| The hopper feeder takes the platform feeder to the next step by enclosing the platform on all four sides with walls, and putting a roof on it. Usually one or two of the sides will have a clear plastic insert so you can watch the seed level. You fill the hopper with seed, most often by lifting the roof, and the seed in turn funnels out the bottom onto a small platform, or ledge. There are many different shapes and sizes of hopper feeders, but they all basically work the same way. The benefits of a hopper feeder is that the seed is protected from the elements, and you probably won't have to fill it every day. If you want to start with one basic feeder, this is the one I would recommend. This type of feeder is appealing to many songbirds large and small, and you can use most seeds with this type of feeder. |
