Brome · Hopper feeder
Squirrel Buster Plus
Best for ending the squirrel war mechanically
88YardScore
No subscriptionSquirrel-resistant$90 typical
Serves · Northern Cardinal, Blue Jay, Downy Woodpecker, Black-capped Chickadee +3 more
14 species · entry by entry · feeder, food, placement
Which bird do you want at the window?
Most feeder advice starts with the gear. We start with the bird. Pick a species below and the field guide tells you exactly which feeder, which food, and which corner of the yard will bring it in — plus an honest answer on how long it takes.
Featured entry
Northern Cardinal
Cardinalis cardinalis
| Feed | Black-oil sunflower · Safflower |
|---|---|
| Feeder | Hopper or platform — not a tube-feeder bird |
| Range | East, South, Midwest |
| Placement | Near dense shrubs; first at dawn, last at dusk |
- Prefers sunflower and safflower on a hopper or platform — not a tube-feeder bird
- Stays year-round; pairs often visit together at dawn and dusk
- Needs dense shrub cover near the feeder to feel secure
Easy to attractFull entry →
The gear plates
Highest-scored feeders & gear
Every smart feeder is flagged for what its subscription actually gates — and the no-subscription classics are flagged too.
Aspects · Nectar feeder
HummZinger HighView
Best for easy-clean hummingbird standard
87YardScore
No subscription$25 typical
Serves · Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Baltimore Oriole
Bird Buddy · Smart camera feeder
Smart Feeder 2
Best for the polished smart-feeder experience
86YardScore
Subscription for AI ID$299 typical
Serves · Black-capped Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse
Birdfy · Smart camera feeder
Feeder 2
Best for value camera feeder
84YardScore
Subscription for AI ID$220 typical
Serves · Black-capped Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse
Droll Yankees · Tube feeder
Onyx Clever Clean Tube
Best for workhorse seed tube
82YardScore
No subscription$45 typical
Serves · American Goldfinch, Black-capped Chickadee, White-breasted Nuthatch, Tufted Titmouse +1 more
API · Bird bath
Heated Birdbath (20in)
Best for winter water = winter birds
80YardScore
No subscription$60 typical
Serves · Northern Cardinal, Blue Jay, American Goldfinch, Eastern Bluebird +7 more
The seed cheat-sheet
Eight foods. That's the whole game.
Black-oil sunflower
The universal best single seed — thin shells, high oil, eaten by nearly everything.
Nyjer (thistle)
The finch magnet — needs its own special tube or sock feeder.
Safflower
Cardinals eat it; squirrels and grackles mostly don’t.
Suet
Rendered fat cakes for woodpeckers, nuthatches, and winter survival calories.
Dried mealworms
The bluebird food — also beloved by wrens and chickadees.
Nectar (sugar water)
4 parts water to 1 part plain white sugar. Never red dye.
Orange halves & grape jelly
The oriole spread — put it out in spring when they arrive.
White proso millet
The ground-feeder grain: juncos, doves, and native sparrows.
From the field notebook
Latest guides
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Beyond the Feeder: Plants, Boxes, and a Four-Season Yard
Feeders are the appetizer. The yards birds actually live in offer native plants, nesting sites, water, and a little benign neglect — season by season.
Jul 2, 2026 · 4 min
Cover, Cats, and Hawks: Making Your Yard Feel Safe
Birds choose yards by escape routes, not just menus. The cover architecture, the honest cat conversation, and what a hawk visit actually means.
Jul 1, 2026 · 4 min
Stop Window Strikes: Placement and Fixes That Work
The glass problem has a known geometry and known fixes: the 3-or-30 feeder rule, exterior markings that actually space correctly, and the myths to retire.
Jun 29, 2026 · 3 min
Feeder Hygiene: The Unglamorous Habit That Keeps Birds Healthy
A dirty feeder concentrates birds and whatever they carry. The two-week routine, the soak that does the work, and the signs that demand action today.
Jun 28, 2026 · 3 min
Hummingbird Nectar: The 4:1 Rule and Everything Else
Four parts water, one part white sugar, nothing else — the recipe is a sentence. The safety schedule around it is the part that actually protects the birds.
Jun 27, 2026 · 3 min
Suet 101: Winter Fuel for Woodpeckers and Friends
Concentrated fat in a $12 cage — suet is the cheapest way to add a whole new guild to the yard. The cakes, the cage, the season, and the melt rule.
Jun 25, 2026 · 3 min
Safflower: The Seed for Yards With a Squirrel Problem
Cardinals eat it; squirrels and grackles mostly don't. Safflower is less a seed than a strategy — here's when to deploy it and what to expect.
The Sunday Perch
One email, Sunday morning, coffee-length.
What to put out this month, which species are moving, and one gear note worth knowing — written for people who watch the window, not the app. (10 feeders tracked, from $12 suet cages up.)