Last updated: August 21, 2026
Use of this website
The information on birdfeederwise.com is provided as general guidance about backyard bird feeding and the gear people use for it. It does not replace the instructions that came with your feeder, the guidance of the organizations that study these birds, or the rules that apply where you live.
Specifications are yours to verify
Every yard, feeder and camera setup is a different combination. Seed capacities, port counts, pole diameters, baffle dimensions, image resolutions, battery figures and subscription terms all depend on your specific equipment, and we never invent a figure for it. Where we mention a number, it comes from a manufacturer table, a product page or an official source and is named as such. Check it against your own gear before you rely on it, and check a subscription term with the brand before you buy, since those terms change more often than the hardware.
Food, nectar and feeder hygiene
What a species eats, how a nectar solution is mixed, which foods should never go in a feeder and how often a feeder or bath needs cleaning are questions with published answers, and we use those answers rather than our own. Where we give a ratio, a seed type or a cleaning interval, it is stated as Cornell Lab of Ornithology and All About Birds, Audubon, NestWatch or a university extension service give it, and the source is named on the page. We do not publish variations on a recipe, and we do not scale a published instruction up or down.
Feeders concentrate birds, and that carries a disease risk. Salmonellosis, house finch eye disease and avian influenza all move through feeding stations, and the standing advice during a local outbreak is often to take feeders down for a period. We describe that plainly and without alarm, but the current guidance for your area comes from your state wildlife agency, not from an article. Sick or dead birds at a feeder should be reported to them, and a bird that needs help belongs with a licensed wildlife rehabilitator.
Local rules and wildlife
Whether you may feed birds at all, whether a temporary ban is in force, and what applies when feeders attract bears, deer, rats or other wildlife depends on your state, your county, your city and sometimes a neighborhood association. Rules change, and some of them appear at short notice during an outbreak or a bear season. Check them before you hang a feeder, and treat anything we describe in general terms as background rather than permission.
Native birds, their nests and their eggs are protected in the United States, and a nest box in use is not something to open, move or clean out on a whim. Follow NestWatch guidance on monitoring and on when a box may be cleared, and leave anything beyond that to people who are licensed for it.
No product testing
We do not physically test the products we write about. Our guidance is based on published manufacturer specifications and on reported backyard experience. Descriptions of how a product performs are therefore an interpretation of available information, not a measured result, and your own experience may differ. Figures such as materials, capacity, dimensions, weather rating and camera specifications are repeated as the manufacturer states them; always confirm them on the product listing and in the manual before use.
Birds, weather and your own judgment
Gear has to hold up in your yard, in your climate, not in a general article. Follow the manufacturer instructions for assembly, cleaning and storage, and use common sense about placement: a feeder near glass, over a walkway or within reach of a cat creates problems no product feature solves. Local birds, weather, squirrel pressure and the trees you happen to have make the difference between a product working and a product failing, and only you can see the yard in front of you.
Accuracy
We take care with our content, but we cannot guarantee that all product and specification information is always complete or current. Product lines are revised and specifications change between model years. Always check the manufacturer and retailer information before you buy.
Liability
We are not liable for any damage resulting from the use of the information on this website. You use our guidance at your own discretion.