Ground Bird Feeders
Adding ground bird feeders to your backyard, or front yard for that matter, will bring new visitors to your feeding station...
And add hours of enjoyment to your backyard bird watching experience!
Ground feeders are a simple way to start feeding birds in your garden. I started with a shallow dish on my porch and a clay tray in my backyard. You can actually use anything that will hold the bird food of your choice.
Many kinds of birds prefer to feed straight off the ground. Northern Cardinals and mourning doves feed from the ground by choice, over a hanging or pole mounted bird feeder.
Ground feeders are also accessible to anything that wanders through your backyard, such as squirrels and chipmunks, so make for great diversion feeding.
A ground bird feeder is usually a simple feeder consisting of a tray with legs. It is usually raised a few inches off the ground which keeps the seed off the ground and helps to keep it from becoming dirty or rotting as quickly. Being raised also helps to dry seed quicker after rain or to keep food from becoming buried in snow. Many ground feeding tables have wire mesh or screened bottoms for drainage. Some ground feeders have a covering roof to keep snow and rain off the seed, while some have mesh cages over them to prevent squirrels or larger birds such as jays and crows from just taking over.
But hey, all creatures deserve to eat! Especially in winter when food is scarce.
And I do so enjoy the variety of garden visitors that enjoy my ground bird feeders.
Ground Bird Feeder Tips
- Place your feeder at least 10 ft away from trees or shrubs that could be hiding places for cats and other predators. Rather use a pole mounted feeder if you do have a cat problem.
- Locate your ground feeder under a hanging feeder to catch seeds dropped by smaller birds.
- One of the advantages of a table ground feeder is that it is easy to fill and easy to clean. Hygiene is always a primary concern.
- They are great for the occasional foods you might want to feed the birds such as fruit or table scraps.
- Any bowls or basins and short bird baths also make wonderful ground feeders.
- Cover your ground bird feeder with a Ground Feeder Roof
to give small birds like a chaffinch, robin and blue tits protection from predators. The cage also helps keep the larger birds and squirrels off the bird food.
My BEST Ground Feeders
Havegard Covered Ground Feeder
I love this covered ground feeder! It looks good in my yard and I can move it to any spot that suits me and my feathered (and other) garden friends.
Environmentally friendly - which is important - being made of virtually indestructible composite recycled plastic... old milk jugs actually. This makes it a very durable product which will give you longer use than a wooden one.
No assembly fuss as it is ready to use right out of the box.
The capacity is 2.5 quarts.
The removable seed pan has steel mesh bottom for drainage and is so easy to clean.
A variety of backyard visitors, including juncos and ground-feeding animals will enjoy this feeder.
Havegard Covered Ground Feeder
Ground Bird Feeder Tray
A really nice ground feeder with a pine frame and green wire micro mesh. It sits several inches off the ground and is good quality and a reasonable price.
The sparrows and bluejays love it!
I put it on my deck for closer viewing and for protection.
The mesh screen is the perfect size for making sure the bird seed does not fall through.
Rain water does however drain through, this prevents the seed from staying damp and getting mouldy.
I would definitely buy another one!
Ground Bird Feeder Tray, 16" x 13" Brown
More Ground Feeders
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BIRD ID For Today
Bullock's Oriole
Adult
- Medium-sized songbird with long tail and rather thin, straight, pointed bill. One large or two small wingbars on each dark wing. Orange or orange-yellow.
- Male bright orange with black back, throat, top of head, and nape, with a slender stripe through eye.
- Adult females have grey-brown upperparts, duller yellow on the breast and underparts, and an olive crown.
- Forages in trees and bushes. Feeds on insects, caterpillars, fruits and berries. Sips nectar.
- Found in deciduous woodlands, shade trees, riparian woodlands, parks, and towns. Will feed off oranges and other fruit.
- Both males and females sing.
- Conservation status - numbers appear to be stable.
