Where to hang bird feeders
No hard or fast rules when hanging up bird feeders in the garden, as priority should be out of way of pets and people, or away from nearby activity.
Where to hang bird feeders within your property would ideally be up high and out of the way, but where you can enjoy wild birds while they feed. Hang up bird feeders of any kind on a reliable but heavy duty bird feeding station, or off a wooden bird table. Why not hang it off a wall bracket or better still, a tree branch.
Big killjoy of feeding birds is disturbance caused by people, so that is movement or noise that is sure to scare common garden birds away.
Only you can tell the difference between a quiet garden to a busy one, so if you have a front and back garden, pick the one that is not only peaceful, but has natural coverage.
Where you should hang up bird feeders is off a tree branch or within a hedgerow.
If that is not a possibility to you with lack of natural coverage, not a problem; as use of a bird feeding station would be the easiest solution, at little cost to you.
In failing that a wooden bird table can be used, not only for its roofed feeding platform, but hanging bird feeders can be hung around the edges.
Where you decide to hang a bird feeder depends on your garden landscape, but its vital predators are not within reach of feeding birds as they can quickly fly away.
Off tree branch is most effective
If you want to hang up a multitude of bird feeders up in the garden one simple solution may be available to you, but not to everybody I must say.
That is a simple tree of any kind growing in your garden as the solution for where to hang bird feeders.
This once applied to me many years ago before the tree was razed to the ground, due to a decease. In this time I enjoyed thousands of visiting birds several feet away from my living room window - feeding off various types of bird feeders in the tree successfully.
So to will you get to enjoy a wild bird feeding frenzy every morning if you would be so lucky to have a large or small tree in your garden - whether it be by the window or not.
I know this doesn't apply for most of you with even a bush of any kind natural growth within the confines of your property, so in that respect there's no time like the present to head out to the garden centre to buy yourself a plant to grow into a beautiful tree.
No need to wait until the plant is grown into a mature tree either, as wild birds can use it continuously during its growth stage.
Bracket fixed to brick wall
While the natural coverage of a tree doesn't allow the option to test different locations, there's an effective solution to where you should hang bird feeders instead.
Why not fix a heavy-duty bird feeding bracket to a wall if its sure to be in a safe place.
Do consider a patch of brickwork on the actual house as a simple but safe position, but a brick shed that is not accessible to cats as they prey from above would be an option.
Regardless, I would recommend you hang a bird feeder up to 6 feet high off the ground on the side of the house that is more peaceful - preferably away from people going and coming.
To hang up a nut, seed or fat ball feeder up on a wall bracket, it doesn't have to be a specialty bracket intended for bird feeders only - as use of a flower pot bracket that is in use or not - would be perfectly acceptable.
Concerning safety, to hang up a bird feeder beyond the 6 feet mark would be a better option providing its still accessible to you, so too easily remove and replenish feeders every once in a while.
Multi-use bird feeding station
Consider setting up a bird feeding station in the garden as the quickest, yet one of the safest solutions to feeding wild birds.
Of course the bird feeding station pole alone is not the food source, but what types of hanging bird feeders you decide to hang off its multiple brackets.
In doing do you would need to position the bird feeding station in the centre of the lawn or patio - or where it makes sense within your garden landscape.
It would be best to move the bird feeding station near to natural coverage in the hedges or a nearby tree in the garden.
To site a bird feeding station out of the way would benefit wild birds more, but remember you won't be able to watch them feed - as they come and go throughout the day.
So in that respect, do consider locating the bird feeding station where you can view it at all times, as well has where it best serves the Robins, Tits and Thrushes.
Double up bird table
At very little cost you could think about buying a bird table on stand to make it the centre-piece of your lawn or patio.
And while you would probably agree this is not a solution to hanging up bird feeders, I have to say it really is an effective way to get wild birds to use your feeders.
Solution to that is while the wooden bird table with roof will offer perhaps larger birds to feed in safety - while exclusive ground feeding birds can pick up the scraps that fall to the ground below it - this it what you do with your hanging bird feeding...
Simply use the rim of the bird table platform to use the hook on the end of the bird feeder to hang them off around the bird table edge, securing them over the perch or surround.
Not all bird feeders include a suitable or even practical hanging hoop or hook for hanging, so do consider making use of a bird feeder hanger for sale to extend the length of the hanging bird feeder fixing.
What you will end up with now is the ultimate wild bird feeding station, with a bird table located in the garden within a safe environment for you to enjoy on a daily basis.
No fuss garden decor
Remember, providing the hanging bird feeders cannot be accessible to predators such as your neighbours cat, you can hang them up anywhere within your property boundary.
Get inspired by using my ideas for hanging bird feeders list; as it lists up to 21 places in the garden you can hang a bird feeder - as in the seed, peanut, mealworm or fat ball feeder kind.
While all options I have featured thus far on this article, you'll see I have listed all areas within a common garden that can be used to hang all types of feeders.
Among them is a the wooden shed with a overhang, or other wooden structures such as a pergola or gazebo.
And if you are not currently using the wall mounted flower pot, then remove it to replace with a bird feeder - providing there's plenty of wall to feeder clearing.
But if you have a imitation decorative lantern hanging up, rest assured you'd get better use out of a lantern style bird feeder than a hanging garden lantern that lights up.
In picking your spot around the garden, I can't say it enough: only hang up a bird feeder if it cannot be accessed by nearby predators. So that includes hanging up the bird feeder high off the ground, as an extra cautionary measure.
Where NOT to hang feeders
I've suggested where to hang bird feeders thus far, so as I've mentioned that hanging up a bird feeder should be high off the ground - let's see where else its not a good idea.
And again, the hanger bird feeder cannot be accessible by cats, as they would in turn be ready to kill every bird that lands to feed.
Likewise, If you have a squirrel issue, then the solution to that would be a squirrel proof bird feeder along with not locating the bird feeders near to a fence or garden object, thus creating a land bridge.
In hanging up a bird feeder, the feed itself can be light to heavy, depending on the type of feeder in use - or how much you replenish it with food.
So what you hang the bird feeder hook off must be strong with no possibility of breaking.
Example of that is plastic that does become brittle outdoors, such as hanging a bird feeder off a gutter can have its cons and pros.
To summarise
All objects in your garden are a possible safe place for hanging all types of bird feeders, so don't right them off too soon.
In terms of safety for feeding wild birds, I would suggest investing in a bird table on a stand or a bird feeding station on a metal pole system.
Both a bird table and bird feeding station offer the much needed height to allow wild birds to feed high off the ground in safety.
With a bird table there's no harm in considering a wall mounted or the hanging bird table kind.
It must be said though any natural coverage within your garden is the best possible site for hanging bird feeders - be it off a tree branch or a branch within a hedgerow.
Birds love to stay within a safe environment, which a hedge or tree can offer.
So if its not possible to hang a bird feeder off a tree branch or a twig of any kind, then concentrate your effects on making sure you can enjoy the wild birds when they feed.
Its therefore imperative you think about hanging a feeder in a place you can watch through your window - without disturbing them with noise or activity within the home.
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