Five feeder types attract different species: tube (chickadees, finches), hopper (cardinals, jays), platform (doves, juncos), suet (woodpeckers), and nectar (hummingbirds). Mesh size matters, small 3–5mm for nyjer, 6–8mm for sunflower. Placement determines which birds can access it.
Most garden centres stock about thirty different bird feeders and only five distinct feeder types. The differences within a type are largely cosmetic. The differences between types are functional: each type selects for a different set of birds and a different food, and the species you see at your feeder is almost entirely determined by which type you bought.
Part of the Complete Attracting Guide.
Tube feeders
A vertical clear-plastic or wire-mesh cylinder with several lateral feeding ports, each with a short perch.
Best for: small passerines that hang or perch laterally, chickadees, titmice, nuthatches, House Finches, goldfinches, siskins.
Seed: black-oil sunflower in standard tubes, nyjer (thistle) in fine-mesh tubes.
Selects against: House Sparrows and starlings (their feet do not grip narrow perches well, especially the inverted-perch "upside-down" finch tubes), pigeons (cannot land), squirrels (with a baffle).
Placement: under a roofed hook 1.5 to 2 m above ground, 3 m or less from cover, NOT immediately under a tree branch (squirrel jump-off).
Failure modes: seed in the bottom 4 cm goes mouldy unless the feeder has a perforated base; the perch material gets fouled with droppings within a week and is the main vector for finch trichomonosis. Bleach every two weeks in summer.
Hopper feeders
A house-shaped reservoir with a tray at the base, dispensing seed by gravity as it is consumed. Usually 1 to 3 kg capacity.
Best for: medium-sized birds, Northern Cardinals, jays, grosbeaks, doves, sparrows, blackbirds.
Seed: black-oil sunflower; safflower if you specifically want to exclude squirrels and starlings; mixes if you accept the wastage.
Selects against: the smallest finches (they are pushed off by larger birds), hummingbirds (wrong food), woodpeckers (bill geometry).
Placement: at least 1.2 m above ground on a baffled pole; will not be used at lower mounting heights by ground-feeding birds that prefer scattered seed.
Failure modes: if the lid does not seal, seed in the reservoir absorbs moisture and clumps. A clumped hopper does not refill the tray and the birds leave.
Platform feeders (tray feeders)
A flat tray, usually 30 × 40 cm, with a low rim and a mesh or perforated bottom for drainage. Either pole-mounted, hung from chains, or placed directly on the ground.
Best for: ground-feeding birds, Mourning Doves, juncos, towhees, native sparrows, Brown Thrashers, crows, jays.
Seed: anything. Platform feeders are forgiving of seed mix.
Selects against: essentially nothing, which is the problem. A platform feeder is a buffet for every bird in the area, and that "every bird" includes squirrels, raccoons, deer, and rats.
Placement: ground-level placement attracts the natural ground-foragers; pole-mounted at 1 m attracts the same birds plus some cardinals and blackbirds. Place 6 m or more from any feeder for small finches, the platform birds will dominate the feeder if it is too close.
Failure modes: wet seed in the tray within hours of any rain; clean and dry weekly. Rats and pigeons in urban gardens. Some local authorities prohibit ground-feeding on hygiene grounds.
Suet feeders
A wire-cage or plastic-grid container holding a single block of suet (rendered animal fat). Hung from a tree trunk, branch, or pole.
Best for: woodpeckers, nuthatches, chickadees, titmice, bushtits, kinglets, occasional Carolina Wrens.
"Seed": commercial suet cakes (most brands acceptable), rendered home suet (better, more work), peanut butter mixed with cornmeal as a budget alternative.
Selects against: seed-only feeders.
Placement: on a tree trunk by suction-cup or hung beneath the canopy 1.5 to 2.5 m up. The "upside-down" cage that requires the bird to hang inverted is a starling deterrent, Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers and chickadees use it; European Starlings cannot.
Failure modes: suet melts above about 32 °C and goes rancid in heat; pull it down between June and August in most temperate-zone gardens. Squirrels will chew through plastic cages and even soft wire, buy steel.
Nectar feeders
A reservoir of sugar water with one or more dispensing ports surrounded by a red plastic flange to mimic a flower throat. Saucer-style and inverted-bottle styles are the two designs.
Best for: hummingbirds (in the Americas) and orioles (with the larger-port style). Nectar feeders are useless in the Old World where hummingbirds do not occur, sunbirds occasionally take from them in southern Africa, but they are not the standard garden bird.
"Seed": 1:4 white refined sugar to water by volume. NOT honey (yeast contamination). NOT brown sugar (iron toxicity). NOT red dye (unnecessary).
Placement: in light shade, direct sun ferments syrup within hours. 1.5 to 2 m above ground. Multiple feeders 3 m apart if more than two males appear; hummingbirds are intensely territorial and a single feeder will be defended by one bird against all others.
Failure modes: the syrup ferments faster than most owners realise. Replace every 2 to 3 days in warm weather, weekly in cool. Cloudy syrup grows yeast that causes a fatal proventricular dilation in hummingbirds. A weekly hot-water rinse and a monthly bleach soak (10%, then thoroughly rinsed) is the maintenance schedule.
A summary table
| Feeder type | Birds attracted | Seed | Avoids |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tube (standard) | Chickadees, titmice, nuthatches, House Finches | Black-oil sunflower | Pigeons, starlings |
| Tube (finch mesh) | American Goldfinch, Pine Siskin, redpolls | Nyjer | Almost everything else |
| Hopper | Cardinals, jays, grosbeaks, doves | Black-oil sunflower or safflower | Smallest finches if dominated |
| Platform | Juncos, towhees, native sparrows, doves | Mixed seed | Nothing, buffet |
| Suet cage | Woodpeckers, nuthatches, chickadees | Rendered suet | All seed-only feeders |
| Nectar | Hummingbirds, orioles | 1:4 sugar:water | All seed eaters |
How many feeders do you need?
A typical temperate-zone garden gets the most diversity-per-pound from three feeders: a tube of black-oil sunflower for the small passerines, a suet cage for the woodpeckers, and a nyjer mesh tube for the goldfinches. Add a fourth (nectar) in summer if you have hummingbirds, a fifth (platform) only if you specifically want ground-feeders. More than five feeders in a small garden produces diminishing returns and concentrates disease risk. Expect any newly installed feeder to take days or weeks to find its first regular visitors; for the discovery window and the common setup mistakes, see why birds aren't coming to your new feeder.
For the broader management context, water, cover, nest sites, and the things that matter more than feeders, see the Complete Attracting Guide. For the planting that supports the insect base every chick depends on, see Native plants for birds.
See Also
- Birdbaths and Water Features: the water station that pairs with any feeder setup.
- Feeder Hygiene and Disease: the cleaning schedule that keeps every feeder type safer.
- Hummingbird Feeders: Sugar Ratios, Cleaning, and Bee Exclusion: nectar feeder setup, placement, and maintenance.
- Ruby-throated Hummingbird: the species article for the feeder most affected by nectar design.
- The Complete Attracting Guide: the full cross-species reference for food, water, cover, and nest sites.
- How to Stop Pigeons at Feeders: the diagnostic companion when a feeder is being monopolised by Rock Pigeons or Woodpigeons.
Frequently Asked Questions
What feeder type attracts the most species?
A platform feeder attracts the broadest range, including doves, juncos, sparrows, and Cardinals. However, it is also vulnerable to squirrel raids and gets dirty faster. Tube feeders with small ports exclude larger birds and squirrels.
What is the best mesh size for nyjer seed?
Use a fine-mesh tube feeder with 3–5mm openings. This excludes House Sparrows and allows only goldfinches, siskins, and redpolls to access the seed. Standard tube feeder ports are too large for nyjer.
Where should I place a feeder?
Within 3m of cover (for quick escape) OR more than 10m away (so birds gain altitude before reaching predator range). The lethal zone is between 3–10m where accipiter hawks can ambush departing birds.
Do I need different feeders for different seeds?
Yes. Black-oil sunflower works in any feeder. Nyjer requires fine-mesh tube. Safflower needs a hopper or platform (tube ports are too small). Suet requires a cage-style feeder. Each feeder type selects for different bird species.