Four feeders to keep away larger birds and squirrels
Updated
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Goldfinches at a caged bird feeder. Photo by Mark Adams [CC BY-ND 2.0] via FlickrA reader recently wrote to Contributing Editor Julie Craves about replacing her bird feeder with one that is caged: In other words, it’s designed to allow small birds to feed while keeping larger birds, like Blue Jays and grackles, away. The reader’s hope to see more smaller birds at her feeder is common and perfectly understandable. It’s always fun to have more variety outside your window, after all.
Julie notes that anyone who adds a caged feeder “might need to be patient if the feeder looks vastly different from the old familiar one or if the smaller birds were bullied by the bigger ones that used to come to the spot.”
If you’re interested in trying a caged feeder, shop carefully. We looked at a number of caged feeders for sale on Amazon, as well as feeders designed to deter squirrels, and read through customer comments. On some products, we saw a number of comments about small birds becoming caught in the metal cage material. It seems clear that not all caged feeders are designed to allow birds a quick and safe exit.
The four feeders featured here, however, ranked high with Amazon customers and would make a fine addition to any yard. We hope you find one that works for you.
Audubon Squirrel-Proof Caged Tube Type Bird Feeder
This squirrel-proof ABS plastic mixed seed tube feeder has four seed ports enclosed in a steel cage, allowing small birds to eat in peace. The feeder holds up to 1.25 pounds of mixed seed.
