I Tried 5 Different Bird Feeders. Only One Kept the Birds Coming Back.

Words by Mary Thompson

Backyard Birder

My feeder was full, and not a single bird would touch it.

Over eight weeks, my neighbor and I hung five feeders side by side: the $60 Jealoeur hexagon, the $45 Youvip with the metal roof, the $90 Sweetfull solar lantern, the $75 Birdream pagoda, and one feeder neither of us had ever heard of.

Four failures. One winner. Here's the difference. And what I wish someone had told me before I spent $270.

1. The $60 Hexagon That Looked Perfect in the Box

On paper, it had everything. A clear body, a sloped roof, and it came fully assembled.

Then came the first hard rain. Water ran straight into the tray and the seed turned into a brown, soggy paste. Within days it smelled sour, and the birds stopped landing. It looked full because nobody was eating from it.

The push-button top takes two hands to open, and twice I found it popped up and not latched.

Full of seed. Empty of birds.

2. The $90 Solar Lantern Everyone Gushes Over

I'll be honest: it's gorgeous at dusk. The cut-metal body glows like a garden lantern, and it has a drain hole in the base, which the first one didn't.

But that pretty metal hides the seed. I never knew if it was full, empty or wet without taking it down. The top lifts off to refill, so every fill meant one loose lid and a swinging feeder. By week two, the light had quit.

A lovely lamp. A frustrating feeder.

3. The $45 Metal One Built Like a Tank

This one is tough. Metal roof, metal base, a steel cable, and it comes apart for washing without tools. I was sure it was the one.

Then I saw how little it holds. About two pounds, and on a busy morning it was empty before lunch. The chickadees sat on the bare tray looking at my window. The squirrel on the fence finished the rest.

Refill it every day, or let them go hungry. Sturdy doesn't help if it's always empty.

4. The $75 Pagoda That Ranked Dead Last

The prettiest roof on the porch, by a mile. Which makes this the most disappointing one to write.

Before a single seed went in, I spent an afternoon with pegs, a locking ring and a six-step diagram. The lid wouldn't stay on. A panel popped loose in the wind. Even the listing says a fill lasts one to three days.

We both ranked it last. Pretty on the porch. A project in your hands.

5. The One I'd Never Heard Of

Then there was the one nobody recommended.

I almost skipped the Matt 6:26. It's made by a small company called Dinosaurized, and I'd never seen it at the garden center. A reader mentioned it in an email, and I hung it almost as an afterthought.

The first thing I noticed was the roof. It's wider than the tray, like an umbrella over the whole feeding ring. The first thing the birds noticed was the seed. By noon, every perch was taken.

6. Why the Matt 6:26 Was Different

The first hard rain was the real test. Water ran off the edge of that wide roof and fell past the tray, and the drain holes let out whatever got through. The next morning the seed was dry and loose.

Refilling takes seconds. The roof flips up on a hinge and stays attached. Nothing to unscrew, nothing to drop in the grass.

It holds 47 ounces, nearly 3 pounds, and the clear body shows the level from my kitchen window. As the birds eat, more seed feeds down on its own. Three days in, I still hadn't touched it.

7. How the Five Compared

Same yard. Same seed. Same eight weeks. Here's where each one landed.

• The $60 Jealoeur hexagon: the first hard rain turned the tray into soggy paste, and the top didn't always latch.
  
• The $90 Sweetfull solar lantern: lovely at night. By day, the metal hid the seed, and the light quit.
  
• The $45 Youvip metal roof: built tough, but empty before lunch on a busy morning.
  
• The $75 Birdream pagoda: six steps to build and a lid that wouldn't stay on. We both ranked it last.
  

The Matt 6:26 ($30 each with today's deal): dry seed, a roof that flips open, a full tray ring. The only one we both kept.

The four that failed cost us $270 combined. The one that worked costs less than any of them.

8. The Only Feeder Still Hanging

It's been two months since the test ended. Last week, the other four finally went where they belonged: the trash.

The Matt 6:26 hangs outside my kitchen window, where the cardinals know to find it. And here's the part that still surprises me: after spending $270 on feeders that didn't work, the one that did is $30 each (normally $100) with today's buy one, get one free. You won't find it in stores. It's only sold on Dinosaurized's own site.

9. But Will My Birds Actually Use It?

That was my exact worry, and it's the question readers ask us most.

Here's the honest answer: the tray ring is wide enough for several birds at once, so a flock feeds together instead of taking turns and giving up. It hangs straight out of the box, and a rinse with mild soap keeps it clean.

And if your birds don't take to it? You get 120 days to hang it, fill it, watch it, and still send it back. Not "unused in the original box." Used.

One more thing, because it matters: wet, moldy seed isn't just waste. Project FeederWatch tells people to throw it out, because it can make birds sick. A feeder that keeps the seed dry is a feeder that keeps your birds healthy.

Reading this far means one thing: you're truly serious about keeping your birds coming back

Here's everything you need to decide

Buy 1 Get 1 Free For A Limited Time Only

I was skeptical too. But free gifts, free shipping, and a 120-day money-back guarantee mean there's nothing to lose.

Try It Risk-Free

Sell-Out Risk: High

|

FREE shipping

120 days to try it, straight from Dinosaurized. If your birds don't love it, send it back. No restocking fee, no hassle.

BOGO SALE