There are two key factors to consider when hanging a bird feeder in your garden.
- Visibility
- Safety
Naturally you’ll want to position your feeder where you can see it, but it’s even more important to make sure your birds can feed safely. Try to choose a spot that’s sheltered from the elements and beyond the reach of predators.
Here are some handy tips to help you find the best place to hang a bird feeder.
Put bird feeders where you can see them
Leaving bird food out in your garden is a lovely way to support your local bird population, but it’s also a great way to get a closer look at some of the UK’s most beautiful creatures.
So, when deciding where to put a hanging feeder, you’ll obviously want to choose a spot that’s easy to view. That way, you can watch the birds from the comfort of your home.
You might think that putting your bird feeder near a window would be a bad idea - after all, you don't want your feathered friends to fly into the window pane and hurt themselves. But it can actually be more dangerous to place bird feeders a fair distance away from your windows, because this allows the birds to build up speed before colliding with the glass.
For this reason, we recommend positioning your bird feeder a couple of feet away from the window at most. That way, if a bird takes off in the direction of your windows or glass doors, it won't be flying fast enough to cause serious injury.
Better still, place your feeder directly on the window or windowsill!
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Choose a sheltered location
To keep wild birds safe while feeding, you should place your feeder near natural shelter such as trees or bushes. This will keep them hidden from predators and sheltered from direct sunlight and harsh weather conditions.
Try to avoid placing your feeders directly next to trees, though. This makes it too easy for squirrels and other local wildlife to steal your bird food.
Try different heights
As a general rule, we recommend hanging your bird feeder approximately 5 feet above the ground. This makes it easy for you to fill and clean the feeder while also making it difficult for pets and other animals to steal your bird food.
If you notice that certain birds aren’t visiting your feeder, you might want to try changing the height or hanging additional feeders at differing distances from the ground.
For example, woodpeckers like to feed high in the trees, so hanging a feeder at 6-10 feet above the ground could help to encourage them. Other species, such as blackbirds, prefer to eat off ground feeders.
Offer fresh water nearby
Providing wild birds with a source of fresh water is just as important as giving them food. While birds can get some of their water intake from food, it’s also good for them to have a drink of fresh water once or twice a day.
Positioning your hanging feeder near a bird bath will encourage birds to stay hydrated and maybe even take a quick dip. Try not to position your feeder too close to a bird bath though or you will find there is a lot of bird seed to have to clean out!
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