By Susan Tomlinson

Now that you’ve picked out your seed, you’re ready for the next big question: how to offer it up to the birds. Despite the array of options, this is a pretty easy task. A few simple feeders, filled with the right food, are really all you need to have a bustling, species-rich backyard.

There are all kinds of feeders available, each with their own purposes and strengths. The styles range from hanging tube, to hoppers (the ones shaped like tiny houses), to net socks, to platforms—the possibilities are seemingly endless. As with the feed itself, though, you can stick with some basics and satisfy nearly all the needs of your backyard visitors.

At the same time, it is important to realize that different species of birds have different feeding behaviors, and so to increase the variety that visit your feeding station, you should offer them options. For example, while finches, chickadees and house sparrows will cling happily to the perches of tube feeders or hoppers, larger species like doves find platform feeders much easier to use. And some birds, such as juncos, would prefer that you skip the feeder altogether and scatter the seed directly on the ground. Finally, specialized seeds, such as thistle or nutcakes, require their own containers. Thistle seed, for example, is so tiny that it will spill out of the port on a regular feeder, and given that it is more expensive than a trip to the moon, it wouldn’t do to waste it.

While it isn’t necessary to get fancy with your feeder, there are some things to keep in mind (in no particular order):

      Aim for variety - I find that one tube feeder with regular ports for sunflower seed, one with small ports for thistle (these will be labeled as such when you buy them), a wire cage for nutcakes, and a platform feeder (either one you can hang or mount on a post) are sufficient for most backyard species. All of these are generally available at large pet stores, big box hardware stores, or specialty bird stores (online or brick and mortar).

Hoppers are fine, but I personally don’t happen to like them. I find them bulky and more awkward to handle than tube feeders, but you might try them out and happen to find them just dandy.

            Buy a medium-sized feeder - Too small and you will have to fill it more than once a day; too large and it will be awkward to handle. Trust me on this. Don’t be seduced by that advertisement for the “toad hut cum bird seed dispenser” that is little bigger than a muffin.

      Go for quality - Buy feeders that are sturdy, and preferably with metal ports. They will take a beating out there in the real world—sturdy bills picking at them day in and day out, in sunshine and in freezing rain—so invest in something that can laugh in the face of it all. If you are not sure that you really want to get into the business of handing out the dole to our feathered friends, start with one really well-made tube feeder and a sack of quality sunflower seed. Then if you decide it is more trouble than it is worth, you won’t have sold your fillings to pay for it.

      Once you've selected your seed and feeder (or seeds and feeders), you might want to consider a few more things:

Provide the birds a bit of water - Even birds enjoy a nice drink with dinner. Use a shallow dish (a standard bird bath is fine), and fill it with about 1/2” to 3/4” of fresh water. Although they may take an occasional bath, perching birds do not float like ducks! Or, if you want to use a bit more than this--perhaps as a water feature in your landscape, place a flat rock in the the liquid on which they can stand. They like that.

Remember the ground feeding birds - As mentioned above, some species prefer that you seed scattered on the ground--so don’t forget about them when you are out there, happily filling up those tube feeders. Scatter the seed a few feet away from the feeders—that way the birds’ dinner won’t be contaminated by nasty droppings from above.

Think "location, location, location" -  Be certain to situate your feeding station where it can be viewed from a window. Also, when the weather is bad, it is awfully nice to not have to run all over the yard to fill them. If a tree isn't handy, consider placing a post with several arms in your yard from which to hang all your feeders. 

That pretty much covers the essentials. Later you may want to branch out into more specialized or fancier contraptions, but for now this is all you really need. Be forewarned, though: feeders can be addictive. If you aren’t careful, the next thing you know they’ll be sprouting in your garden like so many rogue seedlings, and you’ll be chasing around manically filling them as every bird in a hundred mile radius impatiently lines up for a handout (ask me how I know this).

Next Week: What to Do When Pests Visit Your Feeding Station

Related Content: Advice for the Birds, Selecting Seeds

Image source: author's collection

Susan Leigh Tomlinson blogs regularly at The Bicycle Garden. She has a forthcoming book, How to Keep a Naturalist's Notebook (Stackpole Books).