Best Wild Bird Feeders for 2022

An entire feeding station not only gives your birds somewhere dedicated to go (keeping them away from your windows, trees and walls), but it also allows you to provide a variety of food and water in one place.

With this station, there are four hook feeders and two trays, one for seed and one for drinking or bathing water. The spike on the base will allow it to go smoothly into the ground, to ensure it is secure and causes minimum damage. The powder-coated steel frame will remain in good condition even throughout rain, wind and all of the other weather types thrown at us.

It is easy to assemble, with all of the bits just fastening together or hooking on/wrapping around the pole. As a bonus, you also geta Seed Feeder, Nut Feeder, Fat Ball Feeder and Suet Block Feeder, so it is great value. Perfect for any beginners, or anyone who wants their birds all in one place so they can birdwatch.

A window feeder is really handy if you are stuck for outside space but still want to welcome birds, or if you want to be able to identify them up close.

The good news is that it has solid constructions, so can support birds no matter how many start pecking at it at once. It also won’t be affected by weather conditions.

It comes with a string which can be clamped in the window or fastened to another bracket/screw in the wall, so if the suction cups were to fail it would still be usable and wouldn’t fall to the ground and break.

There are rave reviews about how well birds take to it, with stories of local birds now nesting in gardens too.

You want a hanging bird feeder which can go on a tree, or on your existing feeding station pole, and attract small birds as opposed to larger breeds. You also have quite a few birds visiting at once, and by the time the sparrow family have finished, the robin has given up trying to squeeze in.

This feeder features two seed tubes, which means double the available food, and there is also a little tray on the base of them both where the excess seed will gather, allowing others to hop on and get some grub too.

The tray also ensures no seed drops on the ground, which can attract pigeons and pests. It also means no seed is wasted, and small birds stay away from the ground in case of cats. The ring means it can hang from any surface, and the hard-wearing material will be good in bad weather conditions (and with over-exuberant birds).

This traditional small bird seed feeder is perfect for attracting a few birds at any one time. It is durable, easy to clean and can hold 450g of seed mix, 430g of peanut bites or 300g of sunflower seed.

You can remove the base to take it all apart and clean, which is vital to ensure the birds do not spread disease. Some other similar seed feeders have large chunky bases where the seed can get trapped in between this and the outer case, which can be a nightmare to get out.

Because it is quite big with four holes and perches, it is great if your garden is overrun with birds and you don’t want any to miss out. And, because of the flip-top, it is simple to top up without taking it off and adjusting it.

We will admit it isn’t the strongest, being made from plastic, but is a good price for the size and will last a while if properly cared for and if it is part of your feeding station as opposed to the sole source of food. If the perches went right through it could be made stronger, but small birds shouldn’t pressure it anyway.

Ground feeding is best for larger birds, such as wood pigeons and magpies. Feeding station poles will attract them, but their weight could cause damage and stop smaller birds eating.

But ground-feeding does come with risks, from damaging your lawn to attracting cats and pests. Therefore, getting a tray like this will solve most of your problems. It is large enough for big birds to sit at and happily eat, but no seed will fall through the mesh. This can leave the hanging tubes for smaller birds, or they can all have enough room to feed as a family.

It is made from FSC Certified Timber, so will withstand bad weather and sitting on your ground. And, you can put a mixture of foods onto the mesh – it will hold 1.1 kg seed mix, 1kg peanut bites, 480g sunflower seed, 1.1kg peanuts, 3.3kg suet treats, 720g mealworm or 12 fat balls.

Be aware that it isn’t completely cat- and pest-proof, so have some other systems in place to ensure these aren’t attracted, but it is perfect for giving ground-feeding birds such as blackbirds and thrushes a bit of extra protection.

A suet ball holder has to have larger gaps in order for small birds to be able to peck at the good stuff.

Made from sturdy metal, it will withstand birds gripping onto it and swinging away,  and it also gives it a bit of an antique weathered look.

It can accommodate up to four fat balls, which should give a few days feed, and the top is easy to remove so it can be filled up again when ready.

Small birds will be able to hang from it, but if you want to stop bigger birds, keep it away from areas they can perch on.

This peanut feeder from the RSPB is nice and long to be able to fit a good stock in, ready for the morning feed.

The powder-coated aluminium fittings offer strength and protection from the weather, and the hoop means it can be hung from a tree or suitable wire handle.

As it is from the bird charity, 100% of the profits go towards helping birds again, so not only are you assisting the ones which visit your garden but ones all around the country too!

It has a lot of user praise for being very strong and sturdy and has lasted longer than a lot of previous nut feeders for most people.

A wall-mounted feeder is ideal for anyone with limited outside space, or if you’d like to place the feeder nearer to a nesting site.

It can also be fitted to a fence and is designed to be able to fit well into the look of its surroundings. Thanks to the little roof, it should stop bigger pesky birds from going onto it, and it has an Anti-Bacterial Marcide Coating to prevent disease spreading.

Made from C24 Construction Timber, it is heavy-duty and the felt roof allows water to just run off so it shouldn’t become damp or rotten. The fitting holes come pre-drilled, and it is fully assembled so you can get it up in no time.

Pigeons are part of the bird family and often do no harm, but they can be a pain if they are eating all of the food you are putting out for more endangered or smaller breeds.

This seed feeder is advertised as being squirrel-proof, but reviews say it keeps away those big birds too as they can’t quite get in to reach the seeds. Smaller birds can fit in the gaps, and use the perches to eat away.

There is a big hook so it can be fitted to tree branches, hooks or bird tables, and there are four holes for multiple birds so none have to wait in a queue! It receives high marks for being weatherproof, and can also stop the likes of crows and jackdaws.

You only want to keep out squirrels – and wouldn’t mind giving larger birds no option but to go elsewhere too.

While many squirrel-proof feeders keep anything but a small bird away by use of a big ugly cage around the feeder, this one is clever. Anything bigger than a small breed is shut out by the clever mechanism that adjusts in seconds to exclude larger birds and other pests.

It does this by shutting off the feeder ports if too much weight is on the perches, so is humane yet fully preventative. And, the Seed Tube Ventilation System lets fresh air enter the tube. Hot, humid air escapes at the top, keeping seed cool, fresh and appealing to birds until it is all gone.

The perches are comfortable so they can feed for as long as they need to without losing balance or getting tired little claws, and it is all chew-proof which helps with weather resistance too.