Some people believe that Saint Servan was the first person to feed wild birds about 1500 years ago. We certainly know that he had a pet robin. Undoubtedly, feeding of pets and commercial birds would be much older.
Bird feeders are probably a much more modern concept. We receive queries from people asking for advice on the “best” feeder. This blog tries to put the pertinent considerations into perspective. Bird feeders have two characters; the utility (an engineering function), and aesthetic quality (an artistic function). Since beauty is in the eye of the beholder, a brief discussion of the former to commence.
A bird feeder needs to:
- Aim at those birds that it intends to address. Some feeders are clearly suited to “general” use, and others target far smaller user populations. Obviously this is related to the target foodstuff (e.g. peanut feeders with small apertures intended for certain smaller birds). The feeder should present the food in an easily accessible manner.
- Try to exclude the birds and other animals not intended to feed on it (e.g. pigeons). This is very difficult to design for animals such as monkeys; also rats, squirrels (and we have even had reports of problems due to kudus!)
- Be easy to install, hang, operate and take down (for cleaning, refilling etc.)
- Be easy to clean
- Be durable in Africa. Also depending on the foodstuff, it may be necessary to provide rain protection.
This all sounds obvious and even easy, but the truth is that birds differ in nature and habits, and a geographic variation exists. Many imported feeders do not work properly for South African birds, for various reasons. And for the same reason, every one of Elaine’s Birding and Wildlife Products feeders is extensively tested in South Africa. Being produced in South Africa, it is possible to adapt designs, and indeed, improvements are constantly made based on the feedback of South African bird enthusiats. In a future blog we will discuss these features for the actual products that are available.
On to the more difficult question – does my bird feeder enhance the attractiveness of my garden? Obviously, every garden is different, and all tastes differ too. So do you prefer Cubism? (achieved by getting hubby to smack something together in his shed), Pre-Raphaelite? (for the really serious garden birder), Decadence? (those monster, over-the-top feeders), Orientalism? (not so much Middle-east as China – you can get plenty of these on the market), or Dutch School? (so called because they always come with a tulip).
We prefer an African feel. All feeders are made in South Africa. In many cases they are decorated by wire and beadwork from our local craftsmen (and women). Others are made from decorated terracotta, and are equally earthy. Apart from providing work to our own people, they do create a more authentic “African” feel in your garden. But remember; there is nothing wrong with simplicity. Bear in mind that the actual beauty adorning your garden are our spectacular birdlife. We think our birds prefer our version of “African Feel” too….
The fluid is held in place through a combination of the angle and vacuum at the rear of the bottle. It is possible to bend the wire if not optimal for your purposes. A basic error often made is overfilling. Perhaps try a 50% fill as the standard presentation, and we hope this will solve your problem.
Our bird feeder as shown in the pic overflow constantly. What should the water level of the bottle be in comparison to the top of the spout?
We now have taken out the gauze as well.