2 weeks Ago By Kay Maguire
Well-stocked bird feeders help to supplement birds’ food when it's in short supply. Throughout the winter months, high-fat foods and water are in short supply but even through the spring and summer, a bird feeder will help to increase the number of birds you'll see and help them raise their chicks successfully. Plus, if you're regularly topping up your bird feeder, the same birds will continue to return as they learn your garden is a good source of food.
Specialist bird cakes, seeds and food like mealworms and flaked maize are all good options and supplying a variety of foods is a good way of attracting a wider range of bird species to your garden. There's a wide range of bird feeders on the market in a host of different styles and designs. Some offer additional features such as squirrel proofing and such as a larger cage around the central feeder to stop squirrels and larger birds reaching the bird food.
Other garden bird feeders can be attached to windows to allow you to get closer to the birds; a great way to start teaching children about nature around our homes. For other ways to look after the birds in your garden, read our guides to bird seed , bird tables and bird baths. If you'd like to watch birds, check out our guides on wildlife cameras and bird box cameras .
And if you want to encourage more wildlife to visit your garden, take a look at our selection of bat boxes and hedgehog houses , or be inspired by our guide to wildlife gifts . Jump to: Browse our pick of bird feeders, below: The best bird feeders Peckish 100% recycled woodland feast multi feeder Available from Homebase Part of a new collection of wild bird feeders made from 100% recycled materials and sustainably sourced wood, this holds around 500g of seed plus two suet cake.s The slate effect roof and sturdy mesh to hold the suet are made using approximately 125 recycled food and drink cartons.
It’s easy to clean and comes in plastic free packaging. Price: £30.00 Buy Peckish 100% recycled woodland feast multi feeder from Homebase Finches Friend Cleaner Feeder 1 Available from Finches Friend Created to help prevent the spread of avian diseases such as Trichomonosis, responsible for the decline in Chaffinch and Greenfinch, this easy clean feeder is simple to take apart, robust and fully recyclable.
It holds 1.79l of food, more than a standard feeder, and it always stays clean and dry. T hree sizes and a window feeder are also available.
Price: £44.99 Buy Finches Friend cleaner feeder from Finches Friend Roamwild Pest Off Squirrel Proof Bird Feeder Available from Roamwild and Amazon Roamwild Pest Off Squirrel Proof Bird FeederTo stop squirrels and large birds eating the food, the hatch automatically moves down blocking it off when they land on the perch. Once they leave, the perch returns to normal.
The 1.5 litre feeder from Roamwild also has a built-in rain guard to prevent seeds clogging. Price: £31.
99 Ch-eco recycled bird feeder Available from the Wildlife community Crafted in the UK in six cheerful colours these eco-friendly feeders are made from recycled plastics and upcycled chewing gum. All plastics can be fully recycled and a bag of bird food is included. Price: £6.
99 Buy Ch-eco recycled bird feeder from the Wildlife community RSPB Suet Feeder and Guardian Available from RSPB The guardian on this suet feeder ensures that only small birds get to enjoy up to 10 suet balls. Measuring 30cm tall and 24cm wide, this feeder is small enough to find a place in any garden. Price: £28 Buy RSPB Suet Feeder and Guardian at RSPB Smart bird feeder with solar powered camera Available from QVC This natty feeder doesn't only provide birds with an ideal feeding spot but allows you to watch their visits, so you can identify who's visiting your garden.
The integrated video camera features AI recognition to capture and record visiting birds and allows you to share this with up to 5o people so you can all watch at the same time. With colour and night vision options it's available in sage or grey. Price: £171 Buy the Smart bird feeder with solar powered camera from QVC Cleaner Peanut feeder Available from Finches Friend Also from the Finches Friend team comes a peanut feeder, a covered, sealed container to keep the nuts dry that's designed to ensure they're moved to the feeding area rather than staying stuck in the centre of the feeder.
The hopper is removable for easy cleaning and it's made from recyclable, UV-stabilised polycarbonate so it won't weaken in the sun. Remember to only use Aflatoxin tested peanuts in your feeder. Price: £34.
99 Buy the Cleaner Peanut feeder from Finches Friend Jacobi Jayne I love Robins Pearl Feeder Available from Garden Wildlife Direct and Amazon Jacobi Jayne I love Robins Pearl FeederThe dome shape of the I Love Robins feeder protects the food and birds from snow and rain. The height can be adjusted to dissuade larger birds and the feeding tray has draining holes to prevent the seeds from becoming waterlogged. Price: £12.
99 Ring Pull Large Bird Feeder Available from Thompson & Morgan and Amazon (£21.99) Able to hold 800g of seeds, this Ring-Pull bird feeder has six feeding ports so that multiple birds can perch at the same time. The base can be removed for easy cleaning and for a deep clean, a pin inside the feeder can be pulled to separate all the individual components.
Price: £19.99 RSPB Easy-clean Seed Feeder Available from RSPB Made from a combination of durable zinc alloy and a polycarbonate tube, the RSPB guarantee it will not crack or discolour in the sun. Available in three sizes, with the largest able to hold 1.
5 litres of feed. Price: £13.00 Buy RSPB Ultimate Easy-clean Seed Feeder at RSPB Wildlife World Ceramic Bird Feeder Available from Amazon This small bird feeder comes in the sweet design of a ceramic robin.
Suitable for seeds, nuts and mealworms, this Wildlife World feeder is frost resistant and is hung with a strong steel wire. Price: £23.24 RSPB Ultimate Easy-clean Seed Feeder and Guardian Available from RSPB The guardian on this RSPB feeder is fitted by slipping it over the polycarbonate tube and screwing it into place.
Complete with a seed tray to reduce the amount of food on the ground. The capacity is one litre. Price: £52.
00 Buy RSPB Ultimate Easy-clean Seed Feeder and Guardian at RSPB Roamwild Arch Window Bird Feeder Available from Roamwild With the ability to hold up to two litres of seed mix, this Roamwild feeder doesn't need constant refilling. Multiple perches allow more than one bird to feed at once and suction cups keep the feeder secure to the window. Price: £29.
99 Buy Roamwild Arch Window Bird Feeder at Roamwild How to choose a bird feeder Choosing a bird feeder largely depends on two elements; what birds you are looking to attract and the size and layout of your garden. There are four main types of garden feeders you can buy. If you’re in need of more advice on how or what to feed the birds in your garden, head to the RSPB website or take a look at more of our bird feeding content.
Where to put a bird feeder Keeping away predators will be your main consideration when hanging your feeder in the garden. Bird feeders need to be kept out of reach from squirrels and cats for birds to feel safe. Aim for a quiet and sheltered area and away from any tree, fence or shrub that could be used as a jumping point for either animal.
At eye level, or a little above, is best. Grey squirrels are not only known for eating the food, but can also damage feeders by chewing through the plastic. Some feeders now claim to be squirrel proof as they are either covered in a metal casing the animals cannot chew through or surrounded by a large cage, which is placed around the central feeder.
This Product Guide was last updated in December 2024 and we apologise if anything has changed in price or availability..
