I would like to have a bird feeder for my back yard but which one do I buy?

Determining the bird feeder you use will determine which birds come to your yard to feed. You have got hummingbirds, woodpeckers, orioles, chickadees, cardinals, goldfinches or doves from which to pick.

Many birds want to eat on the ground, others prefer eating while hanging upside believe it or not, such as the goldfinch. One needs to know that the size of the holes in a feeder and the length of the perches, are important to keep away birds like starlings grackles and blue jays, while attracting smaller birds.

Attracting all kinds of birds to your yard, you will need a number of different feeder types!
Hummingbird Feeder- Hummingbird feeders hold liquid and has very narrow openings. Make your own hummingbird nectar by mixing 4 parts water and 1 part sugar.

Thistle Feeder – Thistle feeder hold Nyjer (”Thistle”) seeds and have narrow openings for Goldfinches.

Squirrel-proof Feeders – Squirrel-Proof Feeders are designed to keep squirrels away from the seed. Some work with batteries and involve a moving perch.

Seed tube feeders are cylindrical tubes with openings up and down the tube — perfect for Chickadees and Cardinals. Shorten the perches to keep larger birds away.

Suet Feeder – Suet feeders are wire or mesh baskets that hold suet or pre-packaged suet cakes. Woodpeckers love these!

Dome Feeder -Dome feeders are feeders that typically are covered by a large plastic dome to keep out the rain and snow. Seed spills out at the bottom. Also known as Bowl feeders

Window Feeder - Window feeders attach to the outside of your window. Clear plastic lets you see the birds as they eat a few inches from you.

/font>

Thistle Domed Cage Bird Feeder – $ 87.38 Thistle Domed Cage. Extended top- makes refilling easy. Spring Clamp- keeps dome in place and removes for cleaning. Sheltering dome- protects against weather. Stainless steel wire- long lasting and chew-proof. Droll Yankees tubular feeder.

The winter months may be the best time to keep your bird feeder full. The reason is cold weather kills many forms of potential of food as well as long dry summers without significant rain to sustain growth of foliage, grass, berries and nuts. But food out anytime of the year can be helpful. They can use the food for feeding their young during the spring and early summer.
Feeding in the Spring and Summer:
High protein foods are necessary because birds are moulting, during this time. Food such as black sunflower seeds, grated cheese,meal worms and commercially prepared summer seem mixes. One can also obtain mixes for insect loving birds.
For birds that prefer fruit bananas, apples or pears sliced into smaller pieces. Don't use bread, peanuts of fat as they may try to feed them to baby birds which they maybe not to tolerate them or choke on them.
During very cold weather and insects at not available be sure if you put out any types of bread or nuts be sure the pieces are very small for the benefit of any young that may be fed.
Attracting Birds to your feeder: Be sure you provide to food they like and the feeder is large and perches are large enough. For hummingbirds you need a hummingbird feeder with nectar and for finches a thistle feeder is needed. Various types of feeders can be purchased for Goldfinches, jay feeders and woodpecker feeders.
Types of Bird Feeders:
Feeders for different types of food:
Tube feeder- small seeds-thistle
Platform feeder- fruit, nuts
Hummingbird feeder- nectar
Squirrel Proof - mesh cage feeders- peanuts, larger seeds, suet

Bluebirds at feeder

Glass bird feeders is a fun way to show your real interest in birds. These glass bird feeders artfully designed can make your back yard a show place of the neighborhood.
More and more bird feeders are being made of glass with intricate designs. Flexibility in construction is an important the reason glass is becoming the material of choice. Glass resists rust, scratching and flaking of paint. Here are a few ways to keep your bird feeders clean.
Bleach and Water:
By adding bleach makes it possible to eliminate molds and microscopic organisms and avoid catching diseases related to birds. It makes the feeders visibly clean and pathologically safe as well. Because the smell of bleach can be offensive it is recommended to use one part water to one part water. This dilution is effective but free of smell. Good rinsing is important as well as letting them dry completely.
Using more than one is better. Try using two. One you soak in a bleach solution and then when the other gets dirty you can replace it quickly without any down time for your feeder. Just rinse the one soaking and it is ready to go . One will need a cleaning brush or mop to scrape and solid waste. A glass feeder with very intricate design needs to be handled very carefully to avoid breakage.
Nothing Beats Hot Water:
Some don’t like to use bleach because of the smell, and birds have a very acute sense of smell. Many believe the use of hot water in adequate amounts with the use if a mop or brush is enough to kill harmful organisms as well as stains and mold.
Make a statement and get a glass bird feeder with a unique design and pattern. Keep it clean and enyoy your birds.