Chapter
Feeders & Food
Choosing, filling and cleaning feeders, and which foods attract which birds.
What you put out, and how you keep it clean, shapes which birds visit and how healthy your feeding station stays. This section helps you choose feeders and foods, place them sensibly and keep them clean. It answers questions about which seeds suit which birds, how to manage spoiled food and spilled seed, and how hummingbird feeders differ from seed feeders.
Start with which bird seed attracts which birds to match food to the visitors you hope to see, and keep how to clean a bird feeder close at hand. Fresh food and clean feeders matter more than having many of them, and a feeder you can reach easily is one you will actually maintain.
- Hummingbird Feeders: Placement, Nectar and CleaningFeeders & Food
Hummingbird feeder tips on a budget: where to hang it, the 1:4 sugar nectar recipe, how often to clean, and when to put it out and take it down.
- How to Clean a Bird Feeder (and How Often You Really Need To)Feeders & Food
A step-by-step routine for cleaning seed, suet and hummingbird feeders, how often to do it, the bleach ratio Cornell Lab recommends, and the signs of sick birds that mean you should take feeders down.
- Which Bird Seed Attracts Which Birds? A Feeder Food GuideFeeders & Food
Black-oil sunflower, nyjer, safflower, millet, suet, peanuts and more: which backyard birds each food attracts, which feeder it needs, and how to avoid paying for seed birds kick to the ground.