Independent, research-based buying guides for backyard birders
Reader-supported · we earn from qualifying Amazon purchases
Home › Attracting Birds › Attract Birds to Your Yard
Attracting Birds · Pillar Guide
Attracting Birds · Pillar Guide
How to Attract Birds to Your Yard
Birds come to yards that offer food, water and cover in the right places. This guide pulls together Project FeederWatch and Cornell's All About Birds advice into six steps, with products for each.
By The Bird Feeder Guide Editorial Team · Research-based; we have not tested these products ourselves
Updated October 2026
Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Links below go to Amazon; we do not show prices because they change.
How to get birds to your bird feeder
To get birds to your bird feeder, offer black-oil sunflower in a feeder suited to the birds you want, hang it close to natural cover (about 10 feet is a good compromise), add water and plant native vegetation. FeederWatch says native plants give the easiest and most dependable food supply.
How can you attract birds to your bird feeder if none show up at first? Be patient. All About Birds notes local birds first have to discover a new feeder, so give it several days before changing anything.
How to get birds to come to a feeder: six steps
Do them in this order for the fastest results.
1. Start with black-oil sunflower
FeederWatch calls it the most common feeder seed in North America and a favorite of cardinals, chickadees, finches and sparrows. See our bird seed guide for other foods.
2. Match the feeder to the birds
Feeders are not one size fits all. Tube feeders suit small birds, hoppers and platforms draw many species, and suet cages attract woodpeckers and chickadees.
3. Put it near cover, but not too near
Place feeders in a quiet spot near trees or shrubs for refuge. About 10 feet from cover is a good compromise, because closer branches become jump-off points for squirrels and cats.
4. Keep feeders safe from windows
All About Birds says feeders are safest closer than 3 feet to a window, or attached to the glass, so a bird that hits it is not at top speed.
5. Add water
FeederWatch says birds are attracted to water as they are to feeders. Use a bird bath or shallow dish, change the water daily and add dripping water, one of the best ways to make a bath more attractive.
6. Plant natives and keep feeders clean
Habitat loss is the leading cause of declines for many birds, so native plants help. Clean feeders regularly, because birds that crowd at feeders can spread disease.
Products for each step
Details come from each Amazon listing. Check the listing for current price and size.
Seed
Trailmark Naturals Black Oil Sunflower Seeds (5 lb)
Black-oil sunflower described as grown in the USA and suited to tray, hopper and tube feeders.
View on AmazonGeneral feeder
Perky-Pet Farmhouse Feeder (WFH001)
An all-metal hopper holding up to 2.8 pounds of seed, with four U-shaped perches, slide-out window panels for cleaning and drainage holes.
View on AmazonSmall birds
Aspects Quick-Clean Seed Tube (395)
A 1.25-quart tube with four feeding stations and a removable base for quick cleaning.
View on AmazonWoodpeckers and chickadees
Nature's Way Cedar Inverted Suet Feeder
A cedar cage with a hinged roof that holds one suet cake and encourages upside-down feeding.
View on AmazonGround-level bath
14-Inch Shallow Ground Bird Bath
A ground-mounted bird bath about 1.5 inches deep, which the listing says lets birds of all sizes drink easily and keeps bathing safe for small birds.
View on AmazonMoving water
Floating Solar Fountain for Bird Baths
A floating solar-powered pump that needs no batteries or wiring, adding moving water that FeederWatch says makes a bath more attractive.
View on AmazonAttracting birds questions
Why are no birds coming to my new feeder?
Local birds first have to discover it, says All About Birds. If none visit within a few days, sprinkle seed on the ground nearby to make the feeder more obvious.
How close to cover should a feeder be?
About 10 feet is a good compromise, according to All About Birds and FeederWatch: near enough for refuge, far enough that squirrels and cats cannot easily jump to it.
Does water really attract birds?
Yes. FeederWatch says birds need water for drinking and bathing and are attracted to it as they are to feeders. Change it daily, and moving water helps.
Related guides
More guides: keep bears away from your feeders · gifts for bird lovers · feeding birds in winter · woodpecker feeders · where to put a bird feeder · types of bird feeders
Sources and method
Advice comes from Project FeederWatch and Cornell's All About Birds. Product details were read from Amazon listings in October 2026. We have not tested these products. Corrections: corrections@thebirdfeederguide.com.
Photo: cardinal near a feeder by Richard Burlton on Unsplash
Last verified October 2026 · Next review April 2027
Related: Why aren't birds coming to my feeder? Causes and fixes