Kit Dillon is a writer focused on bags and travel gear. He has worked for Wirecutter for a decade and lost count of the number of bags he has tested.
Want to try birding for science? Join our colleagues at The New York Times for a summer birding project with the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Your insights could help scientists get a fuller picture of biodiversity in your area.
After spending 20 hours researching bird feeders, browsing through hundreds of options, and talking to five experts (including the man who wrote the National Audubon Society’s guide to bird feeding in North America), we recommend the Droll Yankees 18-Inch Onyx Mixed Seed Tube Bird Feeder with Removable Base as the best all-around bird feeder for most people.
The Onyx was the sturdiest and best-built feeder we tested, yet it’s easy to take apart and clean.
This Droll Yankees feeder works just as well as the Onyx, but it doesn’t hold as much seed and lacks the removable base of our top pick.
Suet cakes mix fat with berries and seeds to help keep birds well-fed in the winter. This feeder is made with post-consumer recycled plastic and has a tail prop for birds like woodpeckers.
The Onyx was the sturdiest and best-built feeder we tested, yet it’s easy to take apart and clean.
This Droll Yankees feeder works just as well as the Onyx, but it doesn’t hold as much seed and lacks the removable base of our top pick.
Of all the models we tested, the Onyx was the sturdiest and best-built bird feeder we came across. It has tough metal components that secure tightly to the body of the feeder. The Onyx is also versatile enough to hold several different feed types and comes backed by a lifetime guarantee against squirrel damage. Most important, in including a removable base for easy cleaning and roomy perches, Droll Yankees has designed it with a bird’s health in mind. We tested both the 18-inch and 15-inch versions of Droll Yankees’s full seed feeder. We think most people should pay extra for the larger version, as we like how the removable base makes cleaning easier. But if it’s unavailable, you won’t regret choosing the smaller feeder.
If you want to see the fullest variety of birds in your outdoor space, you need a few different feeders. If I could have a full quiver of bird feeders to ensure the widest avian population in my garden, I’d also include the following three.
If you want to draw finches, we recommend the Droll Yankees Onyx Clever Clean Finch Magnet. It’s part of the same line as our top pick, but instead of perches it has diamond-shaped mesh for finches to grab hold of and peck through.
For a simple nectar feeder, it’s hard to beat the Aspects 367 HummZinger Ultra. It’s usually under $20, and it comes extremely well-reviewed. A built-in ant moat keeps those critters out. The HummZinger is made of two plastic halves that come apart easily but are strong enough together to create a solid bird feeder. The easy disassembly also makes this model extremely easy to clean. Reviewers give it high marks for its moat and its slim feeder-port design, which together help to keep ants and wasps away from the syrup inside. In our tests, the HummZinger was easy to fill and simple to maintain. It also comes with a lifetime warranty.
Suet cakes mix fat with berries and seeds to help keep birds well-fed in the winter. This feeder is made with post-consumer recycled plastic and has a tail prop for birds like woodpeckers.
For high-calorie winter feeding, we recommend the Wild Birds Unlimited EcoTough Tail Prop Suet Feeder. This feeder is made from strong post-consumer plastic (recycled milk jugs). Although cheaper suet feeders are available, we liked the EcoTough’s built-in tail prop, which allows birds such as woodpeckers to feed in a more natural manner.
Bird feeding is an enjoyable hobby for nature lovers, allowing you to observe beautiful birds up close right in your own backyard. However, with the pleasures of birdwatching come responsibilities – keeping your feeders clean is critical both for the health of wild birds and for your own enjoyment of birdwatching Dirty feeders can spread disease, deter birds from visiting, and simply look and smell unpleasant
The best way to ensure your bird feeders stay clean is by choosing feeders specifically designed for easy cleaning. While any feeder can be cleaned with a bit of elbow grease, easy to clean feeders have features that allow you to maintain them with minimal effort.
In this article, we’ll cover why cleaning your bird feeders is so important, how often they need to be cleaned, features that make a feeder easy to clean, and tips for keeping your easy to clean feeders sparkling.
Why Regular Cleaning is Crucial
It’s understandable that cleaning bird feeders falls low on many people’s list of priorities. After all, birds eat outside in nature without anyone scrubbing down branches or cleaning up old seeds on the ground. However, when you concentrate birds unnaturally close together at an artificial feeder, messes and germs can spread rapidly.
Here are three critical reasons to keep your bird feeders clean
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Prevent disease. Salmonella, Avian Flu, conjunctivitis, and other dangerous bird illnesses can breed and be transmitted at dirty feeders. Cleaning feeders helps keep diseases from spreading between birds.
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Attract birds. Birds will avoid feeders that look dirty, smelly, or have old, rotten food. Regular cleaning keeps your feeder looking welcoming.
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Reduce mess. Seed shells, spoiled food, and bird droppings accumulate quickly. Regular cleaning keeps your yard looking nice.
By choosing an easy to clean bird feeder and washing it routinely, you ensure your backyard birds stay healthy and happy.
How Often to Clean Feeders
To reap the benefits of clean feeders, how often should you be washing them? Here are some general guidelines:
- Seed/suet feeders: Every 2 weeks
- Hummingbird feeders: Every 2-3 days
- Platform/hopper feeders: Monthly
- Birdbaths: Weekly
However, those are just minimums. During warm weather or periods of heavy use, aim to clean all feeders more frequently than that. It’s easy to tell when a feeder needs cleaning – look for built up debris, cloudy nectar, wet seed, or anything unsightly. Don’t wait for the scheduled cleaning time if the feeder looks dirty now.
Features of Easy to Clean Bird Feeders
While any feeder can be cleaned with a bit of scrubbing, some feeders are specifically designed to make the process as painless as possible. Here are features to look for when shopping for an easy to clean bird feeder:
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Few or no hard-to-access nooks and crannies. Feeders with simple, open designs allow you to easily wash all surfaces.
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Smooth materials. Glass, metal, and smooth plastic are easier to clean than porous wood or textured plastics, where debris can become trapped.
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Removable parts. Components that completely detach make scrubbing every surface a breeze.
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Wide openings. Feeders with large reservoirs, like hopper or platform styles, allow you to easily reach inside to clean.
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Quick draining. Feeders that empty quickly and fully are easier to clean than ones that allow moisture to pool.
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Dishwasher safe. Feeders that can be popped in the dishwasher truly make cleaning a snap.
Tips for Cleaning Easy to Clean Bird Feeders
Once you’ve chosen a feeder designed for quick and easy maintenance, use these tips to keep it sparkling:
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Take it apart. Disassemble all possible components so no surface is missed.
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Use bottle brushes. Flexible brushes allow you to scrub out the insides of tubular feeders.
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Use mild soap and water. An environmentally gentle cleaning solution will lift dirt without leaving residue.
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Follow up with bleach. Sanitize feeders by soaking in a 10% bleach solution after washing.
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Rinse thoroughly. Bleach and soap must be fully rinsed off to keep birds safe.
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Let air dry. Allowing feeders to fully dry prevents mold from accumulating.
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Clean the area. Don’t forget to clear old seed and wipe down poles and hangers too.
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Establish a routine. Add feeder cleaning to your regular to-do list so it never gets skipped.
Top Easy to Clean Bird Feeder Picks
If you’re looking for easy to clean bird feeders to start or upgrade your backyard bird habitat, here are some excellent options:
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Songbird Essentials Quick-Clean Tube Feeder – This tubular feeder lives up to its name with plastic construction, removable base, and wide seed ports. The most popular style feeder made hassle-free.
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Nature’s Way Cedar Double Suet Feeder – Beautiful cedar wood feeds two birds at once yet has removable suet cages for easy cleaning.
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Perky-Pet Triton Hopper Feeder – Generous seed capacity and fully detachable roof makes keeping this feeder clean a cinch.
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Aspects Upside Down Hummingbird Feeder – Nectar drips out instead of pooling, and the bottle shape is easy to thoroughly wash.
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Squirrel Buster Legacy Squirrel-Proof Feeder – Although it looks high-tech, this smart feeder comes apart for cleaning and even pops conveniently into the dishwasher.
With one of these quick-clean feeders and regular maintenance using the tips above, you can relax knowing your backyard birds are dining from a clean, disease-free feeder. And you’ll continue enjoying the pleasures of birdwatching without the hassle of scrubbing a messy feeder. Choosing an easy to clean model sets you up for success in keeping your bird habitat healthy and welcoming.
Why you should trust us
I once spent six months living in a tent in a tree in Hawaii feeding birds from commercial and homemade bird feeders. On top of that, I have spent years cleaning, filling, and watching my parent’s own feeders in Upstate New York. But that wouldn’t necessarily make me an expert.
In the bird-feeding world, the experts are also often the manufacturers themselves. In addition to the experts above, I conducted several in-depth conversations with Christen Brewer, designer and marketing coordinator for Droll Yankees, and Margaret Collins, media manager for Wild Birds Unlimited, in order to get a better understanding of the feeders.
How we picked and tested
There is no “best” bird feeder. But there are many ideal bird feeders for different situations and regions. A good bird feeder should be tough enough to withstand all four seasons and the tactics of other animals interested in the seed, such as squirrels. And a good bird feeder should be tight enough to keep the seed dry while also being easy to disassemble, clean, and refill. To attract the greatest variety of birds to your home, it’s best to offer a variety of feeder types with different high-grade feeds.
You can find an overwhelming number of general bird feeders of all types and sizes. We knew going into this guide that we would never be able to test and look at every single model. Unfortunately, there is very little independent research on bird feeders, despite the popularity of the hobby.
There is no “best” bird feeder. But there are many ideal bird feeders for different situations and regions.
After talking to experts, we decided to look at feeders designed specifically for the four most common types of feed.
Seed feeders: These feeders are the most common and usually come in a tube design with large open ports for medium- to large-size seeds, or encased in a wire mesh cage or sock for nyjer (thistle) seed. The tube shape allows the most flexibility for the type of feed, while also attracting the widest variety of birds to a single feeder. Sunflower-seed tube feeders are very popular and usually come with four to six perches. “Black oil sunflower seeds attract more kinds of birds than any other single food,” said Stephen W. Kress, vice president of bird conservation for the National Audubon Society and author of National Audubon Society North American Birdfeeder Guide.
Nectar feeders: These feeders are often red in color and serve primarily to attract hummingbirds. The glass or plastic reservoirs have small built-in ports to provide access to simple syrup. Because sweet nectar is also attractive to bugs, it’s important to be aware of bees and ants when considering the design and placement of your nectar feeder. Some nectar feeders come with helpful ant moats and bee guards.
Suet feeders: Suet is often made from rendered animal fat and can be an important source of calories for accelerated avian metabolisms. You can produce it at home. However, most store-bought bird-feed suet is perfectly suitable and often comes formulated with extra ingredients such as seeds, insects, and dry fruit. You can also find melt-resistant recipes for use in summer. Suet feeders are often the simplest of all feeders, with just a metal cage for the food.
Fruit and berry feeders: These models are also referred to as tray feeders. You lay out fresh and dried fruits and berries in a covered receptacle or tray for birds such as orioles to land on and enjoy. Like suet feeders, fruit and berry feeders require minimal maintenance but have no protection from precipitation.
Most experts agreed that the simpler a bird feeder was to clean, the better it would be for both the birds and the owners.
Our experts overwhelmingly recommended the sunflower-seed tube feeder for most beginners. Invented by Droll Yankees in 1969, tube feeders usually consist of a plastic or acrylic tube capped on each end by a tough plastic or metal base and lid. They’re robust and fairly easy to maintain.
Nancy Castillo, a member of the American Birding Association and longtime owner of a Wild Birds Unlimited franchise, said, “A tube feeder is compact, it keeps food safe in bad weather, and can hold different blends for different birds. And it can be easily cleaned if there is a removable base. You’re going to enjoy the hobby more if your bird feeder is easy to maintain.”
You need to keep a bird feeder tidy in order to minimize bacterial growth, so we looked for models that were easy to clean. Most experts we spoke to agreed that the simpler a bird feeder was to clean, the better it would be for both the birds and the owners. The two most commonly spread diseases are salmonella, which can spread when seed comes into contact with bird feces, and avian conjunctivitis, which passes between birds as they rub against the same surfaces. (You should monitor your local U.S. Fish and Wildlife service for any widespread outbreaks in your area. Sometimes it will advise taking feeders down for a while to help stop an outbreak.) A removable base—the only feature universally recommended by every expert we spoke to—can facilitate regular cleaning. Better models have a cone-shaped bottom that feeds the last seeds to the lowest feeder ports so that the birds can clean out a feeder themselves.
Our experts overwhelmingly recommended the sunflower-seed tube feeder for most beginners.
Top models have smooth metal components lining any openings (such as the feeder ports), both to protect birds and to thwart squirrels. Likewise, a well-fitting, secure lid can keep squirrels and rodents from gnawing their way into the feeder or lifting the lid from the feeder itself.
For our initial testing we talked to experts about cleaning habits, design considerations, and what they looked for in a good bird feeder. To narrow things down a bit further, we researched the most reputable brands we could while also considering online reviews and hobby blogs. The three brands we focused on were Wild Birds Unlimited, Aspects (which also manufactures some of Wild Birds Unlimited’s exclusive models), and Droll Yankees. We picked these companies for their reputation, quality, and ability to provide verifiable guarantees on their feeders.
After talking to the experts, we reduced the field to the top 10 contenders and called them in to compare the build quality. The sturdier a bird feeder felt, the higher the marks we gave it. We filled and cleaned our bird feeders many times each to find the rhythm and flow of that task. We found that our interviewed experts were right: Having a removable bottom made a huge difference in the ease and enjoyment of this task and probably increased the likelihood that we would clean our bird feeders the recommended four times a year.
We also read as many owner reviews as possible, on company websites and Amazon, to see if there were any larger customer concerns that we had missed.
Deluxe Easy Clean Tube Feeder | Tube Bird Feeders | Nature’s Way Bird Products
FAQ
What is the easiest bird feeder to clean?
Our Quick-Clean® Seed Tube Feeders are the absolute easiest to clean feeders on the market. A quick press of two buttons and the base pops off for easy access. It attracts birds such as finches, nuthatches, chickadees and woodpeckers.
What is the ultimate easy clean cheater bird feeder?
The Ultimate easy-clean cheater feeder features a solid metal tube with powder-coated metal fittings, designed to withstand the elements. Its lid and base are made of durable zinc alloy, so they’re longer lasting and more resistant to damage from unwanted visitors such as squirrels and parakeets.
What is the 5 7 9 rule for bird feeders?
Why put a potato in the bird feeder?
‘Potatoes help boost calorie consumption for birds, especially during colder weather, and when you mix them with their usual seeds and nuts, you can offer them a strong and balanced diet from your bird feeder. It helps support your local ecosystem, and you’ll find you get a lot more birds visiting you.