The Hopper Feeder
What kind of feeder is it and do you need one?
A “hopper” is a term used in grain storage - seed is poured in a container from above and gravity allows it to slowly be dispensed at the bottom. This type of feeder, with its larger perching area, makes it attractive to bigger birds such as cardinals, bluejays and woodpeckers. It also can accomodate a visiting flock of birds such as goldfinches, redpolls, grosbeaks or blackbirds that descend all at once to feed. Living near a swamp can even bring in the unlikeliest of birds one would consider at the feeder…….
Hopper feeders open up a wide range of birds to feed and thus seed can be consumed pretty quickly especially if you have flocks of larger birds. In the spring and fall I will often make sure to use more cracked corn or millet in the mix when such groupings as the wood ducks and blackbirds arrive in the spring.
In the winter I use more oil sunflower, safflower and shelled peanuts in the hopper, like what is found in a “cardinal” mix, to provide extra fat for the cold conditions. I also mix in some cracked corn, my favorite least expensive food, in order to economically increase the amount of mix. Cardinals, blue jays, crows, doves, sparrows and juncos will eat the cracked corn.
Functional hopper feeders are actually hard to find. The best ones have a screen mesh in the bottom that allow the seed dust to fall through and not turn into mush in wet conditions. Removing the screen periodically to scrape off any accumulating seed waste makes it very easy to clean. Nature’s Way mades a nice tall square shape hopper that hold a good amount of seed and is reasonably priced. Birds Choice makes a recycled plastic hopper that is durable due to the poly lumber material. It is more expensive but longer-lasting than the wooden hoppers.
Hopper feeders do bring in more birds to your yard if that is a goal of yours. They can bring in the larger flocks of birds such as blackbirds and turkeys and of course deer sometimes try to reach for seed at a hopper by standing on their back legs. If birds become a nuisance, hoppers can be taken down for a bit or seed adjusted - eliminate corn and millet - so that it is less desirable. I put up my hopper feeder in October and take it down the end of May. With so much natural food available in the summer, there is no reason to use a hopper feeder in the warmer months.
Consider one…..this type of feeder can create an endless source of enjoyment for the opportunities it provides.