A tray on the ground
Duncraft Large Ground Platform Bird Feeder
18½ x 15½ in, 6¼ in off the ground on folding legs, with a perforated aluminum floor that drains.
Cracked corn for birds
Cracked corn feeds doves, jays, cardinals, grosbeaks and quail, but house sparrows, starlings, raccoons and deer love it too, and of all bird foods it is the most likely to carry aflatoxin. Offer small amounts on a tray, keep it dry, and never use corn dyed red.
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A hanging tray
Duncraft Eco-Strong Platform Feeder
12 in square with a metal mesh floor that drains; up to 2 lb.
On a pole
Birds Choice Seed Catcher Platform Feeder, Medium
A 20 x 15.5 in tray with two draining screens that lift out to wash.
A commission never decides the picks. How we choose.
Who eats it
11 of the 27 common feeder birds on our seed chart take it, according to Project FeederWatch. Birds in your area vary by region and season.
3 more feeders
Birds Choice · Platform feeder
Small Hanging Platform Feeder
A small hanging tray for cardinals, jays, doves and juncos, with a mesh floor that drains.
Keep in mind: An open tray collects droppings: scrape it daily and wash it every week or two.
Brome · Platform feeder
BirdsUP Seed Catcher Tray
- Comes apart to clean
Catches what falls from the feeder above and feeds the ground birds on a tray instead.
Keep in mind: Needs Brome’s BirdsUP Single Pole.
Duncraft · Platform feeder
Open Air Ground Platform Bird Feeder
- Holds 5 lb
Ground-feeding birds such as doves and cardinals, with corner perches that chickadees and finches land on.
Keep in mind: Food at ground level is within reach of squirrels and other animals, so fill only what the birds finish in a day.
Who eats it
Corn is eaten by cardinals, grosbeaks, jays, doves, quail, turkeys and crows. It is also a favorite of house sparrows, cowbirds, starlings, geese, bears, raccoons and deer, which is why Cornell treats it as a food to offer with care.
Keep it dry and fresh
Of all bird foods, corn is the most likely to carry aflatoxins, which are toxic to birds even at low levels. Cornell’s advice: never buy corn in plastic bags, never let it get wet, put out no more than the birds finish in a day in rainy or humid weather, and rake up what is left. Offer small amounts on a tray, not in a tube that can hold moisture.
Corn never to use
Never put out corn dyed red: it is seed corn for planting, treated with fungicide, and highly toxic to birds. Buttered or microwave popcorn is out too, and plain popped corn spoils quickly.
References
| Source |
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| Feeding Birds: a Quick Guide to Seed Types ↗ |
| Common Feeder Birds ↗ |