The simplicity of the design is why tube feeders dominate the bird feeding market: they work for the widest range of species, they're easy to fill and clean, they keep seed contained (reducing waste and ground debris compared to open tray feeders), and they're available at every price point from basic plastic to field-tested polycarbonate.
Easy to clean seed reservoir keeps seed protected from elements
Perch & Port seed access allows birds to cling, assuming their natural feeding posture
Holds more seed with less waste
Attracts the widest variety of birds
Easy to fill, clean, and maintain.
Port size and mesh size determines what seeds can be dispensed and what birds can use the feeder. Standard ports (typically 7/16" or larger) work for black-oil sunflower, safflower, and mixed seed. Nyjer ports are much smaller — typically 3/32" to 1/8" — and are too small for sunflower to pass through. Using sunflower in a nyjer feeder clogs the ports immediately; using a standard port tube for nyjer allows the seed to pour out rather than be extracted. Match the port size to the seed type.
| SEED | BEST FOR | FEEDER MATCH |
|---|---|---|
| BLACK OIL SUNFLOWER | THE WIDEST RANGE OF BIRDS, AND THE BEST ALL-AROUND CHOICE | 7/16IN PORT TUBE |
| HULLED SUNFLOWER / CHIPS | NO SHELLS ON THE GROUND, SO NO MESS | ANY TUBE |
| NYJER (thistle) | GOLDFINCHES, SISKINS, HOUSE FINCHES | TUBES WITH 1/8" OPENINGS |
| FINCH MIX | FINCHES AND BUNTINGS | TUBES WITH 1/8" OPENINGS |
| SAFFLOWER | CARDINALS AND CHICKADEES; SQUIRRELS AND GRACKLES TEND TO SKIP IT | 7/16IN PORT TUBE |
| PREMIUM SEED BLENDS(blends with no milo or other filler) | MIXED BACKYARD FLOCKS | 7/16IN PORT TUBE |
This is the original "Squirrel-Proof Feeder," and it's been a bestseller for over 30 years.
Available in green or red
Perfect for beginner bird feeders.
The wide 6" tube and aluminum perches work well for cardinals, grosbeaks, chickadees and finches.
Built to withstand a bear coming to feed from it.
Tube feeders primarily attract small, agile, and clinging songbirds due to their vertical design and short perches. The most frequent visitors include finches (such as American Goldfinches, House Finches, and Purple Finches), Black-capped Chickadees, and Tufted Titmice, all of which can easily balance on small perches to pluck individual seeds. Nuthatches also frequent these feeders, often gripping the perches to extract sunflower seeds, while winter visitors like Pine Siskins and Redpolls swarm specialized, small-ported tubes filled with thistle.
For finches, choose mesh and nyjer. For cardinals, choose sturdy perches and safflower or sunflower. For a mixed flock, choose a port tube with black oil sunflower.
1 to 1.5 lbs suits a small yard or a single finch feeder. 3 to 5 lbs suits busy yards and winter feeding, with fewer refills.
A pole-mounted feeder with a baffle is one of the most reliable fixes. Also adding hanging baffles and spicy food to your lineup.
Look for a removable base, a center seed diverter and drainage holes. A feeder you can clean in five minutes is one you'll actually keep clean.
Steel, HPDE and UV-resistant polycarbonate outlast thin plastic through freeze-thaw cycles and summer sun.
In bear country, go heavy-duty. If looks matter, our Modern Farmhouse sage green finish fits a clean, neutral outdoor style.
| TUBE | HOPPER | PLATFORM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| HOW IT WORKS | PORTS ALONG A SEALED TUBE | HOUSE-STYLE BIN RELEASES SEED | AN OPEN TRAY |
| SEED PROTECTION | EXCELLENT | GOOD | SEED IS EXPOSED |
| WASTE | SMALL TO MEDIUM | MODERATE | HIGH |
| BIRD SIZE | LOW | SMALL TO LARGE | ALL SIZES |
| CLEANING | EASY WITH A REMOVABLE BASE | MODERATE | EASY |
| BEST FOR | YEAR-ROUND FEEDING WITH LESS WASTE | CARDINALS AND MIXED FLOCKS | DOVES, JUNCOS AND JAYS |
Bird's Choice has called Chilton, Wisconsin home since 1992, and our feeders are built like it. Designed for North American birds and field tested by the Midwestern weather, our feeders have lifetime guarentees. Each feeder is made from durable, weather-resistant materials that are built to last long harsh Wisconsin winters. We firmly belive bird feeding isn’t just about feeding birds, it’s about nurturing one’s love for nature and giving passion a place to perch. We transform backyards into living sanctuaries, without compromising the ecosystems birds rely on.
Recycled Poly-Lumber, durable and sustainable
Coated Steel
UV resistant Polycarbonate
| PROBLEM | LIKELY CAUSE | FIX |
|---|---|---|
| SEED IS CLUMPED OR MOLDY | MOISTURE GETTING INTO THE TUBE | FILL LESS AT A TIME, CLEAR THE DRAINAGE HOLES, AND ADD A WEATHER GUARD |
| SEED WON'T FLOW TO THE PORTS | SEED LEVEL TOO LOW, DAMP OR COMPACTED SEED | EMPTY, DRY AND REFILL THEN KEEP THE SEED LEVEL AT 3 TO 4 INCHES IN FEEDERS |
| SQUIRRELS RAID THE FEEDER | SQUIRRELS CAN JUMP ONTO IT | POLE-MOUNT THE FEEDER AT LEAST 5 FT HIGH AND 8 TO 10 FT FROM JUMP POINTS |
| FINCHES IGNORE THE NYJER | THE SEED HAS GONE STALE | DUMP IT, CLEAN THE FEEDER AND REFILL WITH FRESH NYJER |
| MESS PILES UP UNDERNEATH | BIRDS DROP THE HULLS | SWITCH TO HULLED SUNFLOWER, ADD A SEED TRAY, AND RAKE REGULARLY |
| NO BIRDS ARE SHOWING UP | THE FEEDER IS NEW, OR IT'S IN THE WRONG SPOT | GIVE IT 1 TO 2 WEEKS AND PLACE IT WITHIN 10 TO 15 FT OF COVER |
| BIRDS HIT THE WINDOWS | THE FEEDER IS AT A RISKY DISTANCE FROM THE GLASS | HANG IT WITHIN 3 FT OF THE WINDOW OR MORE THAN 30 FT AWAY |
| BEARS COME TO THE FEEDER | SEED ATTRACTS THEM IN SPRING AND FALL | BRING FEEDERS IN AT NIGHT OR USE THE BEAR PROOF FEEDER |
Regular cleaning matters more for bird health than anything else you do. We design our feeders to make it quick.
The perch and port mimics how birds gather food for themselves, which makes it widely desirable to a vast majority of backyard birds. Over 40 species of birds like to use a tube feeder, including chickadees, finches, nuthatches, titmice, sparrows, cardinals, and juncos.
Black Oil Sunflower Bird Seed is the best seed for a wide variety of birds. However, depending on the port size of the feeder, Nyjer is a popular Tube Feeder seed because of the gorgeous finches it attracts.
TIP: A lot of seed blends include fillers that birds can’t eat like red milo, wheat, oats and flax seed. Choosing a blend with none of those can make your seed last longer and your birds come back more often. (All of Birds Choice Wild Bird Seed contains no filler)
Tube feeders are the most popular because they contain the seed keeping it dry, and less waste ending up on the ground. This makes them easy to maintain and easy to clean. The perch and port system allows birds to cling and eat appealing to more species than other feeders.
Squirrel resistant cages, weight-activated ports, and feeder placement are all solutions to Squirrel based problems. Squirrel resistant cages sit around the feeder keeping larger pests from accessing the ports. Weight activated ports sense when a squirrel climbs on the feeder and closes all ports allowing zero access to your seed. Keeping feeders at least 5 feet off the ground, 7 feet away from jump-off points (like trees), and 9 feet below overhead branches prevents squirrels from reaching them entirely.
TIP: Adding a Squirrel proof baffle to your feeder pole makes ground based pests (like squirrels and chipmunks) slide right down and keeps your feeders out of their reach.
Keeping feeders at least 5 feet off the ground, 7 feet away from jump-off points (like trees), and 9 feet below overhead branches prevents squirrels from reaching them. Placing any feeders you have within eyesight from a window of your house also makes knowing when to refill that much easier.
Every 1-2 weeks you should take apart the feeder as much as possible and wipe down the inside with warm soapy water mixed with vinegar. Harmful bird diseases can be traced back to improperly maintained bird feeders. Clean surfaces promote better songbird activity.
TIP: Use the Birds Choice Bird Saver Cleaner and take the guesswork out of your cleaning mixture.
Tube feeders provide more controlled feeding with the limited amount of ports, which also limits the amount of waste. The food is contained so less falls to the floor and less is exposed to the elements, leaving more for your birds. While a hopper feeder also protects your seed from the elements it holds more seed on average which can cause it to sit and go bad. Hopper feeders also are not as squirrel resistant compared to Tube feeders.
There are several reasons why seed could not be coming out of your feeder, a quick fix is taking it apart and wiping down the inside(especially the ports) with warm soapy water. Clumping can occur when seed is left sitting too long, try removing all old feed and replacing with fresh feed. Cheap seed mixes contain fillers which birds won’t eat and will junk up the ports, switching to a high quality feed with no fillers(like any of Birds Choice Wild Bird Seed) could solve the problem if it's reoccurring.
Yes, some tube feeders are compatible with peanuts. Stay away from Finch feeders and other Nyjer focused feeders as it’s a much smaller seed. However mesh feeders are far more geared to be filled with peanuts.
The best port size for you depends on your backyard bird interests. 7/16th of an inch port size is compatible with Black Oil Sunflower Seed which is broadly desired by bird species. However if you're aiming to bring more finches to your yard 1/8th inch is geared for Nyjer Seed, their favorite.
Yes, tube feeders are ideal for beginners because they are easy to clean, keep your seed protected(from weather and squirrels) and appeal to a wide variety of backyard birds
This depends on how many ports and perches a tube feeder has. Amount of perches = amount of birds able to feed at the same time.
Yes, the polycarbonate body keeps seed safe from moisture and the elements keep fresher for longer.
The best tube feeders have a blend of metal and plastic components. Metal provides unmatched durability, while plastic gives you crucial visibility to your seed levels.
From the 30-year-tested Squirrel Proof Classic to the Brome Squirrel Buster Plus — Birds Choice carries tube feeders for every yard and every squirrel scenario.
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