How to attract birds to my feeder?

December 15, 2025

How to attract birds to my feeder?

Place your bird feeder at a suitable places.

Here are some installation methods shared by users of the BirdSnap smart bird feeder.

Place the feeder not too close to bushes or trees.

Place the feeder in an open spot, well away from thick bushes and overhanging branches. Neither dense shrubbery nor overhanging branches are ideal for a feeder. Dense shrubbery blocks the birds’ view and offers perfect cover for predators like cats and foxes.Therefore, if your feeder is covered by branches, passing birds may never notice it, or may feel unsafe.

Place the feeder away from any glass surface.

The feeder should be places at least 30 feet from windows. Birds may mistake the reflections for clear flight paths, and tragically crash into windows. Such collisions often cause serious injuries, even death for birds.

Make your backyard safe and familiar for birds.

Plant native plants.

Fill your garden with wildflowers and native shrubs, becaus local plants turn your backyard into a patch of nature habitat. The insects attracted will in turn attract insectivorous birds.

A variety of different species of plants of varying heights, creating layers of cover. This vertical variety support birds of different size, and also offers nesting sites.

Water will be helpful.

Shallow, wide basins of clean water are the quickest way to make your yard bird-friendly. All birds need water, and many also want a bath.

A small fountain is ideal if possible because the moving water stays clean.

Please note that basins should be clean and refreshed regularly. Dirty water will not attract birds, while breeding mosquitoes instead.

Choose the right menu.

Different foods for different birds.

Get to know your local birds. Learn about the species that live around you and what they like to eat.For example, Acorn Woodpecker cracks into all kinds of nuts. Blue Jay will be attracted by an omnivorous list, many kinds of seeds and nuts, fruits, even meats. Meanwhile, the American Goldfinch mainly eats small seeds.You can check out “What Kind of Seed Attracts Birds Most? Backyard Bird Feeding Guide” to learn more tips on choosing bird seed.

If you want to get started quickly, here are some nice choices.

Seeds

Sunflower seeds: thinner shells make them easy to crack for many kinds of birds, and the high oil content give birds quick energyCorns: they draw larger birds like jays and pigeons.Millet: it attracts smaller species.

Fruits

Oranges: they are more visiuable for birds because of the bright color. You may simply cut an orange in half.

Apples: they keep well, so even thin slices stay fresh for a while.

Berries: fresh berries are natural food for many kinds of birds.

Choose suitable food for your feeder.

A platform feeder suits almost anything, because its open space lets birds of all sizes land easily.Feeders with small, narrow openings are meant for tiny seeds and attract little birds like finches and sparrows.

For pieces of fruit, simply skewer them on a spike will work.

Maintenance.

Regular clean and refresh.

Top up the feeder every one to two weeks, and throw away any food that is wet or mouldy, so the birds always have fresh, safe seeds.

Prevent squirrels.

Squirrels can empty a feeder in minutes. If they start visiting too often, fit a baffle to the feeder or pole. Many models come with this guard already built in.“6 Ways to Keep Squirrels Away From Your Bird Feeder” is an article that provides a detailed introduction to methods for keeping squirrels away.

Final tip: be patient.

Bird-watching is a long-term hobby, and its real reward comes from waiting.At first, you may see only one or two visitors, or even no visitor at all. But if you keep the feeder clean and full, a surprise will appear.

References