Bird feeder
A feeder is a food source, and everything can read it.
Squirrels, raccoons, bears where they occur, and hawks all respond to a bird feeder. So do rats, which is the reason to take it seriously.
A feeder concentrates high-calorie food in a fixed place, refilled on a schedule. That is a strong signal in a landscape where food is normally scattered and seasonal. Anything capable of reaching it will, and the spillage below feeds a second set of animals at ground level.
What you are hearing
Emptied overnight with the lid displaced is a raccoon. Emptied by day with chewed ports is a squirrel. A sudden absence of birds for a day or two usually means a Cooper’s or Sharp-shinned Hawk is hunting the feeder, which is normal and passes.
What to do
- 01Mount the feeder on a smooth metal pole with a baffle, at least ten feet from anything jumpable.
- 02Bring feeders in at night wherever raccoons or bears are active.
- 03Sweep or rake spilled seed regularly; the ground below is what attracts rodents.
- 04Use a seed tray, and switch to hulled seed to cut waste.
- 05Take feeders down entirely for a fortnight if you see any sign of sick birds.
What not to do
- Do not grease the pole, which fouls fur and feathers.
- Do not use spicy or treated seed to deter squirrels.
- Do not leave a feeder up unwashed; feeders transmit disease between birds.
Stopping it happening again
- Clean feeders with dilute bleach every two weeks.
- Choose one feeder type well sited over several poorly sited ones.
- Move feeders within three feet of a window or beyond thirty feet to cut strike risk.
When to call someone licensed
Only for bears, or if you suspect a rat population is established.
Find a rehabilitatorUnderstand the animal
A hawk at a feeder is not a problem with the feeder. It is the feeder working as advertised, one level up the food chain.