FAQ: Bowls & Feeders for birds

Yes, holders made of cheaper or painted metal can rust and flake from moisture. Replace a rusty holder, as birds like to chew metal parts.

They can if the old dishes or their coatings contain lead or zinc and the bird chews or licks them. Food-safe dishes made of known materials are safer for birds, and if you suspect poisoning, contact a vet urgently.

Run a finger along the rim of the bowl and the holder parts, especially after the dish has been dropped or chewed. Cracks, splinters and flaking coating are a sign the dish should be replaced.

Chicks suit low, shallow dishes placed near a perch or on the cage floor, so they find food and water easily. It is worth keeping several feeding spots for a while and watching that the youngster really eats.

The dishes can be moved lower, next to the lowest perch or onto the floor, and chosen with low edges. For an old bird it matters that it does not have to climb or fly to reach food and water.

Low, shallow dishes and easy-to-reach water usually help, but follow the vet's instructions first. It is important to watch whether the bird really eats and drinks, and to contact the vet again if anything changes.

Water in an open dish spills while moving, so a small clip-on cup filled during stops or juicy pieces of fruit and vegetables are often used. On a longer journey take breaks and offer the bird a drink.

For a short trip juicy food is usually enough, while a longer one needs a cup that you fill during stops. A full water dish spills while driving and soaks the bird and the litter.

Yes, familiar dishes help a bird start eating and drinking sooner in a new place. It matters especially that the drinker is the same type the bird is used to drinking from.

For wild birds there are house-style feeders with a roof, hanging tube feeders, open trays, fat ball and peanut holders, and feeders that attach to a window. Different types attract different birds.

A house-style feeder with a roof suits many birds and keeps the food dry from snow, but needs cleaning more often. A tube feeder scatters and fouls less, and small birds that cling well find it easiest to feed from.

Tube feeders are mostly used by tits, sparrows, siskins, goldfinches and other small birds that can sit on small perches or cling. Larger and ground-feeding birds are better served by trays.

It is a metal mesh or cage that holds fat balls so birds can cling on and feed. The holder is easy to wash and refill, and the balls do not crumble onto the ground.

Birds' feet or tongues can get caught in the mesh of plastic nets and be injured. It is worth removing the nets before hanging the balls and putting them in a metal holder instead.

It is a clear feeder with suction cups that sticks to the outside of a window pane so the birds can be watched up close. It needs regular cleaning and checking that the suction cups still hold, especially in the cold.

The usual advice is to hang the feeder either right at the window, so a bird cannot gain speed, or well away from it. Stickers or other visible marks on the glass also reduce the risk.

It is an open tray on a stand, hung or placed low, from which both larger birds and those used to feeding on the ground can eat. A tray with drainage holes is better, as wet food spoils quickly.

Some birds, such as thrushes or chaffinches, prefer feeding on the ground. Still, food on the ground gets wet faster and attracts rodents, and the birds become easy prey for cats, so a low tray and small amounts are better.

Outdoor feeders are usually wooden, metal or plastic. Wooden ones look natural but absorb moisture, metal ones are durable and easy to clean, and plastic ones are light but can crack in the cold.

If you paint or treat a feeder, use only exterior products that have fully dried, and do not coat the areas where food is placed. The simplest approach is a durable wood and regular cleaning and drying.