FEEDERS & THE BASICS
Choose a feeder for the birds near you.
Compare feeder styles by food, landing space, and cleaning access.
BACKYARD BIRDING · YOUR EVERYDAY FIELD GUIDE
Backyard Birding.
Backyard Birding.
Bird & feeder guides.
Know the birds. Choose better feeders. Turn the space outside your window into a place worth watching.
Find the right feeder
The Northern CardinalA familiar face. Always a
welcome sight.
What brings you
to the backyard?
to the backyard?
A GOOD PLACE TO BEGIN
Browse the guides ↗
Small changes. More birds.
NEW IN THE FIELD GUIDE
Search all 55 guides ↗
Ten new guides for your backyard.
BIRDS
American Robin: Identification, Food, Nesting, and Backyard Care
Identify American Robins and their spotted young, understand seasonal food and nesting, and make your yard useful with water, plants, and safer observation.
BIRDS
Mourning Dove: Identification, Feeding, Nesting, and Yard Safety
Learn Mourning Dove field marks, compare similar doves, offer food with less mess, and understand nesting, fledglings, water, and safer backyard observation.
BIRDS
House Sparrow vs. Native Sparrows: A Backyard Identification Guide
Compare male and female House Sparrows with common native sparrows using head patterns, breast markings, bill shape, season, habitat, and clear photographs.
BIRD SEED
Mealworms for Birds: Live vs. Dried, Feeders, Storage, and Safe Use
Choose live or dried mealworms for backyard birds, plan small servings, compare feeder options, and keep food, storage containers, and feeding dishes clean.
BIRD SEED
Feeding Birds in Summer: Food, Water, Heat, and a Cleaning Routine
Plan summer bird feeding around heat, humidity, local wildlife guidance, fresh nectar, dry seed, clean water, and the care you can provide each day.
BIRD FEEDERS
Balcony Bird Feeding: Safe Placement, Cleanliness, and Small-Space Habitat
Set up balcony bird feeding with building permission, safer glass, secure mounting, manageable seed cleanup, neighbor consideration, and suitable plants.
BIRD BATHS
Solar Bird Bath Fountains: Choosing, Placing, Cleaning, and Troubleshooting
Compare direct-sun and battery solar bird bath fountains, control splash and water loss, clean the pump, and diagnose weak flow with the model instructions.
HUMMINGBIRDS
Flowers for Hummingbirds: Native Plants, Bloom Seasons, and Garden Plans
Choose hummingbird flowers for your region, sun, soil, and space. Compare bloom roles, plan a sequence of nectar plants, and care for beds and containers.
PROBLEMS
Found a Baby Bird? What to Do for Nestlings, Fledglings, and Injured Birds
Decide what to do after finding a baby bird: recognize healthy fledglings, assess nestlings safely, keep pets away, and seek licensed help for injured birds.
BIRDS
Fall Bird Migration: Backyard Visitors, Stopover Habitat, and Safer Nights
Follow fall bird migration in your backyard with local records, careful identification, native food plants, clean water, safer windows, and less outdoor light.
Keep exploring
New: five practical guides to camera feeders, Wi-Fi, subscriptions, identification, and care →
- How to Prevent Bird Window Collisions at Home: Glass, Feeders, and a Safer Yard: Find risky glass, install a complete exterior pattern, review feeder routes, and respond appropriately when a bird strikes a window.
- Winter Birdbaths: Clean Water, Safe Heat, and an Easy Cold-Weather Routine: Choose between a removable bowl and a safe heated bath, keep water shallow and clean, and manage ice, predators, and power in winter.
- House Finch vs. Purple Finch: Field Marks That Set Them Apart: Compare male and female finch faces, streaks, color distribution, shape, range, and photographs without forcing an uncertain ID.
- Sick Bird at Your Feeder? A Safe, Practical Response: Record concerning signs, pause shared feeding when appropriate, clean the whole station, and follow current local wildlife and poultry guidance.
- When to Put Out and Take Down Hummingbird Feeders in the U.S.: Use local migration records instead of a national calendar, maintain fresh nectar, and understand why fall feeders do not delay migration.
MEET THE REGULARS
Meet the birds ↗
Who’s in your backyard?
BUY LESS. CHOOSE WELL.
Good gear starts
Good gear starts
with good questions.
A feeder should fit your birds, your space, and the time you have to care for it. Our comparisons make those trade-offs easier to see.
- Clear differences in shape, capacity and use
- Product details linked to manufacturer information
- Cleaning and maintenance considered from the start
OUR EDITORIAL PROMISE
Useful advice.
Useful advice.
Honest about the evidence.
Follow practical guidance for the birds and conditions near you. Read the references, compare equipment carefully and choose changes you can maintain.