Bird seed feeders

There are a few reasons birds may throw seeds out of feeders.

• Often, seed feeders include a range of different seeds, and birds dig to find the food they prefer. Any other seeds in their path will be dislodged and thrown from the feeder.
• If your feeder contains sunflower seeds, these are removed from the outer shell by birds, who then eat the seeds inside while tossing out the husks, which may appear from a distance that they are discarding the seeds.
• Another potential reason is that birds – who are picky eaters - may reject low-quality seeds in favour of something more nutritious. Ensure you are buying top quality seeds to avoid this.

Depending on the garden or balcony, it may take a while for birds to realise the new feeder is there, this may take days or weeks so don’t get disheartened too soon. To speed up the process, consider the following:

• Fill your seed feeder with popular types of high-quality bird seed. The most popular seeds are black oil sunflower seeds, sunflower hearts, and Nyjer seeds.
• Sprinkling seeds on the floors near you seed feeder will draw attention to the location as a new and valuable feeding ground for birds.
• The seed feeder’s position is important for attracting birds. It should be located near a safe place, preferably a hedge or some other type of shelter so that the birds can feel safe when they visit.

If you’re keen to attract a certain type of bird, take a look at our guide on what the most popular British birds prefer to eat

Bird seed feeders come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and even materials, but no matter how different they are, they all have the same goal: to attract as many different types of birds to feed in your garden as possible.

• Cylindrical feeders tend to be the most popular, and are suitable for most types of bird seed, either straight or mixed. These seed feeders have multiple feeding ports where birds can perch or hang to eat.
• Nyjer seeds require feeders with smaller feeding ports which avoid wastage, due to the small size of the seeds.  If you want to provide nyjer seed, take a look at our nyjer seed feeders
• Window feeders are a great option, particularly if you do not have a garden. They can be affixed to any window and can contain a range of different foods, including seeds.
• Feeding tables and feeder cups are also a good option. Like window feeders they can hold a variety of seeds and other types of bird food such as peanuts, mealworms and suet nibbles.
• If you live in an area where squirrels tend to frequent, squirrel busting feeders may be a good choice. These cylindrical feeders are enclosed by a metal cage that prevents the squirrels from accessing the feeder and the food inside