Spring brings hungry birds back to your yard—but it also brings the predators that hunt them. Where you hang your feeder can mean the difference between a thriving feeding station and a dangerous trap.
The Camera Feeder We Use In Our Own Backyard
See Today's PriceAvoid these four spots to keep your backyard birds safe this season.
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Near Bushes or Dense Cover
Make sure your bird feeders are placed far enough from dense cover like shrubs so that birds can escape predators such as cats. 10 feet is a good distance.
Just like other accipiters, Cooper’s hawks perch in high spots waiting for their prey to appear. They also use other hunting methods, such as the hide-and-pounce tactic, where they hide in the dense cover before suddenly pouncing on their prey.
These birds rely on their speed and power, as well as the element of surprise, to find a meal. They prefer eating small reptiles, mammals, and amphibians, but they’ll also feed on small-sized birds, like starlings and quails.
Too Close to Windows
Placing a feeder within a few feet of a window might seem like the best way to enjoy close-up views, but it creates two serious problems. First, window strikes kill hundreds of millions of birds each year in North America, and feeders positioned 3 to 10 feet from glass are especially dangerous.
Birds startled by a predator—or simply moving between perches—can panic and fly straight into reflective windows at full speed. Second, windows give cats easy viewing access, and even indoor cats watching from inside can stress feeding birds.
The safest placement is either within three feet of the window, so birds can’t build up dangerous speed, or more than 10 feet away. Add window decals or screens to reduce reflections, and never position feeders where they funnel panicked birds directly toward glass.
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Low to the Ground
Don’t put the feeder too low to the ground. If your window-mounted feeder is close to the ground, the birds may not feel safe because they are at risk of being stalked and attacked by your pets, or by other pets in your neighborhood.
As with most other feeders, you should hang your window feeder at least 5-6 feet above the ground. Ideally, a pole-mounted feeder will be five feet off the ground.
Your feeder pole may be a bit higher than that. When you’re looking at item listings, be sure the pole is long enough that it can stick securely into the ground and still hang the feeder at that five-foot height.
Next to Garage or Driveway
Feeders positioned near garages, driveways, or other high-traffic human areas create stress and danger for visiting birds. The constant movement of cars, people, and doors opening creates disturbances that make birds nervous and less likely to feed safely.
Worse, these areas often provide perches and hiding spots on roof edges, vehicles, and equipment that predators—especially outdoor cats—use as hunting platforms. Birds focused on feeding won’t notice a cat creeping along a car roof or garage ledge until it’s too late.
Garages also tend to have overhangs and structures that limit a bird’s upward escape route. Instead, place your feeders in a quieter part of your yard, away from daily human activity and vehicle movement.
A calm, open area with clear sightlines and minimal disturbance will always attract more birds and keep them safer from both human-related hazards and lurking predators.
Feeder spots predators punish
| Spec | What our writers say |
|---|---|
| Distance from shrubs | 10 feet so birds can escape cats |
| Hawk tactic | Cooper's hawks hide in dense cover then pounce |
| Low feeder | Window-mounted feeders close to the ground leave birds open to pets |
| Pole height | A pole-mounted feeder should be five feet off the ground |
| Dense cover risk | Feeders too close to shrubs give cats an ambush |
| Cats | Roaming cats are aggressive bird predators |
| Ground risk | Birds feel unsafe when a feeder is too low |
Make feeders accessible for both birds and cleaning
One of the biggest rookie birder mistakes is not being strategic about bird feeder placement. Not only do you need to consider how birds will reach your feeder, but you also need a convenient location to clean it weekly.
Below is a breakdown of how to properly place your bird feeder (which will affect which type you buy, too!).
From our 7 Mistakes Everyone Makes in Choosing Bird Feeders (and How to Avoid Them).
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