Tray Feeders: A Favorite Bird Feeder for Your Backyard Birds

The new Hey There Mr. Chickadee Feeder is a type of tray feeder. Tray feeders can be a lot of fun to use because they are usually your birds’ favorite type of feeder. It’s easy for your birds to perch on a tray and then it’s simple for them to locate and retrieve their favorite food. You’ll also get a lot of enjoyment out of a tray feeder, because you’ll get a better look at the birds than on most other feeders. Additionally, tray feeders are versatile, allowing you to put out almost any type of bird food to attract a wide variety of birds.

Your birds love tray feeders, but they do come with a few limitations. One is that they don’t hold much food – expect to fill them more frequently than other types of feeders. Many also lack weather protection, so it’s a good idea to hang them below a weather guard to keep your bird food fresher. Some tray feeders, called fly-through feeders, have a built-in weather guard that is connected to the tray itself.

These photos are a few of my favorites featuring tray feeders. The female Northern Cardinal took to the Hey There Mr. Chickadee feeder within days of me hanging it outside. She looks scruffy because she’s molting. She’ll benefit greatly from the high protein content in the TreeNutty Plus blend as she grows new feathers that will keep her warm this coming winter. I put out whole peanuts on a larger tray feeder, and we love watching a family of Blue Jays visit to cache peanuts for later use. Finally, you can see that the Pine Siskins were enjoying the weather guard as well as their bird seed, giving them a break from the rain on a wet day.