Tube Feeders
#1 way to attract Goldfinches and
 and other fascinating, beautiful wild birds

SHOP the best Tube Feeders!

Wild birds that visit Tube Feeders ...
Birds that stay on the feeder while eating:
Goldfinches, Purple Finches, House Finches, Pine Siskins
Birds that take one seed at a time, fly away and return:
Chickadees, Titmice, Nuthatches 

As you may have guessed Tube Feeders are tubular in shape ... tall, thin containers with feeding ports and perches spaced from top to bottom.  Tube Feeders are made either of metal or plastic.  They attract some of our most welcome avian visitors.  These feeders can be suspended in a tree or hung on a pole or from an overhang.

What Type of Tube Feeder Do You Prefer?

First, consider the species and number of birds you plan to feed.  Then choose a feeder that is easy to assemble and keep clean.

Clear plastic tubes allow you to monitor the seed.  If you opt for a plastic tube feeder be sure it has metal feeding ports and perches for durability.

PVC Tube Feeders are ruggedly built and may offer long-term warranties against squirrel damage.

Metal Tube Feeders offer the advantage of durability.   Metal Tube Feeders made of mesh wire that allow the birds to cling to any spot on the tube rather than restricting access to the seed from a perch portal. 

Some Tube Feeders attach two or three tubes together permitting more birds to feed at the same time.  They can also be used to offer different types of seeds providing a choice for the birds.

If you want the versatility of feeding larger (sunflower) or small (nyjer) seeds with a single feeder look for one with interchangeable feeding ports.

Some Tube Feeders have a dome over the top to prevent rain from getting the seed wet.

Another type of Tube Feeder is enclosed in a plastic-coated wire basket.  This style is a good squirrel deterrant because it only allows small birds access to the seeds.

Similar in shape  to the popular Tube Feeder is a Peanut Silo.  This feeder is designed to attract the acrobatic birds such as Woodpeckers, Chickadees, Titmice, Nuthatches and Finches that cling to the perchless stainless steel wire mesh that can be filled with shelled peanuts, mixed nuts or sunflower kernels.

 Two Tips for Feeding Goldfinches

• If you prefer to just attract Goldfinches place your Tube Feeder about 10 feet away from other feeders.  Goldfinches prefer to eat in quieter, less-busy environments.
  
• Be sure to refill the Goldfinch Tube Feeder when there are a couple of inches of seed left.  Goldfinches will quit feeding if the seed gets too low or isn't fresh.  This is a good rule to keep in mind for any feeder.

Bird Seed for Tube Feeders

Tube Feeders are designed to attract smaller birds that eat nyjer seed (also known as thistle).  Nyjer is a very small black, narrow club-shaped seed.

• There is come confusion about the "nyjer" name so here is a little background. There has been a drive to change the name of this seed from thistle to nyjer.  Traditionally, the seed has been called thistle and niger.  Real thistle seed, that grows into a prickly purple-colored flower, is not sold commercially.  It is an invasive plant and is considered a weed.  What is commonly sold under this name is niger (what is now also known as nyjer).  Nyjer is an oil-seed crop grown in India, Nepal, Ethiopia and Mynamar.  Nyjer is the only major wild bird feeding seed that is imported.
  
• To prevent importatation of noxious weeds, the USDA requires that nyjer be heat-treated to prevent germination.  The name change was initiated to remove the misconception that the seed is thistle.

The other food that attracts tube feeding birds is sunflower seed.  The black-oil sunflower variety is preferred by most birds.

Silo Feeders are designed to hold shelled peanuts, mixed nuts and sunflower kernels.

Care and Maintenance of Tube Feeders 

Nyjer seed is very small and can become packed in the feeders. To loosen the packed seed invert the feeder occasionally before it needs refilling.  This will keep the seed loosely packed within the tube.

Small feeding ports reduce scattering of seed, so the spillage is minimal.  However, if there is a concern about spillage place a tray or catch-screen under the feeder.  Also, regarding nyjer seed -- any seed that falls to the ground will not germinate.

Be sure to replace the seed in your Tube Feeders if it becomes wet.  To help the seed remain dry look for a Tube Feeder with a dome over the top.

Keep Tube Feeders clean with soap and water.  Dipping them into a mild bleach solution (9-parts water to 1-part bleach) will rid them of any mold or bacteria that might have invaded.  Be sure to rinse the Tube Feeder well and let it dry completely before refilling.

Remove decomposing seed hulls that may fall beneath your feeder.  This will prevent the spread of bacteria to ground-feeding birds.