6 Surefire Bird Feeder Ideas to Satisfy Every Type of Backyard Bird

There’s a failsafe way to tempt more birds into your backyard – and I’m shocked that it took me so long to learn it, when I've tried so many bird feeder ideas. I’ve been feeding my garden birds for years, starting with a tube seed feeder hanging on the summerhouse, then one swinging from the silver birch tree, followed by another hooked over a shepherd’s-crook pole stuck in the lawn. And I swear, the exact same sparrows that flocked around the first feeder were the ones filling their stubby beaks from the second and third. I couldn’t work it out – why wasn’t I getting more birds as I added more feeders?

More Feeders ≠ More Birds

It was only when I picked up a bargain platform feeder at the grocery store that the penny dropped. Suddenly, I was seeing blackbirds and jays as well as those fat sparrows, and I finally realized where I’d been going wrong. Different species feed in different ways so, if I wanted to attract more birds into my garden, I needed to offer a variety of feeders rather than more of the same type.

1. Platform Feeders For Bigger Birds

If you only add one more feeder to your yard, make it a platform feeder because this attracts the widest variety of species. Ground-feeding birds like towhees and juncos will use it, as well as larger songbirds like cardinals and jays and foragers like finches and robins. You might even get a woodpecker – and yes, plenty of sparrows, too.

A mesh-bottomed feeder is best as it’ll allow water to drain and there are plenty of designs to choose from: this adjustable stand from Amazon simply pushes into the lawn, while this tray clips onto a balcony. Amazon has hooked platforms to hang from a tree, too.

2. Tube Feeders For Smaller Songbirds

If you want clouds of finches, chickadees, titmice, nuthatches and pine siskins, then a long cylindrical feeder like this Brushed Copper Feeder from Amazon will attract them all. Bigger birds will struggle to use its side-perches, leaving the feast to your smaller feathered friends.

3. Mesh Feeders for Clingers

Mesh feeders without perches will be used by acrobatic clingers like nuthatches, finches and chickadees. A larger-mesh is better for sunflower seeds, while a smaller mesh will hold nyjer or thistle seeds better. If you want to see plenty of acrobatics then fill a fine mesh bag like this flip-top design from Amazon with thistle seed – it’s specifically designed to attract goldfinches who frequently hang upside down to feed.

4. Hoppers for Cardinals

Cardinals like sturdy feeders that don’t swing about too much so, as well as platforms, good-sized hoppers will attract them, too, such as this Recycled Feeder from Amazon. These crested beauties prefer to feed facing forwards so they will use hanging feeders too, but only if there’s a strong perch, platform or ring that allows this.
Their front-feeding behavior makes cardinals the perfect birds to watch via a smart camera bird feeder. These clever pieces of kit are getting cheaper as they become more popular, and smarter, too: this solar-powered Netvue by Birdify Smart Bird Feeder from Amazon features AI identification and color night vision.

5. Suet Feeders for Woodpeckers

Many birds appreciate high-energy suet in winter. If you’d prefer that larger birds such as starlings and jays didn’t gorge on the suet, leaving more for smaller birds such as nuthatches – as well as the holy grail of garden visitors, a woodpecker – then look for a feeder that holds the cake in a downward position, like this Upside-Down Suet Feeder from Amazon.

6. Perches for Hummingbirds

No garden is complete without a feeder to attract hummingbirds, set out in time for hungry returning migrants. We all know that these birds need a specific type of feeder, but I didn't realize that, although hummingbirds are very capable of feeding on the wing, they prefer to rest as they eat. So, ensure your sugar-water dispenser has a surrounding perch like this one from Amazon.