Feeding wild birds in your garden is a great way to enjoy birdwatching without having to leave the comfort of your own home. There are numerous types of wild bird feeders available on the market today, making it easy for you to put out food even in the smallest of gardens. There are even feeders that can be attached directly to windows, allowing you a close up view of the birds as they feed.

Not only is feeding wild birds fun and enjoyable, but there can also be benefits to your garden by attracting these birds, as many of them will also stick around and help clear up unwanted pests such as, caterpillars snails and greenfly.

If you have a small garden with limited to space for different types of bird feeders, then this style of feeder is just what you need. A multi feeder allows you to feed different types of food in one place, each food type having it's own separate compartment.

Multi feeders tend to come as hanging units, either in a tube shaped or hanging platform design. Tube shaped designs are either a single column that has been sectioned off, or a collection of tubes side by side that are designed for different food types. The floating platform style have different sections in the base that can hold different foods or water, and often have attachments that clip on the sides for additional feeding areas.

Hanging bird feeders like the multi feeders are either of a tube or floating table style. This style of wild bird feeder can be easily positioned around the garden, in a variety of places to suit different bird species, and out of reach of predators such as cats.

Tube style hanging feeders are designed to feed certain foods, there are plastic tubes to hold seeds, mesh style tubes to hold nuts and larger wire tubes suitable for holding fat balls or fat cakes. They however need to be placed in an area with cover nearby, feeders hung in exposed areas can leave small birds open to attack from sparrow hawks.

Floating table wild bird feeders are versatile and suitable for all types of birds. They allow you feed a variety of foods such as seed, fat balls, fat cakes, nuts and mealworms. Some come with covers that protect birds from aerial attack and also keep rain off of the food, whilst others also have additional attachments that hang off the sides of the feeder.

Bird tables are versatile and great for feeding all types of wild birds. A well designed table will be high enough to prevent predators such as cats from reaching birds, and also have a canopy that not only keeps rain off of the food but also protects from attack by sparrow hawks.

Bird tables can also be a decorative item for the garden, many come with planters incorporated in the base in which you can plant attractive or perennial plants.

They are best positioned somewhere where there is some cover available nearby in the form of a bush, shrub or tree. This allows birds somewhere they can retreat to if they feel threatened, and also somewhere they can check out the area before approaching the table.

Squirrels can be a real nuisance when trying to feed birds. They are often attracted by nuts or fat balls that we put out for wild birds. Squirrels are intelligent and agile with a good set of sharp teeth that can tear holes in many types of bird feeders.

Squirrel resistant feeders tend to incorporate a tough metal frame around the feeder that allows small birds trough, but prevents squirrels from reaching the food. The outer framework is designed to be tough enough to stop squirrels from chewing through it.

These are great for people with small gardens or anyone that wants to get a closer view of wild birds as they feed. Window bird feeders come in a variety of shapes and styles, and a number of materials such as wood, plastic and wire mesh. They attach to windows via rubber suction cups and allow for a clear view of the birds while they feed.

The different styles allow for feeding of different foods, such as tubular wire feeders for nuts, tubular plastic seed feeders, or table styles where you can any type of food you like. Again it is best if there is a bush, shrub or tree near the window so that birds have a safe area to approach from or retreat to.

If you are serious about attracting wild birds to your garden then, as well as food, it is important that there is a readily available source of drinking water nearby for birds to drink from. Some bird feeders such as the multi feeders incorporate a drinking area in the feeder.

Wild bird drinkers can be purchased separately in the form of pedestal bird baths, hanging bowls or ground bowls. As with other feeders they need to sited in area where they are not easily open to attack from predators such as cats or sparrow hawks.