Platform feeders are simple trays to hold food and seed or fancier structures with a flat surfaces on the bottom. Some birdwatchers favor platform feeders because the platform attracts a different set of birds than tube feeders.

Quick Start

For your porch, patio, deck, or balcony, a hanging platform feeder may work the best. However, if you have the room on a porch, patio, balcony, deck, or stoop, you can also try a ground-level platform feeder.

Styles

Platform feeders come in many styles. The basic style is just a simple platform, but variations include pole-mounted platforms, hanging platforms, and pass-through platforms.

Some designs of platform feeders blur the distinction between types of feeders. Certain platform feeders are sometimes called hoppers or vice-versa. A ground-level platform is not much different than a simple saucer feeder (unless the ground feeder is more elaborate than usual).

What Bird?

Most kinds of platform feeders will attract finches, jays, chickadees, sparrows, cardinals, and more. Ground-level platforms will attract birds such as doves, quails, juncos, cedar waxwings, or towhees.