When considering a bird feeder for your yard, one of the more important considerations is how it fits in with the look of your home. There are certainly a lot of different looks out there; sleek and modern metal feeders, beautiful and complex glass feeders, even the stark efficiency of plastic – but for many homes, nothing looks quite right except the wood bird feeder.
Many of us recall our childhoods, the days spent lovingly constructing birdhouses from scraps of old wood. Others simply love the natural appearance, the way it blends into the trees in a wooded setting. A wooden bird feeder, while it may seem boring to some, is frequently the most attractive option.
When looking at a wood bird feeder, there are many different styles people prefer. One of the more popular is the type that appears to be a birdhouse, but actually contains seed dispensed from small troughs on the sides.
Another type appears to be a small gazebo, and simply contains the seed on the floor – making it easy for birds such as cardinals to reach the seed directly.
For woodpeckers, chickadees, and titmice, you may prefer a simple textured hanging plank spread with peanut butter. Another design some people enjoy is two such planks, with the peanut butter between them.
When the planks retain their bark backing on the outside, this appears to be almost part of the scenery – instead of a contrived feeding station. There are other “natural look” feeders made from hollowed-out logs, which provide the same blended-in effect in a wooded yard.
Since we’ve been working wood for several centuries, there are many ornate and majestic feeders made from wood – from delicate gazebos, to replicas of farmhouses and silos. You may even find a feeder that looks a great deal like your own house, hanging in miniature from a backyard tree while the birds merrily visit. (Some may find this scary; small children, seeing these feeders, occasionally worry that a great bird will show up one night and try to eat things out of the real house.)
If you’re open to the idea of multiple material feeders, and most are, there are various designs using screen or acrylic to retain seed while leaving the amount of seed visible at a glance – so you can easily see when it needs refilling.
And of course, wood is easily painted and stained to match any decor or theme. When the natural look is not to your taste, it is a simple matter to paint or stain an unfinished wood bird feeder to your specifications… and there are few things quite as cherished as a feeder hand-decorated by one’s children or grandchildren.
So when decorating your yard, don’t overlook wood – bird feeder options are available in any number of styles and materials, but the all-time classics are frequently the best choice. After all, there is usually a reason they’ve become classics.