The Best Window Bird Feeder to See Birds Up Close

As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases with no additional costs for you.

The best window bird feeder can add a fun new element to your bird watching. Rather than using binoculars to see birds from a distance, birds can come right up to your window. Bird feeders are a great way to get to know about the local wildlife.

The best window bird feeders are clear feeders that attach directly to the window, have good drainage, and provide a sense of safety for birds to keep them in the feeder for longer, and to protect them. Feeders such as the Entirely Zen Birdfeeder are ideal.

When stocking a bird feeder, you’ll have to learn what kind of food each bird likes. You’ll be able to see what sort of birds live in your neighborhood too! It can be a great nature lesson for you and your kids. The best window bird feeder will help you get there.

TIP: If you want to check out the best pair of binoculars for bird watching, we recommend a pair of waterproof and fog-proof 8 x 42 binoculars like the Celestron – Outland X 8×42 Binoculars (Amazon link).

Choosing The Best Window Bird Feeder To Watch Birds

Watching birds is a relaxing and rewarding practice, a way to get in touch with nature without leaving your backyard. When it comes to the best window bird feeders, you don’t even have to leave your house.

There are plenty of good reasons to get a window bird feeder. Maybe you want to see birds up close without scaring them away, or you don’t have a backyard to hang a feeder in. Or, you’re trying to keep squirrels and cats from bothering your feathered friends.

Whatever the reason, the best window bird feeder will let you see them up close and personal. It will take bird-watching from a passive to an active activity from the comfort of your own home.

What Makes A Suitable Window Bird Feeder?

If you’ve never used a bird feeder before, you may be wondering what makes the best window bird feeder.

First of all, consider the types of birds that you want to visit. Any bird that will use a hanging feeder will use a window feeder. But since window feeders can have size restrictions, you may want to think about that.

Your favorite birds may not be able to use every window feeder comfortably, so pick the one that can fit the birds you want to see.

Window bird feeders attach in two primary ways: suction cups and windowsill attachments. While a suction cup may not seem like the most robust fastener, they have no problem holding up both birds and seeds. Windowsill feeders often fit in the space of an open window, but these are generally much less popular.

The older I get, the more I think birds are the best musicians on the planet. Brian Reitzell

You can accommodate different types of bird feed depending on the type of feeder you use. If you want to attract woodpeckers or hummingbirds, there are suet and nectar feeders that fasten to your window.

One of the best benefits of the window bird feeder is that squirrels cannot usually reach the bird feeder. While they may be able to climb on or jump to a hanging bird feeder, window bird feeders give them a lot fewer ways to get there.

Make sure your window bird feeder is at least 5 feet off the ground, and 10 feet away from anywhere a squirrel might jump from

Tips For Using A Window Bird Feeder

If you’ve never used a window bird feeder before, you may not know how to maximize their use.

One of the main things you should do is let birds know that there is new food there. You can do this by scattering seeds on the ground near the feeder. Or, use a feeder that’s already popular and move it close to the window feeder. Both of these will draw birds closer to the window feeder and learn that it’s a good place for food.

Top Tip: If you want to get the best from your window feeder, you must know how to attract birds to a bird feeder. Take a look at this article to learn how to bring birds to your window bird feeder as quickly as possible. Read this article to discover how to see birds up close!

hummingbird is going to the best window bird feeder

Use the best food in your window feeder to make birds want to come to it. High-quality sunflower seeds and similar selections will help birds want to come closer. This is especially helpful because too much activity through the window can scare birds away. So, make sure you also hang the bird feeder in a less-used room.

One thing you shouldn’t worry about is birds running into the window. Since the feeder is on the window, birds will be able to see that it is there. Plus, they won’t be able to pick up enough speed to die from an impact.

At the same time, make sure other feeders are far enough away from the window. Birds only need 3 feet to go fast enough to die from a window impact.

TIP: Choosing the right bird feeder is crucial when you want to attract birds on your backyard. There are a lot of options on how and where to place a bird feeder. Check out my picks on different bird feeders below (Amazon links):
– Free-standing Bird Feeder
– Hanging Bird Feeder
– Bird Feeder with Camera

How We Chose The Best Window Bird Feeder

To help you narrow down the best window bird feeder, we went to two primary sources of reviews.

Professional sites are ideal for narrowing down the large number of window bird feeders available. Websites like Birding Depot use their professional expertise to help curate an excellent selection to choose from.

One of the main benefits of expert sites is that they have a solid knowledge base to build off of. They know what to look for in a bird feeder. So, they may point out things that aren’t immediately apparent to a new window bird feeder user.

Our other source of reviews were customer reviews. Customer reviews can often be far more in-depth than professional reviews, as customers use their bird feeders every day. They can see how these bird feeders hold up to daily use and what does or doesn’t work about them.

Even better, customer reviews are often the opinion of dozens to hundreds of users. This consensus gives us a better idea of each bird feeder’s quality, compared to the single opinion of professional reviews. Because of how critical these reviews are, every bird feeder must be rated 4.0 stars out of 5 or better on Amazon.

Our Top Window Bird Feeders

We’ve listed our picks for the best window bird feeders below. They are included in alphabetical order for your convenience.

Entirely Zen Window Bird Feeder

The Entirely Zen Window Bird Feeder emphasizes visibility with a clear acrylic body and special mirror film insert. Birds are likely to be scared off by kids or pets watching them. With the mirrored backing, you see them, but they can’t see you.

Your birdseed will last longer as well because this feeder has a double-layered drainage tray. The feed won’t clump up or get moldy with this superior drainage.

Gray Bunny Clear Window Bird Feeder

Gray Bunny’s Clear Window Bird Feeder is a thick acrylic that is both sturdy and lightweight. It also offers a price quite a bit lower than other competitors.

The feed tray is extra deep and holds 1.5 cups of birdseed. Because of drainage holes in the bottom of the dish, you won’t have to worry about mold growing too quickly. The feeder tray has a wide grip so birds can stay longer.

HHXRISE Bird Feeder

The HHXRISE Bird Feeder uses wood pillars with a roof to create a sheltered and safe environment for birds. Complete with drainage holes to keep birdseed fresh, this bird feeder will let birds sit and eat comfortably.

One of this bird feeder’s other unique features is a water tray. It sits on the side and gives birds a way to drink. Don’t worry about it flooding the birdseed, either. A drain lets it empty before it splashes into the bird food.

Impact Nature Window Bird Feeder

The Impact Nature Window bird feeder has a lot to make it easy to feed your favorite birds. For one, it has two different trays to hold birdseed. That way, you can fill it with two different types of feed to attract all sorts of birds.

Both trays are easy to remove so you don’t have to take the whole bird feeder off the window. This makes it easy to both fill and clean the feed trays. Plus, this bird feeder has a cushioned rail for birds to rest on.

Miracliy Window Bird Feeder

The Miracliy Window Bird Feeder is one of the largest window bird feeders that we recommend, as it holds up to three cups of birdseed. The tray is easy to remove and has many holes to help with drainage.

Like other window bird feeders, it has a cushion along the rail for birds to rest on. Below the feeding tray is a bird swing for birds to sit on when they’re not eating.

Nature Gear Pure View Hanging Bird Feeder

The Nature Gear Pure View Hanging Bird Feeder is a house-style bird feeder with a long-lasting metal frame. While the roof and the tray are acrylic, there is no barrier between the window and the birds. That way, you can easily see the visitors to your feeder.

This is an ideal bird feeder for wet weather. Condensation won’t gather between the feeder and the window, so your view won’t be blocked. There is an extended roof to make sure no rain gets into the feeder. However, there are always plenty of drainage holes.

Nature Gear Window Bird Feeder

This window bird feeder from Nature Gear is one of the few bird feeders with sidewalls. This helps make sure that squirrels can’t get into the feeder even if they can reach it.

One feature of this feeder is a circular cutout window that lets you see even if the bird feeder steams up. Extra-large suction cups help make sure it stays attached to your window even when it’s busy.

Nature Gear XL Window Bird Feeder

The Nature Gear XL Window Bird Feeder is, as its name suggests, the largest bird feeder offered by Nature Gear. It has an extended window to let you see without any obstructions. It also has four suction cups to make sure this feeder is well-supported.

Like any other best window bird feeder, this one has removable trays to make cleaning and refilling easy. It also has an extended, overhanging roof to keep birds and birdseed dry.

Wild Birds of Joy Window Bird Feeder

The Wild Birds of Joy Window Bird Feeder comes in two sizes. The smaller is solid acrylic, while the larger has a sizable cutout window for better viewing.

The smaller bird feeder does not have a removable seed tray. The large feeder has two so you can introduce some variety into your bird feeding. With two sizes, you can pick the one that works better for your window and your birds.

YUT Clear Window Bird Feeder

The YUT Clear Window Bird Feeder is a house-style bird feeder complete with sidewalls and a cutout to help you see the birds better.

This bird feeder has a deep, removable tray for food. It also has a perch over the tray for birds to rest, giving them more room to enjoy the feeder. This tray also has a divider, so you can fill more than one type of seed. Although it’s a smaller bird feeder, it has four suction cups to keep everything secure.

Which Is The Best Window Bird Feeder?

Ultimately, the best window bird feeder is one that fits your window and the birds in your backyard. Some of the feeders that we’ve recommended here are smaller or have fewer features than others, but that doesn’t make them any less useful.

Whether you get a large bird feeder that has multiple trays for different birdseed or a small one that can only fit a few birds at a time, remember that safety is essential. Keep an eye on any mold in the seed tray. Clean out the feeder every six to eight weeks to make sure no stale or moldy seeds escape your sight.

The best window bird feeder will help keep you and your birds happy. It is easy to clean and refill and will keep birds coming to your window year-round.

TIP: Check out my recommended products if you are looking for the best and trusted equipment for birdwatching in the wild or on your backyard (Amazon link):

Do you use a window bird feeder already? What is your favorite part of using it? Write us a comment and let us know!