Installing bird feeders is one of the best ways to attract beautiful, fascinating birds to your yard. Watching colorful songbirds visiting your feeders provides entertainment, stress relief, and a connection to nature. With a variety of feeders available, from hoppers to suet feeders, tubes, and trays, you can meet the needs of many bird species.
However, simply setting up a feeder is not enough to bring in flocks of feathered friends. You need to properly install your bird feeders in ideal spots around your yard. Proper placement is key for keeping your feeders safe from predators free of contamination, and easily accessible to many birds.
Follow this complete guide to learn everything you need to know about how to hang bird feeders properly
Choose the Right Location
When deciding where to install your bird feeders, keep these key factors in mind:
Safety from Predators
Wildlife like cats, snakes, raccoons, bears, and hawks can catch birds while they are eating. Feeders should be hung at least 5 to 6 feet above the ground and 10 to 12 feet away from trees, fences, and other things that predators could use to attack.
Protection from Contamination
Avoid hanging feeders where bird food could become contaminated by pesticides or herbicides used to treat lawns and gardens. Chemical residues on seeds and suet can sicken or kill birds.
Easy Viewing
Place feeders where you can easily see them from windows and seating areas. Avoid sites with obstructed views.
Natural Shelter Nearby
Situate feeders around 10 feet from bushes, shrubs, and trees so birds have shelter to escape to after eating. Evergreens, fruit trees, and berry bushes are ideal.
Quiet Setting
Loud, busy spots will deter birds from feeding. Spread feeders out from areas with a lot of foot traffic, grills, patios, and play areas.
Visible to Flying Birds
Birds can easily find feeders that are hung in open spaces that can be seen from above.
Weather Protection
Protect feeders from wind, rain, sun, and other things that could hurt them. Hang feeders under roof overhangs or dense foliage.
Pick the Right Feeder Height
In addition to location, height matters when installing feeders. Follow these tips:
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Bottle style hummingbird feeders should hang at 5-6 feet high in shady spots.
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Suet feeders work best at around 5-6 feet high near tree trunks or branches.
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Hang tube feeders filled with seeds 6-8 feet high from tree branches.
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Set ground feeders on the ground or slightly elevated up to 3 feet high under a roof or tree canopy.
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Mount larger hopper feeders 6-8 feet high on poles or hooks.
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Thistle seed feeders look nice at 5-6 feet high near shrubs or trees.
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Hang peanut feeders 8+ feet high out of reach from squirrels.
Use Proper Hanging Equipment
Once you’ve selected the ideal installation site at the right height, you need to use proper hanging equipment suited for the job. Here are some options:
Tree Hooks
Tree hooks like squirrel-proof metal S hooks allow you to conveniently hang feeders from tree branches. Select a stable, healthy branch and check hooks periodically for wear.
Shepherd’s Hooks
Shepherd’s hooks are poles with hooks on the end that you push or screw into the ground. They provide a tall, straight post to hang feeders on. Look for hooks 6-8 feet tall.
Hose Clamps
You can use hose clamps to securely attach feeders to railings, fence posts, rain gutters, poles, etc. Hose clamps hold strong in all weather.
Suction Cups
For feeders mounted on windows, use sturdy suction cups. Be sure to situate window feeders within 3 feet of glass so birds don’t gain speed and get injured if they hit it.
Brackets
Mounted feeder brackets attach to walls and let you install feeders in fixed spots right up against the house.
Pulleys
Pulley systems allow you to easily lower feeders for cleaning and filling using a rope and pulley. Hang pulleys from high tree branches.
Bungee Cords
Bungee cords are stretchy cords that provide a bit of “give” to hangers. This helps feeders sway in wind rather than blow around forcefully.
Maintain Safety
Follow these extra safety tips when hanging bird feeders:
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Place multiple feeders at least 10-15 feet apart to prevent crowding and allow many birds to eat simultaneously.
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Clean feeders regularly with a bleach solution to prevent disease transmission.
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Use feeders with drainage holes so rainwater doesn’t accumulate and grow mold.
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Throw away old, rotten seed and suet which could make birds ill.
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Put out only enough feed for a day or two to avoid wet, rotten, or moldy food.
Installing feeders properly helps create an attractive, welcoming space where wild birds feel safe and well-fed. By picking strategic locations at optimal heights and using sturdy, well-suited hanging equipment, you can create a beautiful backyard birdwatching habitat. Follow this guide when hanging any new feeders to enhance your bird feeding station. With a bit of care when setting up your feeders and maintaining the space routinely, you’ll get years of enjoyment watching gorgeous, happy birds visiting your yard.
How to Hang a Nyjer-Only Feeder on a Branch
But sometimes hanging a feeder on a branch is easier. For example, squirrels in my yard have never bothered the nyjer feeders because they ONLY contain nyjer, something my local squirrels have never eaten.
I recently added small Erva rain guards over these feeders. Still, because the squirrels leave them alone, I don’t have to worry too much about their placement. The feeders just need to be within my reach so I can lift them up and off the hook to refill them and far enough apart that the birds aren’t crowded.
The branch that this bird feeder hangs from is not as thick or as high as the branch that holds the Squirrel Buster feeder. So this branch hook is neither as wide or as long.
Notice that this particular Aspects nyjer feeder is hung by a closed metal loop at the top. This feeder can’t be hung directly from most branches, even if I didn’t have the rain cover on top of it. (Keep in mind that you need to be able to take the feeder down to refill it. ) So either way, you would need a branch hook to hang this feeder on a branch.
Note: If you find yourself with a feeder with a closed loop at the top and a baffle or weather guard with a closed loop at the bottom, the only way to link them up is an extra short double-ended hook between the feeder and the weather guard.
How to Hang a Bird Feeder on a Tree Limb With Branch Hooks
You might think that tree limbs are an easy place to hang a feeder, but they can be tricky. Before you put them up, you should almost always have a good baffle over them unless you want squirrels to cover your feeder. (See my post on Keeping Squirrels Off a Branch Hung Feeder. ) Second, trees position their limbs on their own terms. The height and direction of the limb may complicate hanging a feeder. You also probably don’t want to use anything that will constrict the growth of the limb and damage it over time. Enter the branch hook.
When hanging a feeder from a tree limb, you usually need a heavy steel branch hook with a wide partially open curve on one end to accommodate the tree limb. The other end should be a much smaller, but still open, hook to hold the feeder.
The size of the wide end will be determined by the thickness of your tree branch. Make sure the curve at that end is generously wide so if the limb grows wider over time, the hook won’t be cutting into it. The length of the whole thing will depend on the needs of the situation.
Where to put your bird feeder
FAQ
What is the 5 7 9 rule for bird feeders?
How high off the ground should you hang a bird feeder?
A height of 5-6 feet isn’t too far out of reach for most birders, but is tall enough – with a good baffle and a good feeder design – to be safe for birds.
Where not to hang a bird feeder?
Putting seed feeders away from other animals will also help keep birds safe from being eaten by other animals. Cats can easily hide in shrubbery. Feeders should be positioned at least 10-15 feet away from these types of hiding places so birds can see threats and have an opportunity to flee.