Seed tube in a cage
Duncraft Squirrel Proof Selective Bird Feeder
Six ports inside a wire mesh cage that lets chickadees, finches and titmice through; holds 1½ lb.
Caged bird feeders
A cage with openings about 1½ in wide lets chickadees, titmice and finches reach the seed and keeps gray squirrels, grackles, starlings and other big birds out. Buy a feeder with the cage built in, such as the Duncraft Squirrel Proof Selective, or fit a cage around a tube you own with Duncraft’s Create a Haven.
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Suet without starlings
Birds Choice Squirrel Proof Double Suet Feeder with 13 in Wire Cage
Two cakes inside a 13 in cage with 1⅜ in openings that keep squirrels, grackles and starlings out.
Cage the tube you have
Duncraft Create a Haven Cage
A coated wire cage for flat-top tube feeders up to 18 in tall.
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4 more feeders
Kingsyard · Platform feeder
Squirrel-Proof Caged Platform Feeder
- Holds 2.5 lb
- Squirrel-resistant
Small birds reach the seed through 1.5 in cage openings; squirrels and big birds stay outside.
Keep in mind: The cage keeps out cardinals and jays too; give them a separate tray.
Kingsyard · Mealworm feeder
Metal Caged Bluebird Feeder
Mealworms for bluebirds behind 1.5 in openings that keep bigger birds out.
Keep in mind: Kingsyard does not publish its capacity: put out a small daily amount.
Duncraft · Seed feeder
Squirrel Blocker Feeder
- Holds 1.5 lb
- Squirrel-resistant
Clinging birds feed through an outer grid squirrels cannot reach through; no springs or batteries.
Keep in mind: The grid also keeps out cardinals and other big birds.
Nature's Way · Seed feeder
Squirrel Shield Advantage Cage Feeder
- Holds 3.2 qt
- Squirrel-resistant
- Comes apart to clean
Two defenses in one feeder where squirrels raid: a cage, and a shield that drops over the ports under a squirrel’s weight.
Keep in mind: Nature’s Way does not give the size of the cage openings, so check that the birds you want can get in.
How a cage works
The feeder sits inside a wire cage with gaps big enough for a small bird and too small for a gray squirrel, a grackle or a starling. Birds Choice’s suet cage has 1⅜ in openings and Kingsyard’s caged platform 1½ in. The Duncraft Squirrel Blocker works a little differently: its outer grid keeps a squirrel’s nose and paws away from the mesh tube inside.
Built in or added on
A feeder with the cage built in, such as the Duncraft Squirrel Proof Selective or the Kingsyard caged platform, is ready to hang. If you already own a flat-top tube up to 18 in tall, Duncraft’s Create a Haven fits a cage around it. The Nature’s Way Squirrel Shield Advantage pairs a cage with a seed shield that drops over the ports under a squirrel’s weight; Nature’s Way does not give its opening size.
What a cage will not do
It keeps out the big birds you may want as well as the ones you do not: cardinals, jays and doves need a tray or a hopper of their own nearby. Red squirrels and chipmunks are smaller than gray squirrels, and none of these makers promises to stop them. Raccoons and bears can pull down any feeder; where bears are about, follow your state wildlife agency, which may ask you to feed only in winter.
Suet in a cage
Starlings and grackles can clear a suet cake in a day. A suet feeder inside a cage, like the Birds Choice WC13, keeps the cake for woodpeckers, nuthatches and chickadees, and so does a holder that feeds only from below: Project FeederWatch notes that cages open only at the bottom tend to resist starlings.
References
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| Feeder Types ↗ |
| Common Feeder Birds ↗ |