“In our south central PA backyard, we have a number of red-bellied woodpeckers that visit… as well as a few downy and hairy woodpeckers. I even saw a pileated once or twice during our six years here, to date. We typically hang suet blocks and other feed to attract them… but I wanted to up my game a little. As a result, I recently got the Birds Choice Recycled Woodpecker Feeder (SNWP) in green and taupe.
First, the feeder is made from high-quality materials (5/8" recycled poly lumber and stainless steel screws) and has a lifetime guarantee that it will never crack, split, or fade. Second, it has an easy-fill top that allows you to lift one side of the roof to refill the feeder with peanuts, seed, etc.
The tether that affixes the feeder to a tree, hanging post, etc. seems to be well-executed – plastic-wrapped wire, cinched at the apex with loop, held in place internally with what I’m assuming are zinc wire clamps.
Having said this, in addition to the host of woodpeckers we see, we also have a number of tree rats (i.e., squirrels). My biggest concern is keeping these critters from eating our bird feed. If you know nothing about squirrels, know that they are cagey, persistent, and very intelligent. If there’s a way to get to free bird feed, they’ll find it. I know this feeder isn’t squirrel proof. Manufacturers don’t tout it as such. And there are no mechanisms on the feeder to keep squirrels out. You put peanuts/nuts/bird feed in this thing and squirrels (with their sharp teeth, gymnast-like dexterity, and freakish paw-grip) will make short work of the wire tether (yes… squirrels chew through wire) – bring this thing to the ground – and/or the recycled wood. My plan is to use hot-sauce covered feed. I’ve fought the good fight with squirrels a loooong time. Short of mechanisms that use the squirrel's weight to close feed holes (which this feeder doesn’t have), the next best thing is hot sauce. Birds can’t taste the capsaicin in the hot sauce. Squirrels can. Squirrels are smart and learn quickly to stay away.
As far as form and function, the sides of the feeder have recesses that allow a woodpecker, other birds, (and squirrels) to cling to the feeder and “peck” at the food in the feeder. There is a metal piece inside the feeder that angles the food toward either of the two feed holes on either of the feeder’s sides. Short of this angled metal implementation, the rest of the feeder is hollow. The feeder has no closed bottom, which, while allowing for drainage. Cleaning will be easy, too, as you can remove one of the plexiglass windows. Overall, the feeder is well made and well thought out.
Now, some bones to pick. The manufacturer notes that the timber is recycled wood, which won’t fade, split, or crack, and that the screws are stainless steel. Okay, that’s great. But, what about the hinge? I can’t be certain but it seems to be zinc-plated metal. If it is, eventually it will rust. In addition, the loop tether also seems to be zinc-plated. Again, prone to eventual rusting.
The feeder has no closed bottom, which, while allowing for drainage, will also allow smaller food to fall through… not a problem, per se, as you want to use larger-sized feed for woodpeckers… but something of note if you plan to use smaller seeds. Speaking about drainage, the place where the hinge sits in the roof divides results in a 1/8” gap at the roof’s peak. The gap that would otherwise expose food to the elements is spanned by the hinge and should keep a good bit of water out. But, the manufacturer only needs to recess the hinge plates on both roof boards and decrease the angle on the roof board hinge-side cuts, slightly, to close the existing gap. This would be relatively easy during manufacturing. And, lastly, the metal implementation in the feeder body sits somewhat high in comparison to the drilled-out food holes. Depending on the feed you use, birds will sift through the feed and encourage “feed avalanches,” resulting in a lot of waste. This is a six of one, half dozen of another type of scenario where you’re going to have to find the perfect feed for the hole size. Too large (e.g., walnut halves, tree nuts, etc.) and woodpeckers won’t be able to pull out the nuts, fly away to consume (which is what certain woodpeckers do), and return for more. Too small (e.g., sunflower seeds, which woodpeckers and other birds love) and the food will simply fall out. The feeder is recommended for shelled-peanut use. I plan to start there… with the peanuts covered in a special hot sauce that works wonders at keeping tree rats away.
Recommended Purchase?: Yes. The BirdsChoice Recycled Woodpecker Feeder is beyond a doubt a quality feeder. Overall, knowing that I only hand out five-stars, sparingly, for products that go beyond what a manufacturer says a product will do, I’m torn between a 3-star and a 4-star rating for this feeder because of the pro’s and “bones to pick” mentioned previously. I think that all the shortcomings noted are easy to overcome (potentially with minor feeder modifications) and that the feeder is worth purchasing. I’m fairly handy and can modify the feeder, if needed, to suit my/the birds’ needs. Because this feeder is likely to stand the test of time, compared to traditional wood feeders (the biggest selling point in my opinion), is easy to fill (great for us), and should be very easy to clean (crucial for the health of our feathered friends), I’m leaning more toward the four-star side. I just wish the manufacturer would’ve used all-stainless. Yes, it would increase cost by a few dollars. But, I think it would be worth it. Still, I think the Birds Choice Recycled Woodpecker Feeder pros definitely outweigh the cons and is worth serious consideration.”
“I installed this peanut feeder 10 days ago, and it has given me so much enjoyment and entertainment. The feeder attracts Downy Woodpeckers, Red-Bellied Woodpeckers, Tufted Titmice, White-Breasted Nuthatches, Carolina Chickadees, and Carolina Wrens. The chickadees were the first to discover it after one day. The Red-Bellied Woodpeckers took one week to figure it out and now visit it often. I love it when several species of birds queue up on the perches of my feeding station in a friendly competition to snatch up the next peanut.
This feeder is well built and well designed. I especially appreciate that the peanuts are protected from the elements keeping them clean and dry, unlike my previous metal mesh feeders, so there is no waste.
Bottom line – buy this feeder! I highly recommend it. I would give at 10-star rating if I could. Thank you, Birds Choice, for making a quality feeder manufactured in the USA.”
“Well built & easy to clean. Downy woodpeckers took to it right away. Red-bellied and red-headed woodpeckers took a week to start feeding from it, then it quickly became their preferred feeder and they come to it frequently throughout the day. We have a lot of grackles and starlings in our area that eat all the shelled and whole peanuts we put out, leaving none for the woodpeckers and other nut loving birds. This feeder is doing just what I hoped, allowing the woodpeckers to get some peanuts! The grackles and starlings can get peanuts from this feeder, but is takes a lot of effort on their part and they rarely come to this feeder which is saving me a lot of money! Thank you Birds Choice for making such a high quality feeder!”
“Bought this about a month ago. Took a few weeks for the birds to find. We kept looking to see if the seeds were being eaten. Then we saw these marks (gouging) on each side of the feeder access holes. How long will this feeder last before the holes are too big and the feed pours out?”
