How to choose the right feeder
I am a believer that birds do have favorite styles of feeders. Not to say they won't eat out of other feeders, I just believe they have favorites! I will share with you what I have experienced over the last 15 years of bird feeding. My finches Love a good mesh style finch feeder in the Spring and Summer and enjoy a bigger 3 tube finch feeder in the Fall and Winter! The three tube feeder is harder to clean out in the spring and summer due to moisture and mold! So I love sticking to a mesh feeder at that time so the seed stays dryer! My chickadees, nuthatches, titmouse, sparrows and woodpeckers all Really enjoy Clinging style feeders such as mesh feeders that hold peanuts and black oil sunflower seeds. No need for perches, especially when certain times of the year the perches provide a foothold for the bigger black birds that can be a nuisance! These birds also love Safflower (which squirrels and black birds do not) so using a good safflower feeder is also a great option. Moving on to the Cardinals, Doves and House Finches. I find that the Doves and the Cardinals love eating off the ground as they are bigger birds that may find fitting on a feeder hard. For these guys I use a Ground Platform Feeder and several Tray feeders with Compressed seed cakes in them to prevent birds from scattering seed everywhere. Cardinals, Doves and Finches also really love safflower seeds, so feeding safflower in a feeder with a tray attached would be a favorite of all three of these birds, while effectively keeping out the Squirrels, Raccoons, and Black birds. Safflower is a bitter seed to those critters so you can count on them Not devouring this seed! Last but not least, I am a Big fan of the Seed/Cylinder feeders for ALL birds. These cylinders last up to 2 months without needing to be refilled and truly covers any and all birds! This is a great option for Apartment living, Senior Living and really anywhere you don't want to make a big mess! Also great for people who travel a lot and don't want your birds to run out of food while you are gone!