Feeder attracting single species (2 Viewers)

[kuzeyy]

Hello.
I’m not new to birding but I’m really new to bird feeding. I set up several bird feeders with different foods. However, the only thing I get are at least 5 individuals of great tits (Parus major). We have many more species (finches etc…) in the area but they don’t visit the feeders. They perch high up and never get down to the feeders. How can I attract them? Is it possible that the feeder is too close to my window? Also the feeder is a little bit hidden by the canopy.

 

[PYRTLE]

Hello.
I’m not new to birding but I’m really new to bird feeding. I set up several bird feeders with different foods. However, the only thing I get are at least 5 individuals of great tits (Parus major). We have many more species (finches etc…) in the area but they don’t visit the feeders. They perch high up and never get down to the feeders. How can I attract them? Is it possible that the feeder is too close to my window? Also the feeder is a little bit hidden by the canopy.

Could well be. They can be a bit shy at first, till they start to regularly visit and feed undisturbed. Also, what types of seed are you offering. I suggest placing a multi port tube feeder away from the house and filling with sunflower hearts. See how that works.

 

[Kits]

It can take time for birds to get used to new feeders, too. How close to your window is the feeder? My feeders are about 3-4 metres from the house.

 

[The Robin]

I always found the blue tits arrive first, daring intelligent little things. The bigger brother next along with coal tits. The finches usually seem more timmed and take a little longer but once they've been and seen it's safe they will regular feed. Maybe if you hang your feeders in a different spot and experiment but not too often, you don't want to confuse them they will eventually come. As pyrtle says, sunflower hearts are your best friend. I've stopped buying that mix seed stuff as they throw half of it away. My finches no longer bother with the Niger seed and it's going to waste but they go mental for sunflower hearts.
You have seen them, they are there and they will come once the tweet goes round and you will be forever poor and hungry with well fed birds.
Good luck.

 

[Andy Lakin]

I have an extra large c 20 inches in diameter plant pot saucer made of plastic. This is attached via a large screw through the middle to a tree stump. This works brilliantly and is super easy to clean. Also you could experiment with one of those dome topped chicken feeders on a bird table. You may want to enlarge the holes to allow the food to be released more freely.

 

[Elkhornsun]

Hello.
I’m not new to birding but I’m really new to bird feeding. I set up several bird feeders with different foods. However, the only thing I get are at least 5 individuals of great tits (Parus major). We have many more species (finches etc…) in the area but they don’t visit the feeders. They perch high up and never get down to the feeders. How can I attract them? Is it possible that the feeder is too close to my window? Also the feeder is a little bit hidden by the canopy.

I have tried feeders for nyjer thistle that had too tight a weave and it was too difficult for the birds to pull out the seeds. Others have had too large a spacing and so seed ended up on the ground. I have found the Dunncraft thistle feeders to work the best.

I also have a squirrel buster feeder filled with sunflower kernels and it is frequented by finches, woodpeckers, and grosbeaks. It has a large perching ring that makes it easy for small to medium size birds to feed.

My third primary feeder is a platform type and it gets finches and woodpeckers and grosbeaks, and also ground feeding species including juncos and bushtits.

Different feeder types with different seeds and seed mixes for different species. I also toss quail and dove seed mix on the ground for those two species and an occasional pigeon. I have large enough feeders that they can go for 3 or more days without needing to be refilled.

I have found it cheaper overall to avoid budget seed mixes that have lots of filler in the form of cracked corn and red millet. I pay less per pound by buying seed in larger bags and storing it in food containers. The 5-gallon buckets are meant for food service operations and the lower capacity ones are sold as pet food containers.

 

[kuzeyy]

Thank you all fot your suggestions. Yesterday, around dusk I had the opportunity to observe the feeders for some time from a camouflage hide. A robin visited the mealworms. Also, I saw that great tits scare away the coal tits most of the time.
For suggestions about plant saucers, I think that crows and magpies will visit them, they are extremely common in my area.

 

[Jo Morton]

We didn't get finches at all until we introduced a special Niger seed feeder with a bright yellow base. This, together with renewing the seed supply every month has brought the goldfinches, and with these expanding the range of bird species we have occasional chaffinches and greenfinches too!