Home Outdoor Living 10 Bird Feeders That Will Attract Hummingbirds, Finches, and More to Your Yard Plus, how to choose the best bird feeder for your local wildlife. By Samantha Hunter Samantha Hunter Samantha is a freelance writer for MarthaStewart.com. Editorial Guidelines and Madeline Buiano Madeline Buiano Madeline Buiano is an associate editor at MarthaStewart.com, sharing her knowledge on a range of topics—from gardening and cleaning to home and pets. She has five years of writing and editing experience in the digital publishing industry. Editorial Guidelines Updated on July 7, 2023 10:50AM EDT We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Learn more. Photo: Courtesy of Amazon, Nature's Way, Amazon Whether you're new to bird-watching or already a self-declared ornithophile, setting up your own bird feeder is a great way to watch these winged creatures in their natural habitat. But with so many bird feeders on the market, it can be difficult to know which one is best for your surrounding wildlife. A feeder that can accommodate striped or black oil sunflower seeds is good for beginners who don't currently have birds visiting their yard. "Those two types of sunflower seeds are really good ways to start because all birds like them and because you can smell it from a long way away," says John Lowry, sales and marketing manager for the American Birding Association. If you're starting with sunflower seeds, a tray feeder or tube-style feeder is ideal. On the other hand, specialized feeders are designed to hold seeds preferred by specific types of birds. For example, Goldfinches prefer a type of small black seed called thistle (also known as nyjer) which fits inside of a thistle feeder. "You benefit from having a specialized feeder for thistle, because the seed is so small that if you put it into a sunflower seed feeder you end up wasting a lot of it," says Lowry. Another important consideration when choosing a bird feeder is how dry it keeps the bird food. "When water gets on to the seed, it goes bad pretty quickly," says Lowry. A covered platform feeder s a good way to keep the food dry, as is a tube-style feeder. When choosing a tube feeder though, make sure the ports aren't big enough for the birds to stick their head inside, as this can promote the spread of disease. Clearly, there is a lot to consider when choosing the right bird feeder for your landscape. To make your search easier, we have narrowed down the best bird feeders on the market. Whether you want to attract hummingbirds or finches, all you need to do is hang one from your favorite tree and enjoy the show. The 12 Best Binoculars for Birdwatching 01 of 10 Nature's Way Suet Bird Feeder Courtesy of Amazon This feeder is designed to hold suet. Suet is a nutritious mixture of fat solidified into lard, nuts, and other ingredients that provides a valuable energy source to birds, allowing them to stay warm in the cold months of winter. "It attracts woodpeckers, nuthatches, jays, chickadees, titmice, and sometimes certain warblers," says Julie Zickefoose, bird expert and author of Natural Gardening for Birds. "Suet is not to be fed in summer because it gunks up woodpeckers’ feathers, especially around their faces when they feed it to their young." Some people like to make their own suet cakes by grinding the suet and adding seeds. These cakes are then loaded into the caged feeder and strategically positioned in a tree or hung from a pole, where you will attract titmice, chickadees, nuthatches, and the occasional woodpecker to peck away at their nutty treat. Price at time of publish: $16.41 Buy on Amazon 02 of 10 Nature's Way Modern Hummingbird Feeder Courtesy of Nature's Way For hummingbirds, nectar is their primary source of energy and the key to attracting these whimsical winged creatures. When shopping for a nectar feeder, choose one that securely hangs level and is less prone to spillage. Multiple feeding ports means more hummingbirds. Some people make homemade nectar by simply combining four parts water with one part refined white sugar—which will attract hummingbirds in no time. Most designs, like this one, come in the color red for a reason: hummingbirds are naturally attracted to it. "For hummingbirds and the color red, that's a signal to them that there's a bright red flower that they might want to check for nectar," says Lowry. Price at time of publish: $49.99 Buy on Natureswaybirds.com 03 of 10 Perky-Pet Copper Panorama Wild Bird Feeder Perky Pet Considered a classic, the hopper is the most commonly known of all the bird feeders. They're designed to protect seeds from inclement weather such as rain and snow, thanks to its pitched roof. Seeds are released from the bottom into a lower tray as birds flock to it and hop along the built-in perch, thus the name. It will attract an array of species (think blue jays, cardinals, and red-winged blackbirds) and filled with basic bird seed mix. The hopper is an ideal choice for someone who is just beginning to enjoy birdwatching and looking to purchase their starter feeder. Price at time of publish: $16.98 Buy on Walmart 04 of 10 Eva Solo Bird Table Lumens A freestanding feeder won't require any hanging. They're ideal if your backyard isn't inhabited by many trees. While free-standing feeders come in many shapes and sizes, this one is designed to ration out the seeds to minimize waste and curious rodents. Be sure that your pole feeder, should you opt for one, is secured properly or weighted down so that it can withstand visits by squirrels that may scurry onto it. Price at time of publish: $199.95 Buy on Amazon 05 of 10 Songbird Essentials Bird Feeder Whole Peanuts Wreath Courtesy of Walmart The peanut feeder comes in an assortment of shapes from tubular to ball and tray. However, the wreath shape is a favorite primarily for its unique and festive design. Plus, its mesh construction lengthens the bird's stay at the feeder as they peck at it to remove the nuts. A quality peanut feeder should be both durable enough to withstand pecking and flexible enough to allow for the release of the peanuts, which this one does. The types of birds attracted to larger nuts include titmice, jays, nuthatches, chickadees, and woodpeckers. Keep in mind, though that this type of feeder is designed to hold whole peanuts. This means you'll typically have an accumulated mess beneath your bird feeder as the avians remove the food from its shell. Price at time of publish: $21.22 Buy on Walmart 06 of 10 Kingsyard Adjustable Platform Bird Feeder with Dome Top Courtesy of Amazon The platform (or tray) feeder is simplistic in design, but it offers one of the best views for observing your local avians. It's a great beginner bird feeder, as it is well-equipped to hold larger seeds like sunflowers and is easier to clean out. This one keeps seeds fresh by allowing any accumulated water to drain out and has a built-in dome top that protects seeds from rain. One downside to a tray feeder is that it's more exposed to other wildlife. "If you have rodents around (including squirrels), they can clean out a platform feeder really quickly," says Lowry. There are some way around this, though. "With your platform feeder, I would try not to put out enough food that you're dumping some at the end of the day," says Lowry, as this can attract more critters. You also may want to consider bringing the platform feeder into your garage at night. Price at time of publish: $29.99 Buy on Amazon 07 of 10 PetFusion Tranquility Window Tray Bird Feeder Courtesy of Chewy Window feeders give you the best view of the feathered friends inhabiting your yard, not to mention a buffet for the birds. They're often constructed of acrylic for a multi-dimensional view with a long feeder tray that can accommodate fruit, mealworms, suet, or seed and occupy four to six birds at a time (or sometimes, a pesky squirrel.) This one has three strong, weather resistant suction cups to keep feeder in place. Price at time of publish: $36.19 Buy on Wayfair 08 of 10 Stokes Select Finch Screen Bird Feeder with Metal Roof Stokes Select Also known as thistle feeders, the nyjer feeder attracts certain species like sparrows, doves, quails, finches, goldfinches, and chickadees who enjoy nyjer seed. Nyjer seeds possess a high fat and protein content, and look like small grains of wild rice. It uses small mesh or fine feeding ports that allow these petite seeds to be eaten without spillage. These feeders get the most visitors and are best hung from late fall to early summer, when natural seed supplies are scarce and these flying friends are seeking food. Price at time of publish: $25.99 Buy on Amazon 09 of 10 Droll Yankees New Generation Metal Peanut Bird Feeder Courtesy of Chewy A tube-style feeder is a great option for beginners who want to welcome a variety of birds to their yard. This cylindrical wire feeder is designed to hold peanut halves, a great alternative to bird feeders that hold whole peanuts if you want to avoid food scraps. It also lacks any ports that the birds can stick their entire heads into, which minimizes the risk of spreading diseases like house finch disease. "This disease will then spread like wildfire through the feeder population," says Zickefoose. Price at time of publish: $35.99 Buy on Chewy 10 of 10 Heath Outdoor Products Clementine Oriole Feeder Heath Outdoor Products Orioles—with their brilliant orange and black plumage—are attracted to three things: fruit, jelly, and nectar. For a specialized feeder that caters to their sweet taste, opt for one designed to display orange slices and jars of grape jelly. Many feeders come in an array of clever designs; this modern one is shaped like a halved citrus fruit and constructed of metal for optimal weather resistance. The removable glass jars can be filled with mealworms or nectar too. Price at time of publish: $17.49 Buy on Amazon Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit