Top 6 compared
The best bird feeders
Chickadees, finches and cardinals stopping by all day, close enough to watch from the kitchen window.
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The top 6 at a glance
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#1Best overall
Kingsyard metal hopper
$30–$509.4/10
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#2Best premium
Squirrel Buster Plus
$150–$2009.5/10
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#3Best suet feeder
Stokes Select double suet
$10–$209.3/10
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#4
Squirrel Buster Classic
$75–$1009.2/10
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#5Best window feeder
Nature Anywhere window feeder
$30–$509.2/10
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#6Best camera feeder
Kiwibit 4K camera feeder
$200–$3009.1/10
A bird feeder holds seed or suet where birds can reach it and you can watch them come and go. Tube and hopper feeders hang from a branch, a hook or a pole and take mixed seed for finches, juncos and other small songbirds; a suet cage holds blocks of fat for woodpeckers and nuthatches to cling to. Window feeders stick to the glass, and camera feeders photograph each visitor.
Squirrels are the usual trouble. A squirrel-proof feeder has a shroud that drops over the ports under a squirrel’s weight; any other feeder relies on being placed where squirrels can’t leap to it. Wash a feeder every few weeks, more often in wet weather, so damp seed doesn’t go mouldy.
What matters
- Seed, suet or both, for the birds you hope to see.
- Enough room for seed that it isn’t empty every other day.
- Squirrel-proof, if squirrels are already a nuisance.
#1Kingsyard Metal Hopper Bird Feeder
$30–$50
A powder-coated metal hopper squirrels can’t chew, with a perch ring around the tray and a see-through seed compartment that shows when to refill. The Squirrel Buster Plus, which beats it on score, is Brome’s high-spec squirrel-proof tube and costs more; this one feeds the same backyard songbirds.
What owners say: Owners find it draws plenty of birds, and they rate how easily it fills and cleans, how much it holds and how well it lasts; no complaint keeps coming up.
A closer look: Nothing needs assembling: lift the lid to pour seed in, and the inside opens without tools when it needs a scrub. Squirrels can still sit on the tray and eat, so hang it well clear of fences, roofs and branches they can jump from, or on a pole with a squirrel baffle, a cone that stops them climbing.
- Chew-proof powder-coated metal
- Perch ring around the tray
- See-through seed compartment
- Fills and cleans without tools
Best for: Small birds feeding side by side
- Type
- Hopper feeder with tray
- Takes
- Seed
- Holds
- 1.8 kg (4 lb)
- Squirrel-proof
- No
#2Brome Squirrel Buster Plus Squirrel-Proof Bird Feeder
$150–$200
A shroud slides down over six seed ports the moment a squirrel’s weight lands on it, while chickadees and finches keep feeding. The Cardinal Ring gives bigger birds room to perch. Brome, its maker, is based in Knowlton, Quebec.
What owners say: Owners say it beats the squirrels, feels built to last and holds plenty of seed, and they enjoy watching it; the price is where they part ways.
A closer look: Tighten or loosen the spring to suit the birds you want: it decides how much weight the shroud carries before it closes, so heavier birds can be kept off as well as squirrels. At 71 cm (28 in) from base to hanger, it needs a sturdy hook, or a pole with an adaptor, sold separately.
- Six feeding ports
- Cardinal Ring for bigger birds
- Spring sets the closing weight
Best for: Yards where squirrels raid the seed
- Type
- Squirrel-proof tube feeder
- Takes
- Seed
- Holds
- 2.3 kg (5.1 lb)
- Squirrel-proof
- Yes
#3Stokes Select Double Suet Bird Feeder with Metal Roof
$10–$20
A metal-roofed cage that holds two suet cakes back to back, so woodpeckers, nuthatches and chickadees can cling and feed on both sides at once. A double-locking closure keeps the cakes in place when a woodpecker gets to work.
What owners say: Owners call it well built and strong enough to come through hard weather, like the look of the roof and say it holds suet well with two sides to feed from; how many birds it draws varies.
A closer look: Peel the plastic tray off each cake before it goes in, and hang the cage from a branch, a hook under the eaves or a pole where woodpeckers already visit. Suet softens in strong sun, so a shady spot keeps it firm and in the cage.
- Feeds birds on both sides
- Double-locking closure
- Metal roof over the cakes
Best for: Woodpeckers and other clinging birds
- Type
- Suet cage
- Takes
- Suet or seed cakes
- Holds
- 2 suet cakes
- Squirrel-proof
- No
#4Brome Squirrel Buster Classic Squirrel-Proof Bird Feeder
$75–$100
Squirrel-proof like the Plus above, on a shorter feeder with four ports for a yard that doesn’t need six. Lift the perches out and only clinging birds such as nuthatches can feed, gripping the wire shroud. Vents at the top let damp air out so seed stays fresh.
What owners say: It stops squirrels that try it every day, owners report, and they find it well made and simple to use; opinions split on the price, the size and how much seed goes to waste.
A closer look: It comes apart by hand, so the tube and shroud can go in warm, soapy water; let every piece dry before the seed goes back in. At about 52 cm (20.6 in) tall it hangs comfortably from a shepherd’s hook or a bracket in view of a window.
- Four feeding ports
- Perches lift out for nuthatches
- Vented tube keeps seed fresh
- No tools to take apart
Best for: Squirrel-proofing a smaller yard
- Type
- Squirrel-proof tube feeder
- Takes
- Seed
- Holds
- 1.1 kg (2.4 lb)
- Squirrel-proof
- Yes
#5Nature Anywhere Window Bird Feeder with Sliding Tray
$30–$50
Four heavy-duty suction cups hold this clear feeder on the outside of a window, so birds feed a pane of glass away from where you sit. The seed tray slides out to refill and clean without taking the feeder down, and air vents keep the seed dry.
What owners say: Sturdy on the glass, with suction cups that stay stuck, owners say, and it brings the birds in; they like the look of it too.
A closer look: Clean the glass well before pressing the cups on, and choose a window at least 3 m (10 ft) from ledges, gables and branches, as Nature Anywhere advises, so squirrels can’t jump across to it. It holds less than a hanging feeder, so check the tray often once the birds have found it.
- Four heavy-duty suction cups
- Slide-out seed tray
- Air vents keep seed dry
Best for: Watching birds up close from indoors
- Type
- Window feeder
- Takes
- Seed, fruit, mealworms, suet
- Holds
- 425 g (15 oz)
- Squirrel-proof
- No
#6Kiwibit Solar Smart Bird Feeder with 4K Camera
$200–$300
The feeder’s front camera records its visitors in 4K, sends an alert to your phone and names the species, with lifetime bird identification included rather than a subscription. Solar panels on the roof keep its 5,200 mAh battery charged, and infrared lets it film after dark.
What owners say: Owners enjoy it, rate the photos and video and the solar charging, and find it easy to set up; some have had trouble with the battery holding its charge.
Heads up: It connects over 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi only, so check the signal reaches the spot before mounting it.
A closer look: The wall bracket, pole bracket and tree strap all come in the box, so it can go wherever the view and the sun are best; aim the solar roof south for the most charge. Clips go to the app with up to 60 days of cloud storage, or to a microSD card of up to 512 GB.
- Names the bird species
- No subscription for bird ID
- Infrared night video
- Wall, pole and tree mounts
Best for: Seeing who visited while you were out
- Type
- Camera feeder
- Takes
- Seed
- Holds
- 1.5 L
- Squirrel-proof
- No
How they compare
Swipe sideways or rotate device to see all 6.
| Feature | #1Kingsyard metal hopper | #2Squirrel Buster Plus | #3Stokes Select double suet | #4Squirrel Buster Classic | #5Nature Anywhere window feeder | #6Kiwibit 4K camera feeder |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Best premium | Best suet feeder | Best window feeder | Best camera feeder | ||
| Picked Rating | 9.4 | 9.5 | 9.3 | 9.2 | 9.2 | 9.1 |
| Price | $30–$50 | $150–$200 | $10–$20 | $75–$100 | $30–$50 | $200–$300 |
| Type | Hopper feeder with tray | Squirrel-proof tube feeder | Suet cage | Squirrel-proof tube feeder | Window feeder | Camera feeder |
| Takes | Seed | Seed | Suet or seed cakes | Seed | Seed, fruit, mealworms, suet | Seed |
| Holds | 1.8 kg (4 lb) | 2.3 kg (5.1 lb) | 2 suet cakes | 1.1 kg (2.4 lb) | 425 g (15 oz) | 1.5 L |
| Squirrel-proof | No | Yes | No | Yes | No | No |
| Best for | Small birds feeding side by side | Yards where squirrels raid the seed | Woodpeckers and other clinging birds | Squirrel-proofing a smaller yard | Watching birds up close from indoors | Seeing who visited while you were out |
| Buy now | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon |
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