Tube Feeders vs Cylinder Feeders

Summary: There are so many types of bird feeders on the market and you may be asking which one is best! Join Cheryl and Kiersten as they discuss the differences, pros, and cons of tube feeders and cylinder feeders.

 

For our hearing impaired listeners, a transcript of this podcast follows the show notes on Podbean.

Show Notes:

Tube and Cylinder Feeders: www.wbu.com/mesa

Background bird song:  Naturescapes Backyard Birds www.naturescapes.com

 

Our email address, please reach out with comments, questions, or suggestions: thefeathereddesert@gmail.com

 

Transcript

Host Voice: Welcome to The Feathered Desert’s What’s That Bird? A three-minute glimpse into the birds we share this amazing desert landscape with.

 

Cylinder Feeders versus Tube Feeders

Kiersten: Intro: Welcome to the Feathered Desert. Today we’re talking bird feeders. There seems to be two camps in the backyard bird feeding world when it comes to preferences of feeders and that is cylinder feeders and tube feeders. Sometimes people prefer one or the other and sometimes people use both. So, we’re going to talk about the differences today!

 

Cheryl: Let’s start off talking about what each feeder actually is. The cylinder feeders hold seed cylinders that are cylindrical in shape, are made of various seed mixtures, and are held together with unflavored gelatin. At Wild Birds Unlimited store, you can find feeders that hold cylinders of three different sizes, the stackable that looks like a hockey puck, the small cylinder which looks like a pillar candle and is 1.75 pounds of seed, and the large cylinder that is four pounds of seed.

 

            The tube feeder is what you use loose seeds in and those are the feeders with the clear tube and perches for the birds to sit on. There are typically two types of tube feeder. One will have larger ports for seed mixes with larger seeds such as sunflower seeds and peanuts. The other tube feeder is aimed at finches and will have a tiny port that allows only Nyjer seed to come through. You don’t want to get these two mixed up because the seeds cannot fit through the port properly.

 

Kiersten: Okay now that we know what each feeder actually is, let’s talk about each one in a bit more detail. I know when we are working at the WBU in Mesa we often get customers who ask which is better. The best answer for that is whichever fits easily into your lifestyle, but there are a few pros and cons to each type of feeder.

Looking at cylinder feeders.

Pros:

• Very easy to replace the food. No messy seed you are scooping. Just open the top of your feeder and plop a new cylinder inside.
• You can change up the type of seed mixture very easily. Just buy a new flavor of cylinder. No need to use up a 20 lbs bag of seed before you try something new.
• Less seeds fall on the ground to attract unwanted larger birds that will remain nameless.
• Seed cylinders can last longer than one full tube feeder. Sometimes, depending on which birds you are feeding.
• Most cylinder feeders are a grid design or open to give birds access to the food, so cleaning these feeders is much simpler than a tube feeder. Although you still need to make sure you are cleaning them.
• The gris design is also helpful for cutting back on larger birds getting to the food because only smaller birds are good at clinging. Not 100%.

Cons:

• Buying cylinders can be more expensive than buying loose seed.
• The seed cylinder will dissolve in heavy or all-day rain.
• It may take the birds a little bit longer to try out this kind of feeder if they are not used to it, but once they know what it is they’ll be all over it.

Cheryl: Now let’s look at the tube feeders.

Pros:

• You can buy four different sizes at WBU stores and that lets you determine how much food you wish to give the birds access to at a time.
• You can mix your own seed blends if you like. If you don’t like a pre-made seed blend you can custom make your own.
• The style is pretty universal so birds may be attracted to it a bit faster than a cylinder feeder. Although remember that any new feeder can take the birds a little while to use.
• More nuisance animal deterrent options available.
• The tube offers better protection against the rain.

Cons:

• It is typically easier for larger birds to use the perches. Depending on how you feel about that you may not like this feeder as well.
• It can be a bit messier with the seed falling through the ports when a heavy wind blows or a large bird jostles the feeder.
• Birds can typically eat through the food faster because they don’t have to work at getting the seed off of a cylinder of seed.
• Can be more difficult to clean, but you can use a bottle brush to get down the tube and into the port holes.

 

Kiersten: Those are some pros and cons to both cylinder feeders and tube feeders that will hopefully make choosing a style easier for you. When you go to your local Wild Birds Unlimited or bird feeding hobby store look at both styles and see which one you like. Ultimately, the best feeder is the one that fits into you lifestyle and is the easiest for you to clean.