Why Birds Aren’t Coming to Your Feeder (Fix These 5 Common Mistakes)

You've set up a bird feeder, and… nothing’s happening. Well, you’re not alone in that problem.

This is one of the most common questions we get in the shop.

The good news: most of the time, birds are not the problem. It’s just a few small things that are easy to fix.

So, let’s go over the biggest reasons why birds might be ignoring your feeder.

1. You’re Using the Wrong Seed

This is hands down the #1 issue we see.

A lot of bird seed mixes you can buy at the store are filled with “filler” ingredients like milo or wheat. These are things that birds just won’t eat.

In our area, we find that birds love:

• Black oil sunflower seeds

• Sunflower chips (these are sunflower seeds without shells)

• Nyjer seed (this is great for finches)

  
  

The truth is, if you’re not offering birds something they like, they’re not going to come to the feeder. So, if your feeder is full and nothing’s happening, there’s a good chance the birds just aren’t interested in what you’re offering.

2. Your Feeder Placement Is Off

Birds need to feel safe. It’s that simple.

So, if you’ve placed your feeder in a spot that’s:

• Too open

• Too close to foot traffic

• Too close to where predators might hide…

  
  

then birds are going to avoid it.

A good rule of thumb:

try to put feeders near some kind of natural cover, like trees or shrubs. Just make sure they’re not too close to predators.

So when you first put up a feeder, it may take a few days (sometimes even a couple weeks) for the birds to find it and start trusting it.

Birds are creatures of habit. Once they find a trusted food source, they’ll keep going back. But getting them to the feeder the first time requires a little patience.

4. Your Feeder Might Be Dirty

Birds are picky (and for good reason).

So if your feeder is:

• Moldy

• Wet

• Filled with old seed

  
  

They won’t go near it.

Make sure you clean your feeder every couple of weeks (or every week if it's been wet outside) and you’re putting new seed into it.

5. There’s Too Much Competition (or Danger)

It's possible the birds aren’t interested because of something going on around the feeder.

• Squirrels taking over the feeder

• Cats lurking around

• Too much noise going on

  
  

All of these things might keep birds from hanging out at your feeder.

If you’re seeing seed go missing quickly but no birds around, it might be squirrels.

A Quick Word of Encouragement

If you’re having trouble getting birds to come to your feeder, don’t worry. Most feeders are missing only a tweak or two. Once the birds start going to the feeder regularly, you’ll love having them come by every day.

Need Help Getting Started?

If you’re in the Sacramento area, come by the shop. We’d be happy to give you the inside scoop on what's working (and what isn’t) when it comes to bird feeders. A simple change of seed types or feeder types might be what you need.

Final Thought

Bird feeding isn’t complicated. It's simple:

• Good seed

• Safe placement

• A little patience

  
  

…and the birds will come.

If you’ve been having trouble with your feeder, we’d love to hear about it—feel free to reach out or stop in and chat with us.