Can Cardinals and Red Bellied Woodpeckers use this? I can't see exactly how this would work?
839907
Hi Christine, Thanks for your question. In response, yes absolutely, this bird feeder works great for Cardinals & Red Bellied Woodpeckers. Basically, we typically see our customers use black oil sunflower seeds and fill the center portion (called the seed tank). When filled, some seeds stick out, and due to the double cage design, it allows birds to be able to stick their head/beak in between the outer cage holes and get to the seeds without problem. However, Squirrels cannot fit their heads or mouths through the outer holes as its too small and uncomfortable. Hope this helps! Mark ======= Skinny Squirrel Cages
393067
Larger birds can use this feeder. We have found that doves are ground or platform feeders around here. The perches here are not really designed well for (our) doves. We get woodpeckers all the time.
119844
That I'm not sure. I've got blue martins that always try and build a nest under the canopy of my boat lifts. So I hang one of these inside my lift to scare them away when they fly inside. So far it has worked. I use to have a plastic owl hanging inside the canopy, but a storm in June with 85 mph winds sucked it out and I've never found it. These were less expensive, so I thought I'd give them a try.. Sorry I can't help with the woodpecker question.
393072
Doves are too big for this feeder. Finches and smaller have no trouble, and acrobats like some woodpeckers can perch on bottom rungs and eat from top openings. :-)
331463
It works very well with sunflower seed. That is what I use exclusively. the Cardinals will go to the perch of the feeder and eat from there.
536198
Not really, as the look of it would not be so nice. It would work, but I would look to protect the wood some other way and find the reason that the birds are pecking at the wood. ie. insects, etc. would try to paint it or seal it first.
1061395
Yes, cardinals seem to love the Solutions Feeder. I fill my feeder with black sunflower seeds, and birds just flock to it, especially the cardinals.
30574
I have seen the female cardinal in the feeder but the male doesn't enter it. It does keep out larger birds and they eat what is dropped on the ground.
736465
I have doves on mine;) but I have very aggressive cardinals and they get on there with the other birds. I have fed birds for years and have always watched cardinals sit and wait till coast is clear, not these cardinals;)
1663012
Small lightweight woodpeckers will use it if you use husk less sunflower seeds. They find it hard to sit on the forward facing perches. The largest feeder has the side facing perch they use that well. Doves are heavy and while you can change the allowed weight you can get it so the dove AND squirrel can use it.
1273137
It's no problem for our woodpeckers (red belly and downy). It's the best suet feeder we've had and we've had about all of them. Note, starlings are not a problem for us, but the young red wing black birds (look like large brown sparrows) have learned to get in. Also the BLASTED brown headed cow birds. But since this feeder is the best we've come across so far, we still use it and we DO recommend.
1663010
Yes, a red-bellied woodpecker is a regular visitor. The feed we use is a mix that contains sunflower seeds in the shell. It prefers the peanuts we put out periodically but will angle itself to get the sunflower seeds and sometimes sit atop the shepherd's crook that holds the birdfeeder to open one. We also get the smaller woodpeckers occasionally. Blue jays will also pull sunflower seed from the feeder when hungry -- like egg-laying season. The doves do not use the feeder -- they're too big. I put smaller seed on the deck for them because I love the cooing.
2206507
Not a bit...cardinals feed at mine all the time. They're usually the first ones there in the morning and the last ones there at dusk. We've even had normally ground-feeding birds like juncos and grackles feed regularly (the grackles are PIGS). apparently the tray is just large enough that these birds feel comfortable.
119839
I didn't see any woodpeckers around, either before or after I installed the balloons. They did not work on the robins, catbirds, or squirrels that ate all my blueberries.
1280657
Cardinals didn't bother with this feeder, they preferred the bird seed feeder. However I had 3-4 different kinds of woodpeckers, chickadees, yellow and purple finches, and lots of other kind of birds eating from this feeder, these birds preferred the suet feeder.
119840
Sorry, but I don't know about woodpeckers as we don't have a problem with them. It seems to help with birds eating our fruit, but you have to move the balloons occasionally as the birds get used to them.
1974085
Rob, I never tried that but it should work as long as you get it secured. The Woodpecker folks would be the best people to ask.