Best locations in your yard for a bird feeder

Whether you’re someone with decades of experience in bird feeding or are a newcomer just starting out, chances are you’ve thought long and hard about where to put up your bird feeder. While it’s possible to put up a bird feeder nearly anywhere in your yard, there are certain spots that will attract more birds and ensure their safety. If you’re thinking about putting up a new feeder (or moving around your old ones), here are some tips for prime bird feeder locations.

Position it close to or far away from windows

The worst sound in the world is that thump you hear against the window when a bird has accidentally flown into it (fortunately, the few times I’ve heard it, the bird was a little stunned but overall OK). You can reduce the likelihood of a bird colliding with your window by placing the feeder far away from your window or within three feet of it. By putting the feeder right next to a window, a bird will be more apt to notice it and if it doesn’t, it won’t have enough time to pick up speed to get injured. Check out this article for more tips on preventing birds from hitting your windows.

Be conscious of the sun

Most seed-eating birds absolutely love perching in the sun for a quick meal, so it’s good to place tube feeders in an area that gets a lot of sun. However, the exact opposite should be done with hummingbird and suet feeders. These two types are more susceptible to going bad quicker when exposed to direct sunlight, so those should be placed in areas with minimal sunlight if possible.

Avoid windy areas

Birds really hate feeding in windy areas and who could blame them (have you ever tried eating at a park on a windy day?). So, if there is a particular area of your yard that gets excessively windy, avoid placing your feeders there.

Place the feeders away from danger

Danger is a really subjective thing to quantify because it’s hard to tell what birds perceive as unsafe. There are a few things you can be sure of though. Birds will avoid areas that are frequently stalked by cats or are constantly being swooped upon by predatory birds. If these are issues in your yard, make sure to put the feeders up high and beneath some sort of cover.

Make sure you can see the feeder

While you should definitely keep all these aspects in mind, don’t forget to put it in a place where you can easily observe it, whether from a chair on your porch or from the window of your kitchen. It’s great to feed the birds because you want to help, but you should also reap the benefit of watching the fun and playful behavior of your backyard buddies.