A feeder is one of the best ways to attract birds to your home, and there are many types to choose from.
Which one you buy will be a matter of which birds you wish to attract, and therefore what type of food you want to offer. Here are some of the top types of feeders:
Seed Feeders
These are the most common feeders seen in gardens around the UK. They are typically tubes made from clear plastic, so that the birds can easily spot the seeds inside them. They have feeding holes for the birds to reach the seeds with ease, and can be hung from tree branches or poles.
Lots of garden birds eat seeds, so these feeders will draw everything from sparrows and finches to tits.
Nut Feeders
Nuts – mainly unsalted peanuts – are another popular food choice among many garden birds.
You can get bird nut feeders specially designed out of steel mesh. They have spaces of roughly 6mm in this mesh through which birds such as wrens, blue tits and jays can get at the peanuts inside.
Fat Ball Feeders
These can hold fat and suet balls, which are commonly eaten by starlings, tits and house sparrows. Fat and suet balls are a valuable winter source of energy for the birds, and help to keep them warm when temperatures drop. These feeders also feature mesh, but with wider gaps for the birds to access the food.
Finally, you can also buy general platform feeders to place bird food, which will undoubtedly attract feathered visitors of every variety to your garden.
