bird feeder by stevendepolo
Thinking of adding some birdfeeders to your nature garden. You might be asking the question, “How long does it take birds to find a feeder?” The answer seems to be a great big “it depends”.
For my feeders it took about 8 days – long enough that I lost track. For the first day I avidly watched my newly-hung birdfeeders hoping for a quick reward. Alas, patience was the order of the day.
How Long Will You Have to Wait?
A quick google search on the question “how long does it take birds to find a feeder” will turn up several sites, but they all contain the exact same text
“Sometimes it can seem like forever. It may take more time for birds to find window feeders than hanging or pole-mounted feeders.”
One of the sites is the US Fish and Wildlife Service. They have quite a lot of useful information on backyard bird feeding but just aren’t much help on this specific question. Yes, eight days seemed like forever, but surely there’s a better answer on what to expect. Surely someone has looked into this.
Downy Woodpecker by Audreyjm529
Project FeederWatch Has the Answer?
I felt pretty sure that the folk at Project FeederWatch and the Cornell bird lab must have something to say on this, but alas it’s not a Project FeederWatch frequently asked question.
What Should You Expect?
After waiting a whole week to see a single bird at any of my three not-so-newly-hung feeders I’d almost lost hope. I asked a friend, “How long does it take birds to find a feeder when you’ve not had one up for a while?” Her answer, “About 30 minutes.” So, I have my answer – it takes birds anything from 30 minutes to 8 days to find a feeder.
Worth the Wait
It was worth the wait – my kids will tell you how excited I get when a downy woodpecker arrives to peck the suet, or a chickadee to take some niger seeds. In the last few days I’ve seen the following birds – house wren, chickadee, downy woodpecker, robin, bluejay. My feeders are still full of food and the birds are not yet regular visitors, but the weather is still mild – things could change soon. The birds found my feeders – I think it’s going to be a good winter.
How long did it take birds to find your feeder? Are you taking part in Project FeederWatch?
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We just leave a plate of birdfood out on some stumps in the backyard (at our “party tree”) and the birds are there within minutes… of course we go back and forth between being good at resupplying so maybe they have a look out all the time. when the pine cones first fall in octoberish we make pine cone bird feeders.. these usually take the birds a couple days to find.
Good to know there’s such a wide range! Hope to be adding a bird feeder to our backyard soon, so this was helpful.
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It’s funny, when we first bought this house a Carolina Chickadee perched on top of a post and “scolded” us, as if to say “This is a great place for a feeder” We agreed and hung one immediately. And also immediately, there were Chickadees and Titmice clamoring all over it.
It’s taken them a little longer to find some of the other feeders, though.
What a great story Carole, thanks for sharing.
Great post, Alison! We all want instant gratification, but the birds have other ideas.
) Bethe
Fun post, Alison! Would make a great science project (and good practice eliminating variables LOL)!
Now I’m curious how long it would take for them to come back to my backyard—hmmm, “Confessions of an Inconsistent Bird Feeder Filler” <–I'm so terrible at keeping them up and filled with bird crunchies.
Nice to know that some bloggers like you still spend the time and effort to produce quality content.
It’s always worth the wait! I love watching the regulars at my feeders.
Found this thread 2 months ago after looking for some answers. I hung my feeder in the back yard where it is wooded. The feeder is hanging on a tree limb just below the leaves of the tree. Hawks have been catching birds feeding on the ground so I did it this way to help protect the birds while feeding. Well, it is so well hidden that it even took the birds 2 month to find it and I just had to come back here to share my story for all those waiting beyond 8 days like me.
Terrell, thanks so much for coming back to share your experiences. Two months is a long time to wait. You have your reward now! Now I’m curious about what types of birds you have feeding. If you have time, please let us know.
My wife feeds tons of them in the front yatd by throwing seeds on the ground. Cardinals, Blue Jays, Scrub Jays, Morning Doves and a few more which I don’t know the names of. It is a pair of Cardinals that finally discovered the feeder I hung for them in the back yard.
Watching birds feed is so much fun. Terrell, I can see that both your wife and you have caught the bug! Thanks for sharing.
I hung a few feeders and a hanging bird bath on a post I buried in the ground. The same day I had a pair of downy woodpeckers that come back on a regular basis. Some red headed finches, and blue birds as well. Before the feeders I had some cardinals and blue jays all over and no sight of them so far.
I must admit this is alot of fun. Can’t wait to get some more regulars.
Hi Dwendt, you must have some good woodland in your area to have downy woodpeckers as the first bird to show up. That’s great! It sounds like your finches are house finches – they are regular visitors to feeders in my Kansas garden too.
You will get a little bit different mix of birds at this time of year. Once birds are nesting you’ll see them in places they’ve chosen because of shrubs, trees, and other good nesting spots. They’ll be back though to visit your feeders later. Do you have a hummingbird feeder or one for goldfinches? They are wonderful birds to watch.
It is funny that mine hung for 2 months without any visits. And now a pound of bird food is being eaten in a day. It is like once 1 bird found it, now the rest all know about it. Birds obviously pay close attention to one another. So dwendt, I am sure you’ll get plenty of visits from other birds real soon.
Wow Terrell, you’re clearly in a great spot for feeding birds! I only went through a couple of bags of black sunflower seeds during the complete winter here in my Kansas garden. Yes, birds do pay attention to each other. I’m curious as to which birds are eating the most seed at your feeders. Care to share?
I do have a hummingbird feeder that I haven’t hung yet. I have a bracket to mount it on the window. I’m not sure if I can put it out with the other feeders on not? I thought hummingbirds were kinda solo birds.
The woodpeckers have torn up my suet block in just a couple of days. And I’m seeing the house finches alot. In large groups.
My wife has ALOT I mean ALOT of flower beds throughout the yard and we have many hummingbirds that visit those. Last summer one flew a foot from my face and just hoovered for probably 10 seconds. Scared me to death because it sounded like a giant bumble bee!
That’s a great story about a hummingbird Dwendt. Yes, they are very territorial. I too have hesitated to put up my feeder on the window bracket. There is a robin nesting near my bracket and I don’t want a hummingbird to be buzzing the robin as she sits on her eggs. It’s great that your wife has flowers they love. There’s really no need for a feeder at this time of year when there are flowers, unless you just want a closer look at the hummers.
Well I misidentifed the “bluebirds”. I researched and they are infact Indigo Buntings. And now I have a pair of male Rose-breasted Grosbeaks. Which I was suprised how close they look like my Downy Woodpeckers. Now with alot of seeds on the ground I’m getting Robins, Doves, and some what I believe are Purple Martins but don’t have the forked tail. They run along the ground like a Robin and are similiar in size.
And finally a bird I wondered would show up and finally did were the Golden finches. Wow they are fun to look at when they show up in a group.
Dwendt, I think indigo buntings are lovely birds to have. What do you think the purple-martin-lookalikes are? Purple martins are lovely birds too, but they eat insects, not seeds, so I’m sure you’re right that you have something else. Do you have a bird identification book? If not, I’d be happy to recommend one. Just let me know which area of the country you are in.
I still haven’t figured out the purple martin like birds. But just an hour ago I replaced my woodpecker suet block (been a week) and 5 minutes ago, my 3 yr old daughter said “dadda a woodpecker” I looked out my window and this thing was a foot tall!! Researching, I found out it is a Red-bellied woodpecker. I love this site and loving the birds more and more everyday with the more I learn. My wild bird seed feeder I am currently filling with 80 oz of seed everyday!!!!!! I’m using 2- 32 oz cups plus a 16 ouncer to fill it everyday.
And yes Alison, I’d love a book. I live near Grand Rapids Michigan. So a good book suggestion would be appreciated. Thank you.
I have a couple of favorite bird identification books. This is a great topic for me to write about. Watch this space!
I’m still intending to write about birds guides. Meantime here are my two top choices to check out at Amazon.com:
The Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Eastern North America and Peterson Field Guide to Birds of Eastern and Central North America, Sixth Edition. Beginners often think a book with bird photos will be easier to use, but illustrations are actually better.
Well I solved my one pound a day problem which were blue jays throwing all the seeds on the ground plus squirrels. I have an anti squirrel caged tower feeder which I fill with sun flower seeds only since apparently that is all most of the birds want. Tufted titmouses and Cardinals have been all over it for 2 days and the seed level has barely dropped. So I know nothing is being wasted now.
Terrrell, you are really getting the hang of this bird feeding deal. It’s great that you found a solution to wasted seed. Who wants to buy seed just for birds to throw on the ground? Your experience matches mine – black oil sunflower seed is the way to go. And finding a way to keep squirrels off helps too.
I just put my feeders out about two days ago. No birds as of yet. I put the black sunflower seeds they recommended. Do all birds really like them like they say they do?
Hi Amy, yes all the general seed eating birds seem to prefer the black sunflower seeds. They have a high oil content, for energy, and thinner shells, which make them easier to crack. If you want goldfinches to visit your feeders you need a special feeder and niger or thistle seeds for them. Some seed-eating birds, such as mourning doves, can not use feeders and need to feed from the ground. If rodents are a problem in your area you won’t want to specifically feed the ground-feeding birds, but they will still visit to clean up seeds dropped by other birds. Do come back and share which birds you get visiting!
Another problem with ground feeding is that it attracts cats. Underneath my bird feeder which is in the back yard is a table to catch seeds so that the ground feeders can eat more safely. I also use the table to put the watering bowl on as well.
Terrell, you are right, cats are a big problem for garden birds. If you’re a cat owner and feel you need to let your cat outdoors it’s safest for wildlife if you let your cat out only at night. It’s probably safer for the cat too – there should be less traffic. I love your idea of having your bird table under the bird feeders to catch seeds which drop. Thanks for sharing that.
Alison, are there seeds that I can use which attract birds only and not other unwanted animals? I have been wanting to put up a bird feeder in the yard but don’t want to turn it into a squirrel feeder.
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Diana, that’s a good question.
Niger/thistle seeds attract goldfinches, but chipmunks will take them too if they get a chance. One year I bought a stocking-type feeder for niger and hung it from a hook on my deck. Within a day the chipmunks had leaped onto it, nibbled a hole, and carried off all of the seed to their winter stockpile!
Squirrels like black oil sunflower seeds, which are the best seeds for the birds. There are some excellent squirrel-proof feeders and I suggest you invest in one. Here is my article on Foiling squirrels at your feeders. Also, I find that parent birds will ruthlessly chase squirrels out of my garden during the nesting season to keep their babies safe. Bring more birds into your garden and the squirrels will be less of a problem!
I recently hung a tea cup feeder on my front porch, and have been waiting for little visitors – after a week – still none. I am wondering if the feeder is hanging to close to the ceiling of the porch? After reading some of the other posts, maybe I need to just be more patient!
Kelsey, do come back and report your success when the birds discover your feeder. Surely it’s a matter of time! If you are still worried that it is too high you could extend whatever it is hanging from with some strong twine, or a piece of chain. What kind of seed are you using?
The birds finally came. I ended up extending the chain with an S hook and a few days later little birds showed up. Not sure if it was the extension or just patience. They seem to only come in the early mornings – but they finally arrived!
Great little article to find as I wait (over-eagerly) for birds to find our backyard and its newly hung feeders. Glad to read that black oil sunflower seeds for most birds and nyjer/thistle for goldfinches are the way to go–that’s what I got. It’s been four days so far and no sign of birds. Hoping they’ll establish our backyard as one of their local “restaurants” this winter.
Birds found the feeders on day 6! The first two visitors: an intrepid tufted titmouse and a black-capped chickadee.
That’s great Katie. I was just thinking yesterday that I’ve never seen a tufted titmouse in my garden. I’d better refill my feeders because “you never know”… Isn’t bird feeding fun?
Katie, that is great that the birds already found your feeder. I too have the tufted titmouses visiting mine by the tons. They come, grab a few seeds, and go back into the trees while the cardinals will sit at the feeder until chased off. Alison, if you want to attract the tufted titmouse, try putting a feeder near a dense section of your yard. I just happened to do that with my first feeder tucking it under a branch and they seem to love the protection that branch provides.
Hi all!
Loving this site and everyone’s interesting posts.
I put up a suet block feeder with meal worms in our small courtyard yesterday. (I’m based in Bristol in the UK). I have heard long tailed tits nearby so am hoping that they will find the feeder soon. I’m guessing I may also attract blue tits and great tits too – fingers crossed. I love how in the winter all the tit species seem to get together in big flocks. They’re predicting another cold winter for us in the UK this year so I hope to get a lot of visitors.
Hi Sarah, how is your feeder doing? Have you had tits or woodpeckers visiting yet? Remember to make sure you provide water too when the weather gets cold.
Hi Alison,
Still no sign of any birds so far… The weather has been so warm here over the past few weeks (so much for the cold winter they predicted this year – mind, there is still time!) that I think the birds haven’t been forced into searching much for their food and haven’t yet stumbled across my feeder – yet. Watch this space. Yes, when the weather gets colder I’ll put out some water too.
Yes, the birds seem to be late coming to my feeders this year too. They most likely know by now that your feeders are available and they’ll come when they need to. Do you have water out? When it gets cold the birds seem to come to my garden for water and then they stick around to feed.
Hi Alison,
I eventually moved the feeder and they went crazy for it – unfortunately it was in a position that I couldn’t see from the house, so I don’t know what sorts of birds were feeding! I’m guess it was blue tits. Since I’ve moved the feeder again I’ve not seen any sign but I’m still waiting in hope. They have everything they need incl water and vegetation very nearby so all should be well. Perhaps I’m in competition with someone else’s gormet bird buffet!
I hung the feeder on Subday and saw birds today, Tuesday. Very glad I didn’t have to wait the reported 8 days!
I have no garden but a balcony in the city of San Francisco. I’ve seen birds relaxing in my balcony from time to time and yesterday I decided to hang a bird feeder to help them and enjoy myself watching them.
I was staring at the feeder after placing it for one hour thinking that they would arrive right away. Good that I found this post because I thought that I was doing something wrong.
I’ll let you know what happens.
Ana
Hi there! Great blog! I live in the Pacific North West. I recently bought 8 cylinder bird feeders 4 for finches and 4 for wild birds. I have them hanging on shepherd’s hooks along with a birdbath in the same area. I’m really excited to see how long this will take. I can hear the birds all around in the pine trees…I think they are talking about them
How are the birdfeeders going? I’d love to hear about your visitors.
I bought a cylinder bird feeder and sunflower seed and hung it on the clothesline wall support.
I hope to see birds soon.
Uh, I bought feeder and food at the dollar store. I should’ve bought the seeds at Costco, for the more-than-massive bag of sunflower seed.
Have the birds arrived yet Rene?
Yeah, thanks!
After looking online, I definitively saw gold finches, not sure but may have been titmice, slightly red back-and-flat-head-no crest birds and of course, resident bullies aka sparrows.
I didn’t know that sparrows were considered a nuisance. I thought they were of the good birds that keep the bug pop down during the warmer seasons. I’ll have to build those magic halos to keep them away. How come those gadgets repel most of them anyway?
Hello all,
I just put out a bird feeder here in North Carolina and am excited to see what types of birds are attracted! I am guessing that different birds inhabit different areas. This is a new location for me so I have no idea what types of birds live here. There are morning doves that I see across the street and I hear lots of interesting birds singing but haven’t yet figured out how to identify them because I can’t see them!
Sue