches, chickadees, sparrows and nuthatches. Because of their open trays, there is substantial spillage. Birds that will be attracted to the scattered seed on the ground include mourning doves, juncos, various sparrows and towhees.
Hoppers come in a wide array of shapes and styles: round, square, built like small chalets, partially enclosed, steel framed or dome-topped. Many have transparent sides so you can monitor the seed level. Typically the hopper has a wide roof, protecting the contents from the elements until it's ready to be eaten.
Having seed available for the birds on demand is an advantage, but keep in mind that a basic hopper is a non-exclusive feeder, meaning almost any bird can use it. If your desire is to be more exclusive, you may want to consider a different feeder type.
Hopper feeders are more complicated structures than tray feeders, making them more expensive to buy. However, if you buy a good one, it's worth the initial investment because you'll use it for years. They don't accommodate as many birds at one time as an open tray feeder, plus there is relatively small area for birds to stand. The upside, as compared with a tray feeder, is that the birds do not stand in -- and soil -- the seed.
When you shop for a new hopper, make sure it is easy to open and fill. Once it's in your yard, it won't be located securely on a shelf but will swing from a perch or sit atop a pole. If it's tricky to handle in the store, imagine how it will be outdoors, in cold weather, when you are wearing mittens and holding a container of fresh seed in one hand.
All feeders must be cleaned regularly, and hoppers are no exception. A glance into the feeding tray, or an absence of birds, could be an indication that seed has gotten wet and perhaps moldy. Regular cleaning reduces the spread of disease around feeding stations where many birds congregate.
For the same reason, it is important to keep the area beneath the feeder clear of old seed debris. Empty your hopper feeders and wash with a mild soap and a touch of bleach in warm water. A bottlebrush or old toothbrush is handy for reaching into the corners. Then allow the feeders to dry thoroughly before refilling them with clean seed.
Without baffles, hopper feeders can be easy targets for the furry bandits. If you don't want to give them free rein, then you may be into "squirrel wars," with no certainty of winning.
A stovepipe baffle works well on a pole-mounted hopper while a domed baffle may be required for one that hangs. In either case, the feeder must be seven feet from the nearest "point of attack."Remember that your squirrels can and will shinny up or down most poles and wires as well as "dive-bomb" feeders from above.
Placed in an easily viewed location, periodically cleaned and properly squirrel-proofed, a well-stocked hopper feeder will provide many enjoyable hours for you to observe your birds.
Feeders in Focus
Generally speaking birds -- like people -- prefer to eat in different places. For example, towhees, juncos, white-crowned and Harris sparrows all prefer the ground. Rarely do they visit feeders four or five feet up in the air. Chickadees and finches, on the other hand, frequent hanging or pole-mounted feeders all the time.
Attracting birds is remarkably easy. Provide the birds with foods they like, from a feeder they can easily access, in a habitat conducive to their safety and they will flock to your yard.
The attractions you can offer are endless. There are globe feeders, window feeders, large and small capacity hopper feeders and platform feeders. Tubular feeders within cages, with or without perches, with portals below as well as above the perches and with multiple compartments. In addition there are combination feeders, fruit feeders, varmint-proof feeders, suet feeders, seed bells, nectar feeders...you can run out of breath before citing all the feeder choices to enhance your yard and enchant your visitors.
Construction materials for bird feeders are almost as varied as the styles, and include wood, plastic, copper, glass, wire mesh, steel, ceramic and non-toxic metal. It is quite true that all you have to do to enjoy watching birds in your yard is throw some seed on the ground and stand back. Some birds, accustomed to scavenging public environs, will find the food source quickly and assemble many of their friends. But the bird-feeding hobby demands our attention to being a good host, with attention to details like cleanliness and propriety.
Plus there are many other kinds of birds besides house sparrows and mourning doves to attract. The efficient way to do this is to use different types of feeders.
First, the natural foraging habit of many birds is not on the ground. Another important consideration is that offering birdseed in feeders decreases the chance of attracting unwanted critters such as rodents and raccoons to our neighborhoods. Using a combination of different styles of feeders, you can create a place where all kinds of birds can satisfy their appetites.
A cluster of varied feeders, combined with an ever-present water source, creates an entity known as a feeding station. The advantage to grouping your feeders together, especially in bad weather, is that you needn't traverse your entire backyard to fill isolated feeders. A station that accommodates multiple feeders situated within 20 feet of your backdoor can make life easier for you while attracting many year 'round visitors.
Your feeding station may please you and satisfy the birds, but it may not be as popular with your neighbors. Not everyone shares the same enthusiasm for wildlife. However, if you practice the Golden Rule and feed the birds responsibly, community relations should not be strained. If you live on a 50-foot lot, define your bird habitat with a couple of tube feeders, a hopper, nectar and suet feeders and some water.
The deck or balcony of an apartment that is situated near trees and bushes can attract birds to deck-mounted tube, platform and suet feeders. Because birds are notoriously sloppy, consideration must be given to the neighbors who live below.
On large lots or in less populated areas, you can have the ultimate feeding station with as many feeders and baths as you are able to maintain. In appropriate settings, there's no such thing as too many feeders. Wherever you live, position feeders so you can watch and make wild birds part of your daily life. As you participate in this "armchair birding," you become aware of the balance of nature and the importance of your contribution to it.
Nature of the Nectar Feeder
Have you looked at nectar feeders lately? Like seed feeders, they have changed, gotten fancier -- and especially hummingbird feeders -- gone upscale. Consider the names and descriptions of some recent creations: glass blossom; graceful glass; dew drop; hibiscus; festival lantern; landmark glass; looking glass and skyline glass. These will impress you more than they will the hummingbirds.
These tiny jewels will be attracted to any feeder that contains fresh nectar in a clean container. Likewise the nectar-loving oriole will use any simple feeder that displays the color orange.
While you still can buy a fully functional, eight-ounce glass model with four red flowers for about $24.95, you also can spend $50 or $60. This is due to the contributions of product designers. A new copper hummingbird feeder with a 10-ounce glass nectar container has three copper flower-feeding stations. It also has a reversible funnel cap to make filling easier.
There are hand-blown hummingbird feeders in the shape of strawberries, chili peppers and grapes. There are glass containers on mobiles. Or eight-port feeders combined with three feet of perching line and window-mount models that you secure with suction cups.
Among the desirable features of a hummer feeder are perches, a clear glass or hard plastic container, bee and ant guards, and red ornamentation. They come in really two basic styles.
The simplest and probably the original hummingbird model is simply an upside-down container with a feeding tube extending through a plug in the bottom opening. These hold as much as a pint or more. Vacuum keeps the nectar in the container. A potential drawback is that nectar heated by the sun expands and drips. On a positive note, you can make this style feeder yourself.
The other type features a reservoir that holds a quart or even more of nectar. Again, most have an inverted container that screws into a dish.
If you are shopping for new nectar feeders, especially of the hummingbird variety, what features should you look for? Or stated another way, what problems will you encounter?
First, you want one that can be taken apart easily and cleaned thoroughly with not much more than a soft-bristled bottlebrush. Use hot, soapy water and rinse completely at least weekly during cool weather, twice a week when it's hot.
Second, you want to be able to deal successfully with ants and bees. Inexpensive ant guards, filled with water or vegetable oil, act as moats to prevent the insects from reaching the nectar. The new Nectar Protector¨ is clear plastic so you can see when it needs to be refilled.
Whether glass or plastic, a feeder should be placed in the maximum shade available to slow down nectar fermentation. If it's in a windy spot, your feeder may self-empty from swaying back and forth.
Check the durability of the new feeder you plan to buy. It should be able to survive a drop into the grass from where you hang it, which can be caused by squirrels during the day or raccoons by night.
Nectar feeders can be put up before the first individual is seen. This is somewhere around mid-April to mid-May, depending on your location and weather. And they should be left up for at least a week after the last hummingbird is seen in the fall, to catch any straggling migrants.
People everywhere feed hummingbirds because they are so attractive and entertaining. (There is nothing prettier to have around the yard than a hummingbird -- unless it is an oriole.) But we also help these tiny birds in ways that few realize.
For comparison, consider that a normal-sized person would have to eat 275 pounds of hamburger every day -- and burn off 150,000 calories – in order to function like a hummingbird.
Nectar Feeders and Hummingbird Feeders
Hummingbirds are very territorial and don't like to share a nectar source with other hummers. This can limit the visitors to your feeder. To attract more, add more feeders. Place them out of view of each other, or so close to each other that no individual hummingbird can defend them all.
You will have the best results if you get your feeders out first thing in the spring. But don't hesitate later to put them out, even in mid-summer.
As the weather gets cooler, continue to feed through the fall until the hummingbirds no longer visit. That's the indication that the local population has gone south and the migrant birds also have passed through your area.
You will be doing lots of filling and cleaning, so make sure you easily can take apart the hummingbird feeder to reach all parts for thorough scrubbing. Hummers do not find dirty feeders appealing, and old nectar can be dangerous to their health.
There really is no limit on where you can locate a hummingbird feeder, even an apartment balcony or office window. Putting it up does not guarantee its use, however, because hummingbirds may not be in your area. However, it may just be a matter of time to establish your feeding station among resident birds, or perhaps you live where they only during spring and fall migrations.
Special Feeders Around Every Corner
A variety of feeders attract a greater variety of birds. Birds fly through our lives, bringing their splendid colors and melodic songs to brighten our days. Fill your yard with a never-ending performance as wild birds investigate the offerings at your feeding station.
There is no question that the most popular stations have different feeders to accommodate a variety of birds. As with people, birds have preferences about where they eat.
Nectar feeders, seed feeders, suet feeders, and specialty foods feeders -- the opportunities are endless. And one is never enough. Different feeder styles will attract a greater assortment of birds, provided you also fill them with the appropriate ingredients.
Don't let frustration set in because some birds -- pigeons, grackles and doves, for example -- seem to prohibit songbirds from a chance to feed. To discourage these larger birds, try a specialty feeder from your local Wild Bird Center store.
But if your feeders are so far from your favorite window that the activity appears as pixel dots, it will be hard to sustain your interest.
Once birds have accepted your backyard habitat, add a window feeder in order to enjoy close-up views of your favorites. These feeders may be streamlined plastic designs or finely crafted wooden works of art, available in many shapes and sizes. They stick with suction cups to panes of glass and have lift-out trays for easy filling and cleaning. These feeders are perfect for the window over the kitchen sink or just beyond the table where you have your morning coffee. Even the normally shy cardinal may come if the window feeder is filled with sunflower or safflower seed.
A traditional window shelf feeder can be made from a 7/8-inch thick board. Brace it tightly, level with the windowsill, and add a strip of wood to the three outer edges to keep the seed from blowing away. Put a 10- to 12-inch-high upright at either end for suet cake holders.
"High-tech" window feeders separate you from the birds by scarcely the thickness of a windowpane. It's all done with mirrors, built-in for one-way viewing so you are able to get close without disturbing the birds. These feeders, usually made either of cedar or acrylic, have weatherproof seed chambers or mount to windows with suction cups or Velcro.
Pine siskins and goldfinches are quick to discover and enjoy a seed sock, designed exclusively for the tiny black Nyjer™ seed. It is simply a narrow mesh cloth sleeve about a foot long that can be hung anywhere. The birds land on it and pick out the seeds through the small openings in the mesh.
There are feeder models to suit practically everyone's sensibilities.
If you like highly decorative designs, a gazebo style may be for you. If you like a more space-age look, a globe feeder (far left) fits the bill. Made of clear plastic, they look like small satellites in orbit as they hang from a tree or pole. They are relatively squirrel-resistant, and some have an adjustable dome that can be lowered to deter larger bird species.