21 ideas for hanging bird feeders
Wondered where you can hang bird feeders in a more inventive, original way; well don't despair, we've listed 21 ideas for you to glance over.
Hanging bird feeders is not limitedto the feeding station or bracket, for many gardens using the apparatus present in your garden would be significant, well being effective. Our ideas range from using the hanging decorated lantern, to the washing line or wooden bird table.
Where you position the feeder within your garden will of course have its tell in the coming days or weeks, but early on you should get a better picture whether your location works.
What we mean is because a bird feeder is hanging, its not to say wild birds will feed; but we can say for sure they will eat if they can see the feeder.
If birds are not using the feeder, that's probably why, because its out of view.
Regardless of where you hang the bird feeder, just make sure its within sight of passing birds or nearby where they feed in the garden previously.
Before you consider the spot to hang the bird feeder, always consider the well-being of the birds visiting your garden.
When scouting a bird feeder placement, its up to you to not site it in an area frequented by cats or other predators.
If this is a problem for you, a great solution to this is making sure its located high up as possible with lack climbing or land bridge nearby.
1. Bird feeding station
OK, you might of considered a bird feeding station and that is of course if you don't have one setup in the garden already.
We can't stress enough, bird feeding stations on a base are highly effective and will do an outstanding job of creating a busy feeding area.
To make the most of the birds eating habits, the pole allows for seeds, peanuts and fat ball feeders, along with a mounted mesh tray or water dish.
Can be impaled into the ground with stabilising legs, with the option of bird feeding station on a weighted base for use on the patio or decking.
2. Hanging feeder, off hanging bird table
If you feel your bird table is not getting enough attention, one way to bring birds to it is by hanging bird feeders from beneath the platform, or any available perch you can find.
That way birds are sure to feed from the feeders well making use of any food you've left out under the bird table - under the roof that is.
Bird tables on a stand are usually located high up, so it should provide plenty of room for the long or short feeders available.
However, what the bird table will be without is lack of areas to hang, so as its made from wood it should be possible to hammer in a nail or drill in a screw.
3. Tree branch
Does not apply to most of us but one, and probably the best option, would be to hang your feeder from the small garden tree.
If located away from the house you might miss out viewing the birds, but a tree that is nearby or outside the window, then you'll be luck.
If hanging bird feeders from a tree a sturdy branch will do, well positioning it further up the branch towards the trunk the most secure location for it.
There is a gizmo available that wraps around the trunk without damaging it, thereby providing a bracket that will take all feeder types - though the trunk has to be quite thick.
4. Wall bracket
One simple solution to hanging a bird feeder is to the wall, and well an outbuilding or walled shed might be fine, the brick wall of the house is the best option.
As its possible to site the bracket as far up the house as possible, but still within reach so you can clean the bird feeder anytime, its a safe spot.
So safe in fact its highly unlikely a cat can climb the wall or any ground predator for that matter, so in a way its the safest place to hang a bird feeder.
If its up against the brick wall that would mean of course you can't view birds feeding, so locate it near your window as to get some sort of view.
5. Decorated garden lantern
Popularity of decorated garden lanterns are seen more than ever before, so this will offer you a couple of options.
Where the lantern is hanging - that's if its a hanging lantern - you can simply remove the lantern once in a while to make way for the feeder.
And if the lantern provides enough space below it from the bottom of the lantern to the ground, the design may allow for you to hang the bird feeder - off the hanging lantern.
If you have a hanging or mounted lantern in your garden it would have the fixing already, therefore making it quick and easy for you to add the feeder to said fixings instead.
6. Fence post bracket
Its quite possible you don't have a fence post at all, which these days is substituted with a more sturdy concrete post.
If you do still have a wooden post, fixing a bracket would offer a simple solution to your bird feeder hanging needs.
Make sure its not a fence post that is climbed on by your neighbours cats or the wild birds will simply stay away.
When putting up the bracket its not a good idea to fix it to the wafer thin fence panel, only fix the bracket before hanging the feeder to the fence post only.
If fixing bracket to concrete fence post that fine to but you'll need to insert a plug first.
7. Inside hanging flower basket
This idea recently come to us by seeing a stock photo online; a beautiful flower pot with netted fat balls hanging from the centre of a wooden hanging flower pot.
So this got us thinking, with a flower pot with a long, connecting chains or rope this should provide enough length to hang a short peanut or seed feeder.
Not only will the flowers offer much needed cover, but any seeds or peanut that fall will be caught in the pot below.
You hang the feeder using its fixed hoop to connect it to the same hook that has the flower pot chain wrapped over.
If your flower pot doesn't have much hanging length, then you can use netted fat balls.
8. Pergola
A pergola is setup in my next door neighbours garden but as I didn't know what they were called at the time, it took me some time but I got there ...a pergola.
Essentially this is what people might call an arch that people pass under over the patio; it won't be left bare usually but rather ivy or climbers are allowed to grown up and over it.
And what better area than anywhere else to hang a multitude of hanging bird feeders.
If in full bloom it will have lots of cover from the sunlight and harsh weather, well birds can use the vegetation for natural cover.
If you can't wrap a feeder over the wide wooden posts, don't worry; use a nail or screw.
9. Unused bird box
Where you've taken time and effort to site a bird box does not have to be wasted if not getting used, we can use the box to hang feeders.
If your bird box has a perch then this might be sturdy enough to hang a feeder, but you might have to make changes by hammering in a nail or drilling in a screw into the wood.
That way, and providing there's significant space from the box to the ground, you're free to hang feeders from it.
In doing so it must not be occupied by nesting birds; if they do nest or start to roost you'll have to relocate the feeder as to not cause problems for the occupants.
Feeders should not be in direct line of sight of bird boxes, let along hanging from them if in use.
10. Neighbours fence plantation
Why not take advantage of the neighbours plants that overgrow into your garden; well growing up the trellis, over the top of the fence, before creating blooming plantation.
You can't hang bird feeders on any sticks or twigs at this stage of growth, you'd have to wait until the overflowing plants come with thick branches.
Allow these branches to grow out from the fence which would make a suitable place to hang feeders.
Not only will the dense growth stop cats climbing on the fence panels; which would otherwise cause birds beneath them problems, but the plantation will stop them cats in there tracks as they will not attempt to walk over it.
Birds require nearby cover when feeding so they can quickly hide out of the way, so what better way to have the best of both worlds; a feeder set back into dense growth.
11. Glass window
If you're familiar with window bird feeders, you may not be so aware of hanging window bird feeders, that's right; its possible to hang your current feeders from your window.
No need to invest in new specialised bird feeders as you'll current set will do. All you need is a clear plastic window bracket with suction cups for this to work.
To hang a bird feeder outside your window would then require piece and quite, along patience. Given time, you might see Tits, Robins or Sparrows feed on the window.
Its not limited to glass windows; fix the suction cup bracket to the PVC or varnished smooth wooden window frame, door window or the window of the garden shed.
12. Replace hanging flower basket
If you have just the one or several hanging flower baskets around your garden, why not remove one for now and replace it with a hanging bird feeder.
Its an easy solution replacing a flower basket with a bird feeder so then there's no worrying about putting up a new mount fixed to the wall or fence.
In replacing the hanging flower basket that doesn't put an end to the use of the basket; for now you can just site it in a suitable spot well resting on a wall or fence post.
If the bird feeder is located near plantation or blooming flowers, this will for sure attract birds to the garden more so as they thrive on plants, which they use as cover.
13. Under shed eave
Many people have a wooden shed in there garden, and its here where it might provide an opportunity to hang a bird feeder.
Those wooden sheds with an over hanging roof would make the better spot as the feeders need an area to hang with space all around it.
However, a shed roof that doesn't reach out far will limit your options for hanging feeders.
There might be more of an overhang above the shed door, and if so, you'd want to use the rear as its quieter and undisturbed for the birds.
This won't work well your present inside banging about mind, just for the quieter times.
In using the shed, only do so if you don't get visiting cats, access to the shed is usually a breeze for cats, therefore would make it ideal for pouncing on unsuspecting birds.
If not enough overhang, you could simply fix a metal bracket to the fence.
14. Tree trunk-safe bracket
Known as a tree hook, these useful gizmos start with a basic bracket that provides enough overhang to hang up all types of bird feeders.
And well it has a simple hook, it then depends on the hoop design on the feeder to hook it over.
Well the hook part hangs out, back towards where the tree trunk is the bracket-like part that runs further down the tree as to counter-balance the weight on the bracket.
To fix the tree hook to the trunk, there's a chain link that wraps around the trunk before connecting back on the bracket.
Its the natural grain of the tree that will provide enough grip to stop it sliding down.
For smaller trees or ones with a thinner trunk, the use of a leather strap is available, with both options safe for the tree with no lasting damage.
15. Under hanging flower pot
We've previously talked about replacing the flower basket with a feeder, but go one better by keep the basket with pot in place, then hang a feeder beneath it.
If your hanging flower pots - which should be in wooden flower basket - would be idea for hanging a bird feeder directly beneath it.
You'd want to balance the flower pot so you'll need to fix the feeder right in the centre.
It won't have a suitable fixing to hang feeders so you'd need to screw in a decorated brass hook, before you can hang anything.
As the flower basket is hanging probably low enough off the fence or wall, make sure there's enough space between the basket and ground.
16. Washing line
That's if its not in use mind you, but the washing line creates the perfect setting for hanging a bird feeder.
More so the type of washing line that runs the length of the garden, propped up with a washing line prop, but the rotary washing line will work also.
Again this should only be used when you don't have clothing hanging up, as the birds will poop as they eat, thus making a mess of your work clothes or the kids school uniform.
Instead, wait until the line is unused and hang a feeder not in the centre area, but more towards the end where its more taut, and less wavy in the wind.
Its quite possible the washing line won't get perched on as much, but if it does it won't be pooped on due to the way the bird stands.
17. Windchimes
Does not apply to many people this but for those of you who use windchimes you can do one of two things, or experiment with both options.
Firstly, you could take advantage of the mount the windchimes are connected to as it might be possible to hang a bird feeder from it.
Windchimes can be the same length of width of short seed or peanut feeders, so there might just be enough overhang for a feeder.
On the other hand, your windchime might offer a perch or crack to hang a bird feeder from; which you'd then have a hanging windchime with a hanging feeder off the chime.
It might not be practical though as birds might be frightened off from the chime sounds.
18. Wooden gazebo
Well we're mostly talking about the wooden kind, a self-assembly canvas gazebo you put up to keep the sun off during the summer months might be useful to, so give it a go.
If we're to stay on topic of a wooden garden gazebo of sorts, it should have posts that run overhead, and its here where bird feeders can hang from.
Inside areas of gazeboes might not be good as the birds poop below where you rest, so the outside under any overhanging eave will do the trick.
All you need is to pick a side that is facing the house so you can watch them feed.
To hang a bird feeder with no available hook or slot, you'd have to bang in a nail or drill in a screw, though it is possible to use decorated hook that would look prettier.
19. Outgrown child's swing
Never use the child's swing or climbing frame to site hanging bird feeders if the child's outdoor garden play area is still in use.
Wild birds can carry deceases and leave poop all over, thus making the play area hazardous which would cause problems to a child's health.
If the children have no outgrown the swings and slides with it just sat there not being used, due to you not getting around to dismantling it - then pick a spot to hang feeders.
The pole that goes around the swings will be a safe spot as its up high with no possibility of cats or predators getting to the feed or birds.
If using the climbing frame or similar structures used to walk up and down and climb around, make it so the feeders are out of reach of cats.
20. Low mounted satellite dish
If you have a Sky dish the probability of hanging a bird feeding from the mount that connects the dish is probably a no-go.
Creating activity around a dish that is being used would disrupt your signal, so you'd have to leave this option alone if that is the case.
It won't be feasible if the Sky dish is up high near the eaves or further up over the roof.
Lower sited Sky dishes would be best, but only if it doesn't disrupt your TV picture.
For some people remnants of old satellite dishes still remain, whether its in full with big old-fashion dish in tack, or just the mount that was left behind, so use this if possible.
21. Christmas tree lights
For some people putting up outdoor lights is not just for Christmas, but for all year round, and when its just one subtle string of lights, it can look quite nice.
Its this wiring that makes for the ideal spot to hang bird feeders. And if there are any overhanging areas where wires cross the garden, better still.
You're limited to hanging up a bird feeders on the wiring that is pinned to the house wall, but if it runs along the garden fence, go for it.
Don't hang the feeders on the live wiring at night when the lights will probably be turned on, save it for the day time when there're turned off by the mains.
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