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Window bird feeders seem to have grown in popularity in recent years, especially in light of research that has shown feeders placed close to windows actually reduce deaths from window collisions.

Bird strikes are a huge problem for birds, killing between 365 million and 988 million birds annually in the United States as of 2017, according to U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service estimates, so some people are hoping to help keep their backyard birds safe.

One study showed an increase in mortality from bird strikes when feeders were placed between five and 10 meters from glass, with no fatalities when feeders were placed within a meter of the window.

If you’re thinking about a window feeder, you may worry that it won’t attract as many birds as your usual feeder. While there are some extra challenges to attracting birds to somewhere so close to humans, it can be done.

Key Takeaways

• Window feeders may be safer for birds: Surprisingly, placing bird feeders close to windows can help reduce bird collisions. Some research has shown that when feeders are placed within a meter of a window, bird window collisions drop. They’re not just trendy; they’re also a safer option for your feathered friends.
• Tips for attracting birds: Want to draw birds to your window feeder? Use the right kind of seeds, keep the feeder clean, and place it near trees or bushes but not too close to reflective windows or busy areas. Birds need to feel safe and undisturbed.
• Getting birds to visit: If birds aren’t coming to your new feeder, try sprinkling some seeds on the ground to guide them or gradually move a more popular feeder closer to it. If all else fails, don’t hesitate to try a different window spot. Patience and a bit of experimenting can go a long way!

Where To Start

Getting birds to frequent your window feeder is fairly similar to attracting birds to any feeder. Ultimately, if you provide the right food and keep things clean, you’re on the right track. Let’s start with food.

Food

Providing the right food for the types of birds you’re looking to attract is square one. You can do everything else right, but if you’re looking to feed finches and fill your feeder with large seeds that finches can’t crack, finches aren’t going to visit.

For a full guide to which seeds for birds, click here. But let’s look at a quick primer of three of the most common seeds for feeding birds in this article as well.

Sunflower Seeds and Safflower Seeds

Sunflower seeds are the most popular seed for many bird species, from small chickadees, nuthatches, and sparrows to larger birds like woodpeckers, cardinals, and blackbirds.

There are a couple types of sunflower seeds. Striped sunflower seeds are larger and tougher to crack than black-oil sunflower seeds which won’t deter large-billed cardinals and grosbeaks but will be a tough seed to crack for chickadees and sparrows, for example.

Want to be popular with just about any bird? Try shelled sunflower seeds to really draw a crowd.

If you want to limit the birds coming to your feeder just a little bit, you may also consider safflower, a similar but more bitter seed. Some birds like blackbirds typically don’t prefer it, and some people believe it also deters squirrels as well. Cardinals and grosbeaks are among the birds that still like safflower.

Thistle/Nyjer

Finches are all about thistle, also known as Nyjer. It’s a little black seed that most other backyard birds don’t prefer, but if you’re looking to attract any finch species, start with thistle.

You can also buy a thistle mix, such as one that includes sunflower chips, to attract a wider variety of birds as well as finches.

Feeding Hummingbirds

Hummingbirds are a very common bird to be fed next to windows. They’re often quite fearless, especially around humans, so they make for good candidates to visit feeders close to human residences.

Hummingbird feeders are filled with sugar water that’s four parts water to one part sugar.

Find the Right Placement

Placement is going to be key as well, as it is with any feeder.

Putting your feeder somewhere close to cover like trees or bushes will allow birds to duck in and out to gather food before returning to a place where they feel safe.

Of course, when we’re talking about a window feeder, you can’t exactly choose where your window is, but you can select a window that’s near trees or bushes.

However, you don’t want your feeder to be right in the bushes where birds can’t find it. You also don’t like it too close to a bush or tree that allows squirrels to jump and make their way onto the feeder.

Locating your bird feeder in the same vicinity as native plants to provide even more food for wild birds is also a great option.

You may already have flower beds near your windows. If that’s the case, the birds may already be visiting that area, and a bird feeder will just add to the buffet of food.

Limit Distractions

Windows can sometimes be reflective, which is often a problem for birds, as it makes it difficult to know what’s really in front of them, leading to window strikes.

But they’re also see-through by nature. If birds can see you or your pets moving around inside, there’s less chance they’re going to want to visit, as they may see you or these other animals as potential threats. Put feeders in a spot where humans aren’t constantly moving about.

Keep It Clean

Keeping feeders clean is an imperative but rather unglamorous part of backyard birding. Birds don’t want dirty feeders or soggy food, and a feeder covered in bacteria is even worse.

Make sure you’re regularly switching out uneaten food if it has rained recently, for example. Many feeders will have areas where food stays out of the elements, but any that’s exposed to the elements, such as in a tray, should be cleaned out if it doesn’t get claimed by a bird before getting old and soggy.

Clean windows may also be more reflective, so we should also mention that using window decals may help you reduce bird strikes. Make sure they’re placed fairly close together otherwise they won’t do their job.

Lead Them There

Sometimes, you feel like you’re doing everything right, but it’s just not happening for a new feeder. You’ve got the right food in a clean feeder near a bush or tree frequented by birds, but still, nothing.

You may want to consider leading birds to the feeder. You can do this by spreading some food around on the ground leading up to feeders, or by gradually moving another popular feeder toward the new feeder until birds become familiar and comfortable with the new feeder and begin to visit it as well.

This takes some work and isn’t guaranteed to work, but it may be worth a shot.

Try a New Spot

If you feel like you’ve tried everything, it may just be time to try a new window completely. There may be something you’re not considering that’s making birds avoid the feeder in its current placement.

In Conclusion

There is no perfect science for attracting birds to your feeders, whether it’s a window feeder or any other type of feeder. If things aren’t working, keep trying until you figure out what works best for the birds in your yard.

Happy birding!

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