A few questions you want to ask yourself before buying a bird feeder
Before you decide and take a bird feeder, there are a couple of questions that you should ask yourself. This is for the sole purpose so that you get a suitable feeder from which you will enjoy the experience. It would be disappointing if you simply got a bird feeder because of its reputable brand or its attractive design, but you cannot enjoy the experience you have with it.
i. What types of birds do you want to attract to your space?
You should know that different types of feeders in the market are suitable for different birds. This is not an obvious factor and might need an expert to tell the difference, as it may not be that clear.
The difference is seen in the various birds’ feeding habits, sizes, and general behavior. Either of these demands different types of bird feeders that will be exact for the different types of birds. For instance, there are those birds that have long beaks which they use for sucking nectar, like the hummingbirds, if you want to have these in large numbers in your space, you will have to get a particular type of feeder.
For hummingbirds, you might have to get a deep feeding well that they can use their long beaks to reach the nectar. This will keep the other birds away as they can’t reach the foodstuffs in the feeders. Similarly, a larger and stronger feeder would be needed for the bigger birds, as this would provide them with the comfort they need. Whenever you got a smaller feeder, the bigger birds would destroy them.
ii. Is the feeder easy to clean?
One important question that needs to be considered is the effort that is needed to clean the feeders. This is because unlike what people think, the feeders need to be cleaned regularly so that you can get the best out of them. Cleaning should be done before you refill the feeders and put them back in position.
The thorough cleaning of the feeders is needed because the foods and treats kept for the birds in them spread dirt all over the feeders. The birds also tend to be messy, which might make the feeders unbearable if they are not cleaned well. The most practical feeders are designed in a manner in which the components can be taken off to provide you with easy cleaning time.
iii. How many feeders are you going to install in your space?
The number of bird feeders you want to have in your space determines the experience that you get from them.When you want to have many of them so that you attract more birds, you can get the small capacity feeder because it would be an economic decision.
Having a greater capacity of feeders in large numbers all over your space may not be a good idea because managing them might be difficult. Most of the nectar you refill in them might go bad because you fill them in plenty, yet just a few birds will come visiting. Therefore, the best decision to take is to work with the small capacity bird feeders in the market.
A shopping guide for the best bird feeder
Shopping for a bird feeder does not have to be a difficult task anymore like it is when you are clueless about how to differentiate the variety of them. The guide below should help you get an excellent type of feeder that you will enjoy the experience of working with it in your space.
The design of the bird feeders
The different types of feeders included in this article can be categorized into five main groups. The groups include; Ground or platform bird feeders, Hopper feeders, Hummingbird feeders, Tube feeders, and the Suet feeders. Each of these provides you with a different type of experience whenever you install them in your space.
Therefore, depending on how you want to use the feeder, you can opt for a type that will be able to get that done. For instance, if you simply want to have the feeders on the ground, there are appropriate feeders that you can work with for that purpose.
The main difference between the different types of feeders named above is how they are used. Take the example of the hopper feeders, a sturdy type of feeders designed to be bird-friendly and have the ability to hold a lot of seeds in them. On the other hand, if you target the hummingbird feeders, there are special feeders that you can work with that will have to be filled with sugar water regularly and set just under a shed.
Whenever the type of birds you are targeting are the small birds, then the tube feeders would be ideal for working with. They perform better in attracting such types of birds and are also highly convenient for their purpose. For you to get a type of feeder that you can simply hang on poles and enjoy the experience, then you should try the suet feeders. Such types of feeders attract rare bird species such as woodpeckers, bluebirds, and goldfinches.
The practicality of the features of the bird feeder
A bird feeder is usually designed with several feeders, some that might just be decorative while others are functional. For instance, for the effectiveness of attracting more birds to your space, bird feeders might have floral decorations on the feeder’s base that mimics the favorite flowers of the birds. This will work to attract the birds and also make the bird feeders to be attractive and a perfect inclusion for your space.
The feeding ports on the feeders should also be enough to accommodate a significant number of birds at once. A good number is having about five ports that the birds can feed on at once without interfering with one another.Whenever you simply get a feeder that has two ports, you might have to have numerous of them. However, if you just want to have a few birds in your space, the small capacity of a feeder that has few ports will do the trick.
The capacity of the feeder should also match the expectation you have from the feeders. When you simply want to attract a few birds, a relatively lower capacity would do. However, if you want to have many of them, a greater capacity of feeder would be ideal to go for. The capacity also determines the frequency of refilling the feeders. A higher capacity will be refilled less frequently, and this might be convenient for you.
Other features such as those that are included so that the feeders are squirrel proof will also need to be considered. Squirrel-proof features in feeders work to make the feeders safe from interference from squirrels and other rodents. This is because animals such as squirrels pose a threat to the birds and may either feed on the birds or even feed on the food you have in place for the feeder. In the case of stubborn insects such as ants, there are ant moats that work to keep them at bay and limit their interference to the birds that visit your space. As such, some features work to keep the bird safe from most of their enemies.
The material of the bird feeders
Bird feeders are commonly made out of glass or plastic, and the experience you get out of either varies. Glass would be an ideal material for a bird feeder because it is quite elegant and adds to the beauty of your space. You might also find that the glass components are easy to clean when they get messy because of the dirt from the food in them. However, you need to be cautious with them because all it takes is a single drop, and the feeder will be shattered into pieces.
Plastic feeders can also be designed to be beautiful feeders that you can set all over your yard or garden. However, the major undoing about them is that they are quite difficult to clean.
Similarly, there are excellent types of bird feeders that you can get today that are made from highly effective materials. Such feeders are made from a combination of materials that make them practical and highly functional. For instance, some are reinforced with materials that make them strong and also provide them with the ability to resist some elements that might have them damaged.
When selecting a feeder, it is recommended that you never overlook the material it is made from. This is because you will have birds that move all around the feeders and not only settle on the feeder’s perches. These require a strong feeder that will be able to sustain either of these issues. The feeders should also be water-resistant because the outdoors can get rainy, and you wouldn’t want the feeders to crumble after being exposed to water.
The type of food you would be refilling in the feeders
The main foodstuff found in most bird feeders is the sugar water included to depict nectar that birds are fond of. However, according to your needs, you may want to include other foodstuffs for the birds to attract a variety of birds to your space. In this case, there are appropriate feeders that will serve to provide you with convenience for whatever foodstuffs you want to fill them with.
For the feeders that you simply want to set on the ground to attract the ground feeding birds, you would want to fill them with cracked corn. Sunflower seeds are also effective in attracting numerous bird species to your space and might just be what you need for the perfect results. You could also get millet or other types of feeders for the ground feeding birds, and you should enjoy the experience you get from the choice that you make.
Availability of an ant moat
Ants and other insects might be the reason why your feeders are not that popular with the birds. Such insects usually interfere with the birds and may also feed on the food in the feeders, but this can be controlled with the availability of ant moats in the structure of a feeder.
Bird feeders designed with ant moats are the best option because of a number of reasons. The reason for this is that you want to keep the ants at bay and limit their interruption to the hummingbirds. When a feeder is leaking, it will attract insects, mainly ants, and they pose as the biggest threat yet to the hummingbirds. The ants are attracted to the feeders by the sweet-tasting nectar.
The price of the bird feeders
Price is a constant factor that you need to consider when purchasing anything as it sort of predicts the experience you get from your choice. You should not expect much from the lowly priced bird feeders because they may not be designed with the best features. Neither are they done with high-quality materials. Such types of feeders may be easily damaged or are not that reliable at all.
However, the high-end bird feeders promise a better experience because of the quality of the materials that they are made from. For instance, they may be done with reinforcement that provides them with resilience to deal with any harsh conditions out there. From such, you should expect the best experience because they are not affected by any type of damage in any way. Such types of feeders might be worth every penny you pay from them.
You should also know that bird feeders’ highly reputable brand may not go at a low price. Such brands are relatively costly compared to those that can be termed as coming from inferior brands. Most of their products are usually highly effective and usually guarantee the best experience when you use them. It might just be worth spending that extra dime so that you do not regret the experience you get out of them.
