I have a new finch feeder for little thistle seed but it the birds aren't eating from it. I live in VT. Is it the wrong time of year for this?
1195539
Not at all but it took awhile for the birds to find mine. I did not like the Perky Pet 399 I bought another one that wasn't plastic.
1195540
If your finch feeder is an upside down feeder (where the birds hand upside down to feed), only gold finches will feed from it. All other finches will not (can't) eat from it. Also, the food of choice is Niger seed for either feeder -- if labeled "finch feeder."
1195541
Hi, it may be. Our finches kind of disappeared here about a month ago, we have just one who shows up occasionally. They got scarce when they started turning colors for the winter.
1195542
The gold finches did not eat from my upside down feeder either. I called Cornell University and they told me that the birds didn't like me. Anyway, I do not understand after years of gold finches eating from this type of feeder why they are not using it, either. Frustrating, isn't it? Carla in PA
1195543
Its not the wrong time of year. 1) You know surely that gold finches lose their bright yellow color in winter and become a drab greenish brown? 2) They are picky and dislike old seed. You may need to freshen your feeder's offering. 3) It does take a while for them to either find it or to come visit once they feel safe. 4) If the feeder is too close to human activity, you may want to try moving it to a quieter spot--and then gradually moving it closer once they start frequenting it.
1111328
I think some birds cannot sit and reach into the small seed-holding squares,very few birds use ours. However, rain gets in and concretes the seed, has to be dug out. Does keep out squirrels though!
393068
Popular with the finches and similar size birds. Some greedy bigger birds will cling briefly. Doves much prefer to ground feed....try safflower seeds if you have problems with squirrels eating ground seeds like sunflower.
2191198
Don't have that problem, but it does take birds a few days or a week before they use a new feeder. Perhaps if u r sitting on the porch it scares them away. First put feeder on a branch and slowly bring to porch. They don't like traffic. I have it hanging outside my kit window when I do dishes. They seem to like it under the overhang. Be patient. Parent birds r nesting Good luck. Oh and make sure the see isn't moldy. I opened up a new bag and it was all moldy. The whole shipment was
1104478
We've gotten record snow this winter in the Northeast. And yes, sometimes the wind blows enough so that some snow ends up covering one side of the feeder. However, it doesn't matter to the birds. They'll happily dig beneath the snow to get to the seeds. The seeds themselves have never frozen to the degree where they no longer flow out the bottom. Additionally, this feeder seems to have tiny holes in the base, so that if any rain or snow happens to accumulate on the bottom, the moisture eventually drains out.
1954130
It's a very wide mesh so that any small seed tends to fall through the mesh unless it's held in place by bigger seeds, like sunflower. So, if I'm understanding what a thistle feeder is, then it wouldn't work. The mesh is too wide for only small seeds. However, I do a mix of seeds and I get a variety of birds including finches, cardinals, red-winged blackbird, and sparrows. Most of those eat from the seeds that spill to the ground but the finches tend to cling to the ball and pull out the seeds.
261537
I think only thistle seed(nyjer) or a seed that small would work in this squirrel buster finch feeder because the feed hole is so very small. Larger seeds like sunflower would not-the birds could not access larger seeds.The classic squirrel buster feeder works well for black sunflower seed(I have one of those also, rate it 5 stars).
1111327
I am using a premium bird seed I bought at Tractor Supply. I add about 20% sunflower seed to the mix. We are covered up with Chickadees, Wrens, Eastern Towhee's, Cardinals, Finch, Downy Woodpecker, Indigo Bunting and many others I cannot identify. None of them seem to have any problem feeding at the small trough. Have you added the 1/4 inch plastic tubing to the perch as I outlined in my review? That gives the small birds a much better grip on the otherwise slick metal perch. Sometimes I add some Niger seed to the mix but it really does not seem to make much difference. I live in the mountains of Western North Carolina where we have many varieties of small birds. My land is covered with Pine trees so there is lots of spaces for birds to rest. Hope this helps.
1055600
How long has it been? It can take a week or two for the birds to notice it and trust it. Do you have other feeders the birds go to? Is this one out in the open? What kind of seeds are you using?
1617530
I have mine in a tree by my bluebird house but my birds have not used it. I have an open feeder they will use but a lot of other birds feed in the open ones as well. Maybe I'll try on a post in the open. It doesn't work in the tree.
597620
This is typical bird behavior. We all have our favorite foods. Suggest you check with local bird food seller and/or also some foods advise what bird prefers what food. One thing to remember birds are finding fresh food at this time of year. Not sure where you are in US but it has been my experience, if not now, surely by fall and winter the ground feeding birds will go after all the seed they can find. In our area, white crown sparrows, juncos, varied thrush, towhees and so forth benefit from the seeming selectivity of perching feeders.
1502106
Not good for thistle seeds I don't think as it is large. The sections end up in one feeding tray. Seeds would me mixed eventually. I do like the feeder. It is durable and sturdy. This is the second one I have had. Used the other for many years until the plastic which contains the seed finally got somewhat brittle and cracked. It hit the ground many times when squirrels would add too much weight to it surviving many falls. When I had it hanging from a very tall tree's limb that squirrels couldn't bother it. But, we lost the tree in the Texas drought.
462239
Due to the small perches only sparrows and smaller birds feed. The feeder needs to be redesigned. The cage catches on the upper lip. It does not pevent squirrel as they stand on the bottom lip and push the cage up. It may have been desiged by someone who does not feed birds or the item was not field tested. I send the compaany an e-mail but I never heard from them.
560565
It looks like there are some small holes on the bottom of the feeder tray. But, if they do go all the way through, they are already so clogged that they won't offer any significant drainage. Honestly, this thing is on the small-ish size - it holds about a quart of seed. I find that during the busy summer days the birds completely empty it every day, so there really isn't too much time for the seed to rot. That might sound like a negative comment, but I think the birds get fresh seed this way. Just remember to put it in an easily accessible location because you'll need to take it down to refill it. It looks like there are some small holes on the bottom of the feeder tray. But, if they do go all the way through, they are already so clogged that they won't offer any significant drainage. Honestly, this thing is on the small-ish size - it holds about a quart of seed. I find that during the busy summer days the birds completely empty it every day, so there really isn't too much time for the seed to rot. That might sound like a negative comment, but I think the birds get fresh seed this way. Just remember to put it in an easily accessible location because you'll need to take it down to... » Read More It looks like there are some small holes on the bottom of the feeder tray. But, if they do go all the way through, they are already so clogged that they won't offer any significant drainage. Honestly, this thing is on the small-ish size - it holds about a quart of seed. I find that during the busy summer days the birds completely empty it every day, so there really isn't too much time for the seed to rot. That might sound like a negative comment, but I think the birds get fresh seed this way. Just remember to put it in an easily accessible location because you'll need to take it down to refill it. « Show Less
4103
I have a mix of seeds and the same thing happens when the bigger birds knock out the seeds they don't want to get to what they do want. The answer is to have several feeders with a different kind of seed in each one. Someday I might do that, but for now, I just watch the squirrels, chipmunks, , doves, and other ground feeders enjoy the spoils!
61564
Six months and nothing but bees. The hole is too small for most birds except for finches and chickadees. They usually mate between April and June; so it's too late this year. Birds also like natural or wooden places and this thing is plastic and smells like motor oil or something similar. It's still stuck to the window. Maybe some pine straw and another year to air out and they may come.
1017765
Yes you can use small bird feed with this feeder. I use thistle in mine and it will take other very small bird seed. the comment about upside bird feeders for finches is wrong. They are the only birds that can feed upside down. It keeps many other small birds out of you finch feeder. Finches love this bird feeder. Some years they stay away for extended time no known reason but be patient they will return.