Tube Bird Feeders

We offer two types of tube feeders, those for a variety of seed types and those specifically designed to hold thistle (Nyjer). The thistle feeders are on their own page.

These tube feeders dispense sunflower seeds as well as other seed types to small birds. They can be hung from trees, off of decks, on poles, on brackets attached to a fence, etc. Remember, birds find their food by sight, so be sure to hang bird tube feeders in clearly visible locations.

If squirrels are a problem, we offer baffles (on the accessories page) as well as caged tube feeders. A plastic tray is available for most models to catch seed and also allow larger birds to land and feed.

There are two types of tube bird feeders. The first is made to accommodate only nyjer seed. The other type is for larger seeds, such as sunflower seed or seed mixes. All tube feeders can be hung from trees, off decks, on poles, on brackets attached to fences, etc. Remember, birds find their food by sight, so be sure to hang your feeder in a clearly visible location.

If squirrels are a problem in your yard, there are many things designed to keep them out of feeders such as baffles, hoods and cages. A plastic tray can also be attached to the bottom of a tube feeder to catch falling seed and to allow larger birds to land and feed.

If  there are birds at the hanging bird feeders, then there is debris collecting below, especially if the bird feeders are offering sunflower seeds. It doesn't take long to collect as much as an inch of fallen seeds and hulls. The obvious solution is to regularly rake them up, which is of course an option. I prefer to instead spread out a layer of bark (wood chips work just as well). I use a thick layer so it only rarely needs to be replenished. If you are attacting many ground feeders, such as doves, juncos or jays, they will pick through the droppings and find the edible seeds. An occasional run through with a rake or hoe will turn over the bark and bury the hulls so you still have a clean appearance.

If you enjoy having hanging bird feeders, but don't want to deal with the mess, then just change the contents of your bird feeders. Fill the bird feeder with hulled sunflower seeds, nutmeats, cracked corn, and peanut pieces (not whole peanuts). Anything that is dropped will be quickly cleaned up by the ground feeders.

Feeding Birds Sunflower Seeds

Sunflower seeds are a favorite among the vast majority of birds, so if you are only going to have one bird feeder or it is your first bird feeder, be sure it is one that holds sunflower seeds. The best choices are a tube bird feeder or a hopper bird feeder. Birds love sunflower seeds because it is so easy for them to crack open the thin shell to get to the fat-laden seed. There are three types of sunflower seeds - black oil, striped and hulled. Each type has advantages. The black oil is the most popular type for they contain more fat then the larger striped variety. The striped seed is much larger so takes a big beak to crack the shell. Cardinals, jays and grosbeaks actually look for these for there is less competition for them. The nice thing about hulled seeds is there is no mess of empty shells below the hopper bird feeder and no waste. With no shells to break open, other birds such as woodpeckers and mockingbirds may be tempted to visit your bird feeder. Many birds need a lot of sunflower seeds in the winter to survive. Consider the black-capped chickadee. It needs to eat the equivalent of 150 sunflower seeds in a day. When it is very cold, this number can easily be 250 seeds a day. It will take a large tube feeder or hopper feeder to satisfy the winter needs of a few chickadees!

Pros and Cons of Tube Feeders

The tube bird feeder is perfect for small birds. It is basically a long slender plastic tube filled with seeds. It has short perches which are difficult for big birds to land on and feeding holes big enough for a bird to pluck a seed out of. Tube feeders keep the seed well protected and dry, yet they are quite easy to fill and clean. They come in many sizes so it is easy to find one that suits the traffic in your yard and how often you are willing to fill it. Tube feeders are especially suited to hold sunflower seeds which is a favorite seed of most small birds, such as nuthatches, woodpeckers, titmice, pine siskins and finches. If you attach a tray to the bottom of the tube feeder, jays and other larger birds are more likely to visit.

There are, however, a couple of disadvantages to tube feeders. This type of feeder only appeals to certain types of birds, so the variety of visitors is limited. Also, fewer birds can eat at one time, limited by the number of feeding ports. Also, unless you watch carefully, the top feeding portals become useless as the level of seed drops. It is not a good idea to use a tube feeder for mixed seed because birds will toss aside less desirable seeds to get to the ones they like best. This will waste a great deal of seed.

Acorn Woodpeckers

If you are lucky enough to have a group of Acorn woodpeckers living in an oak tree near your yard, it is easy to encourage them down to tube feeders, for they love sunflower seeds. Even though their main diet is acorns and insects, they will devour not only sunflower seeds, but cracked corn, dried corn on the cob and suet. They are not easily scared away from tube feeders by other birds, so observing them is easy and fun. They will aslo visit suet bird feeders.