Equally as important as choosing the right type of feeder and the right type of food, placing your bird feeder in a safe location for birds is crucial to consider their health and wellbeing.

 

Window strikes, predators, squirrel resistance and most importantly, disease management and cleaning ease of your feeders can be resolved by appropriate placement of the bird feeder.

 

As a general rule, try to prevent large aggregations of birds at a single location which leads to high contact rates and increased potential for disease transmission. Bird feeders should be placed at widely separated locations if possible.

 

Bird feeders should be placed less than one meter or more than 10 meters away from buildings to minimize the risk of window collisions.

 

Bird feeders should not be further than 3.5 meters from cover that provides a route of escape and protection to avoid predation.

 

There should be an unobstructed view around bird feeders so that foraging birds can detect any predators in the area.

 

Provide natural cover around the edges of your property such as evergreens or conifers that provide refuge and shelter for birds to dart to the feeder and back to avoid predation.