What is a tube bird feeder?
Tube feeders are cylindrical in nature, and are made to hang from a branch or some other place, there are single tube feeders that can hold one type of seed, and 3 tube feeders that can hold 3 type of seed and attract more bird types to your back yard. Tube feeders are made of plastic or metal, and some are made to attract special kind of birds, like thistle bird feeder to attract cardinal birds. TUbe feeders can be made for clinging birds, or with perches, so it is important to decide what bird will you like to have in your yard. The size of the tube feeder will also mater.
Tube feeders are cylindrical feeders that let small amounts of food or water out at a time (water dispensers can be silo style where small amounts are let out at a time or water bottle style where the bird sucks the water out). You still have to be careful with seeds because hulls can build up and with water clean frequently. If using a water bottle make sure the bird defidently knows how to drink from it and that it is working before switching completely. They are designed to limit mess but usually are not preffered by most bird owners.
A tube feeder is any feeder with a cylindrical shaped reservoir to hold bird food. Tube feeders can either be hung or pole mounted and they have the ability to hold a variety of bird seed types. When purchasing a tube bird feeder make sure the reservoir is constructed with UV protected polycarbonate plastic. A tube reservoir with UV plastic protection will help to keep your feeder shaft from yellowing from extended exposure to the sun. Another consideration when purchasing this type of bird feeder is to decide what type of bird you would like to attract to your backyard. Many tube feeders are built with a specific seed type in mind. Some tube feeders hold thistle or nyjer seed, others hold sunflower seed or mixed seed and still others are made for holding peanut bits and pieces. If you know that you are interested in attracting the beautiful goldfinch to your yard, purchasing a thistle or nyjer tube feeder would be your best bet. A thistle tube feeder has smaller seed ports made specifically for the size of thistle or nyjer seed. If you were more interested in attracting blue jays, woodpeckers, or titmice, you would consider purchasing a peanut tube feeder. Not to worry though, there are regular ‘ol seed tube feeders that can be filled with sunflower seed, safflower seed, and other types of bird seed. So if you do not have a specific bird in mind and want to appease and attract a variety of birds you can still use a tube feeder filled with sunflower seeds.
