Choosing the best bird feeder for your garden shouldn’t be a difficult task. After all, you will be looking for a product that is going to give you many years of enjoyment as well as helping out the local wildlife around your home.
It can feel a little overwhelming when buying your first bird feeder for the garden. A good place to start is to understand the different types of seeds that are available and which ones you might want to offer. Once you have decided on the seed, you can then begin to think about which feeder you will want to match it with.
In this article, we have included some of our favourite feeders that are available today. Some things you will want to consider whilst looking at your options are:
What is the feeder made from? Generally speaking, bird feeders are made from two materials; plastic or metal. Many are made from both.
How easy is it to clean? Cleaning your feeder is extremely important. Birds should always eat from a sterile feeder in the garden. An unclean feeder can risk spreading disease amongst your local birds. Some feeders are built with this in mind and are extremely easy to clean.
What seed does it hold? Depending on the birds that you are looking to attract into your garden, you will want to ensure that the feeder you have chosen is suitable. Where feeders hold more than one type, it might allow you to attract more species of bird or adapt once you know what birds are visiting your garden.
Size of the feeder. Birds will get through more seed that you think. It is actually quite amazing the amount that they will get through in a day. If you have a good volume of birds coming into the garden, it is worth buying one that will hold a large capacity. However, if you are unsure, it might be worth starting smaller so you avoid food sitting around for long periods of time and ‘going off’.
Gardman Heavy Duty Seed Feeder
If you are looking for a bird feeder that will stand up to the elements, this is one for you. It is extremely well rated and is suited to both hanging on a bird feeder as well as around the garden. The feeder is easy to dismantle for cleaning and has four perches for birds to feed from. A feeder seed tray is also available to purchase for the bottom of the feeder.
Made of: Polished die cast aluminium
What seed will it hold:Â This feeder is best suited to small seeds such as sunflower hearts and a mixed seed. About 600g at capacity.
Available through Amazon
Squirrel Buster Bird Feeder
The squirrel buster bird feeder is great if you have squirrel visitors in your garden. If a squirrel climbs onto the feeder, a clever mechanism closes the feeding chamber so that the squirrels can’t get to the seed within. This product also comes with a lifetime guarantee.
Made of: Metal and chew proof plastic
What seed will it hold:Â This feeder is best suited to small seeds such as sunflower hearts and a mixed seed.
Available through Amazon
RSPB 15 Inch Easy Clean Bird Feeder
The RSPB feeder is long and a similar design to the Gardman. This feeder will take a good volume of seed to prevent refilling too often. In order to clean the feeder, you only need to remove the bottom perches and it will easily come apart.
Made of: Plastic for the tube and power coated aluminium
What seed will it hold:Â This feeder is best suited to small seeds such as sunflower hearts and a mixed seed.
Available through Amazon
iBorn Seed Bird Feeder
The iBorn seed feeder is great if you are just starting out. It is extremely good value and will provide the birds with a good source of food. However, because of its size, it will need refilling more often than some of the larger examples in the review.
Made of: Made mainly of plastic but hanging parts are aluminium
What seed will it hold:Â This feeder will take a small mixed seed variety as well as mealworm (when dried)
Available through Amazon
Jacobi Jayne Ring Pull Pro
We love this feeder because it is just so easy to clean. You don’t need any tools at all. It is available in a number of different sizes, the largest has 6 perches for birds to feed from. The product also comes with a lifetime guarantee that will need to be registered when you receive the product.
Made of: Made from metal fittings and chew proof plastic on the body
What seed will it hold:Â This feeder will take a small mixed seed
Available through Amazon
Jacobi Jayne Large Big Easy Birdfeeder
If you are looking for a feeder that has a large capacity, you won’t need to look any further. This product comes in three sizes; 2, 4 & 6 perch. It also boasts a lifetime guarantee. Due to the parts all being removable, this makes the product easy to clean. A seed tray is available to purchase which will help if you want to mount it on a pole.
Made of: This bird feeder is made of plastic
What seed will it hold:Â This feeder will take a small mixed seed
Available through Amazon
Kingfisher Premium Hammertone Finish Bird Nut Feeder
This bird feeder is extremely good value for money. It is best suited for peanuts and is made entirely from metal. Unfortunately, it comes with no defences for squirrels. So really only suited to areas they don’t inhabit. Otherwise a very good affordable feeder for the garden.
Made of: Made entirely from metal
What seed will it hold:Â Peanuts
Available through Amazon
If you are struggling to choose a bird feeder for the garden, it is worth look at the different types of seed available and what birds they can encourage into your garden.
