By clicking a retailer link you consent to third party cookies that track your onward journey. If you make a purchase, Which? will receive an affiliate commission which supports our mission to be the UK's consumer champion.

08 Jan 2024

Best window bird feeders

You don’t need a garden to attract birds with a window bird feeder. Discover the best window bird feeders and how to get the best from them.

Adelaide GraySenior researcher & writer

Window bird feeders are becoming more popular as they promise to give you up-close views of the birds from inside your house and you don’t need a garden to use them.

We tried out 21 popular window bird feeders to see if they would give you a great view of your local birds.

Breathe new life into your outside spaces. Sign up for our Gardening newsletter, it's free monthly

Best window bird feeders from our test

Only logged-in Which? members can view the full test results. Join Which? now to get instant access to our test scores and Best Buy recommendations below.

Full test results for window bird feeders

Feeder	Feed	Overall Score	Bird attraction	Attachment	Cleaning	Filling	Assembly
	Seeds	80%
	Seeds	76%
	Suet	76%
	Seeds	70%
	Seeds	70%
	Seeds	68%
	Seeds	66%

The more stars the better Overall rating Score ignores price and is based on: Bird attraction 40%, attachment 20%, cleaning 20%, filling 10% and assembly 10%

25% off Which? Gardening

Pay £36.75 for the first year and get the garden you want for less

Get this offer

Getting the best from window bird feeders

Where to place feeders

Place your feeders on your window at a comfortable height for you to see the birds but high enough that cats won’t reach them . Birds like to feed near to shelter so if you have a bush or tree nearby, put your feeder on the side of the window closest to this cover. If you’re worried about birds flying into your window then you can purchase stickers to make the window more obvious.

What food to use

Some feeders will only take one type of food – peanuts, suet balls or seeds so think carefully about what type of bird you might like to attract. Suet feeders are brilliant for small birds such as great tits and blue tits. Seeds such as sunflower hearts attract a larger variety of birds including finches but smaller birds may well grab a seed and fly off to eat in a safer location. Peanuts attract lots of different birds too but beware of offering them during the spring – the RSPB warns that young birds can choke on whole peanuts.

Cleaning

Keeping your feeder clean is very important. Diseases can spread easily between birds where they congregate at feeders. Wash regularly and dispose of any mouldy food.

Keeping pests away

Unfortunately feeding the birds can encourage unwelcome visitors. Rats will be attracted to food that falls under the feeder but placing a bucket underneath to catch fallen seeds will deter them and dropped food can be disposed of easily. If squirrels are a problem then you may have to try several locations to attach your feeder before finding a place where these furry acrobats can’t reach. Also try a feeder that is too small for them to rest on. Unfortunately there is no bird food that they will not consume and they will gnaw through plastic feeders to access the seeds.

Discover the Best Squirrel-proof bird feeders

How we tested window bird feeders

We bought 21 popular bird feeders, including some that had been recommended by the RSPB. We attached them to a window facing a domestic garden, where birds had been fed regularly and were known to visit feeders. Each feeder was tested for four weeks after two weeks of allowing the birds to get used to the feeders. Each feeder was placed in two different locations on the window. Similar feeders were tested alongside each other to ensure that any results were not influenced by the feed on offer. The number and the species of birds visiting were recorded for each feeder. The feeders were cleaned and refilled as necessary.