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.
12 Comments
I agree that the worse sound you can hear is a bird hitting your window! That’s the last thing you want if you’re trying to draw birds in with a feeder. I like your point about putting the feeder close to or far away from a window. Great points!
I recently bought a new bird feeder, but I can’t decide where I want to put it and need new ideas on how to go about it. It’s good to know that one thing I need to consider is placing it under some natural cover. That way there won’t be any chance of having them being attacked by a predator or anything.
I like your tip about how seed eating birds like eating in the sun, but it is the opposite with humming birds. It’s probably a good idea to consider which types of birds are in your area and how you want to attract them when selecting birdhouses and feeders. It can be a lot of fun to watch the birds in your yard, but if you don’t consider the birds’ natural inclinations, you might not see as many as you would like. Thanks for the post.