Getting Started With Bird Feeding

It can be a very satisfying thing to open up your curtains in a morning and be treated to the sight of birds enjoying the foods you supplied for them. It's this that makes feeding the birds beneficial, not just for the wildlife, but also for our mental health.

Where to Start?

It can be a bit daunting to someone who has never fed the birds before and you might be asking yourself questions like; what foods do you feed wild birds? How do I attract garden birds to my garden? To help answer some of these questions, we've put this page together to give you a helping hand in working out where to start. The good news is, it's easy!

The short version is you're going to need three things; at least one bird feeder, somewhere to hang your bird feeder and of course some bird food.

Tip: If you'd just like to get started as quickly as possible, then take a look at our Starter Kits.

1. Bird Feeders

Bird feeders come in all shapes and sizes. To begin with, we'd recommend picking up a cheaper feeder (we stock them from as little as £1.99). These feeders are great to begin with, then if you decide to feed different types of food, or if you start to get squirrels stealing your bird food, then take a look at our bird feeder guide for more information.

Bird feeders are built to feed a certain type of bird food, then from there you will get varying levels of quality and different features. For example squirrel proof feeders.

The easiest and quickest way would be to buy a seed feeder, but it's up to you how many you buy. For further guidance on the different types of bird feeders and purchase recommendations, please see our complete bird feeder guide.

2. Hanging Your Feeders

Next up you'll want somewhere to hang your bird feeders. This will really depend on how much space you have and what your garden looks like. If you're lucky enough to have trees in your garden, then you could hang the feeder off a branch. For the rest of us, the next best option is a Bird Feeding Station, or if you're a little more adventurous you could buy a bracket to fix to a wall or fence post. But that's much more of a permanent solution, so we'd recommend trying a feeding station first. If you don't have anywhere to hang a feeder, then consider a window feeder.

For most people, the easiest way to get started will be to purchase a feeding station that includes bird feeders. We stock a range of feeding stations that include feeders.

3. Something to Feed The Birds

Finally you'll want something to actually feed the birds! The simplest and probably most loved food is Sunflower Hearts. These are nutritious and loved by a wide variety of birds, making them the most versatile and the easiest to start with.

If you want to feed more bird food, or perhaps you've bought a feeding station with different types of feeders included, then here's some of the different types we offer.

Once you've made a start, try experimenting with different foods and feeders to see what birds you can attract into your garden. It can take a little time for the birds to find the new food you've put out, so make a brew, put your feet up, keep your eyes peeled and good luck!