Had to pick between a tube feeder and a platform feeder this spring

I spent a whole afternoon last month trying to decide between a tube feeder and a platform feeder for my backyard. Ended up going with a tube feeder because the squirrels were getting to everything on my old platform. The first week was great, cardinals and finches showed up right away. But then I noticed the tube was too small for the bigger birds like the blue jays. They would just sit on a branch and watch. So I added a simple tray underneath the tube feeder last week and now everyone eats together. Has anyone else had to mix two styles to get their birds to show up?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_miles19d ago

Honestly, mixing a tube feeder with a tray underneath solved the same problem for me too. The bigger birds like blue jays and grackles just couldn't fit on the tube perches, but now they land on the tray and pick up the dropped seeds. It's a simple fix that makes the whole setup way more popular with all the local birds.

jana_davis9019d ago

Wait, do you really find that works long term though? I tried that same setup and ended up with the grackles just clearing out the tray seeds in minutes, then the smaller birds never got a chance at the tube. The jays would even scare off the finches trying to use the tube ports. Maybe your yard has less aggressive birds, but around here the tray just became a buffet for the bullies. I ended up going with separate feeders placed far apart instead of combining them. What kind of birds do you get that makes the combo work so well?