Wild birds are surely capable of feeding off the land. However, when extreme weather conditions make things difficult for them, having an extra source of food or water can save their lives.

You may see flocks of red-winged blackbirds descend on your backyard seed feeder before they leave their northern range. Feeders can help prepare wild birds for their long migration journey. You can live on the southwestern coast of North America and see Anna’s hummingbirds at their nectar feeder in the winter. Wherever you live, your wild birds may certainly need a helping hand from time to time throughout the year.

Wild birds will come to feed at many different types of feeders depending on what type of feeder they prefer. Some birds prefer to forage on the ground or at platform feeders, as do cardinals. Others, like this male house finch, feed from the ground, platform feeders, tube feeders, and seed feeders easily, all as one. Still others, like the goldfinch, prefer thistle seeds from open fields or tube feeders.

platform feeders will attract Chipping Sparrows, Cardinals, American Tree Sparrows, Towhees, Pink-breasted Grosbeaks, Blue Grosbeaks, Song Sparrows, White-throated Sparrows, Skylarks, Evening Grosbeaks, Blue Jays, Magpies, Steller’s Jays, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Woodpeckers Fluffy, Mourning Doves, Black-headed Chickadee, Gray Catbirds, Eastern Bluebirds, Pine Grosbeak, Northern Mockingbirds and others.

Platform feeders can be as simple as a piece of wood on your picnic table or your own picnic table. However, that can be quite tricky. Another option would be to get a 4×4 post and nail a 12×12 or larger piece of lumber to the top of the post. Drill holes through the wooden board so the water doesn’t sit as a puddle. To prevent most food pieces from falling on the floor, you can take some thin wood cuttings and nail them to the edge of the wooden board. Nailing the wood trim to go around the edge of the wood board will help prevent most nuts, fruit, suet or bread from falling out. Although it is good if some of the remains fall to the ground, as this will also attract other birds who may like to forage on the ground more often.

suet feeders Attract: Blue Jays, Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, Downy Woodpeckers, Hairy Woodpeckers, Northern Woodpeckers, Black-headed Chickadees, Tufted Chickadees, Nuthatches, Eastern Tile, Northern Mockingbirds, Brown Creepers, Gray Catbirds, Wrens, Steller’s Jays and more.

A suet feeder is usually made of wire mesh and is easily hung from a tree branch, coat hanger, or pole.

Fruit feeders/ Fruit and jelly feeders attract orioles, western tanagers, scarlet tanagers, and rose-breasted grosbeaks.

Fruit feeders often use jam cups like the feeder above, with pins on the sides to stick the orange halves together.

peanut feeders attract: indigo bunting, blue jays, woodpeckers, nuthatches, eastern tile and others.

Hummingbird feeders or sugar water attract more than hummingbirds. They will also attract Bullock’s Orioles, Baltimore Orioles, Western Tanagers, and House Finches, among others.

seed feeders Attract: Painted Bunting, Purple Finch, American Goldfinch, Siskin, Grosbeak, House Sparrow, Junco, Red Linnet, Red Crossbill, Tree Sparrow and many more.