3 Better Ways to Fill Your Bird Feeder

Birds are known to make a mess when chowing down, but filling up the feeders doesn’t have to be a debacle. Keep the chaos out of filling your feeder by using one of these super easy solutions. All three of these items can simplify the task of refilling feeders – plus, they’re all one-handed! You’ll be ditching that old coffee can in no time.

Common Feeding Woes

Most people new to the world of backyard birdwatching tend to rely on the basics to refill feeders. This means stashing an old coffee can in the bottom of the bag of seed, or worse: pouring straight from the bag and trying to steer an avalanche of seed into the feeder’s tiny target.

These old tactics just don’t cut it – for many reasons. The rim on a regular cup isn’t designed to allow for a steady pour, unless it has a built-in spout. Most cups, scoops, and bags result in spilled seed that can become a nightmare to clean up. If a spill happens around the feeder, the birds are still likely to find the food, but accidental spills can also put birds in danger (if they happen near the driveway or street), not to mention make it more difficult to spot the birds from indoors.

See also: Storage Tips for Keeping Bird Food Fresh

On top of that, refilling several feeders can take tons of time when you’re working with a small scoop. The average bird feeder may take close to 10 trips back and forth when refilling it with a coffee cup. This mini-marathon can quickly zap the fun out of filling the feeders.

Be honest – what’s your go-to feeding method? No matter how archaic your current setup, if it’s resulting in messy spills or time-consuming trips that end in strained muscles, it’s time to upgrade to a smarter solution. Take a look at these three easy ways to refill bird feeders.

Keep It Under Control

One of the biggest issues with pouring birdseed straight from the bag or a regular cup is that you can’t control how fast the seed comes rolling out – especially in a mixed bag with seeds of different sizes. That problem is solved with the More Birds® Seed Scoop, which is built with an easy-to-use seed stopper to improve control. The generous scoop holds 1.33 pounds of seed, and you simply tip it up like you’re holding a bouquet. This vertical design makes it easy to hold with one hand and relieves muscle strain. The narrow shoot at the bottom can then be held above feeder for a precise aim – super practical for tubular feeders that are often narrow and tricky to refill.

See also: 5 Tips for How to Introduce a New Feeder to Your Backyard Birds

Easy on the Wrist

If toting around birdseed in cups or classic scoops puts strain on your wrists, the Droll Yankees Seed Scoop is the perfect fix! This scoop has a tapered shape with a large opening on one side for easy scooping and a small hole on the other for controlled pouring. The curved design makes it easy to carry around a whopping 2 pounds of seed without spilling, and the flat bottom means you can set the scoop down at any time, knowing it won’t roll, tip, or send birdseed spilling out. This scoop is a great way to hit all the feeders in the yard in one pass – even if that means setting the scoop down and taking a break to watch the birds on the way. Plus, it’s a bright blue color that’s easy to spot amongst other yard and garden tools in the shed.

Store-and-Go Solution

Store it and pour it, all from the same vessel! Unlike traditional methods that require both a container to store birdseed and a scoop to take out to the feeders, the More Birds® 3N1 Super Tote simplifies things. It allows you to store up to 5 pounds of birdseed in the same container that’s build with a spout for pouring directly into feeders. The top lid secures tightly to keep food fresh, and the tote is built with a large, easy-to-grip handle, so you can carry it straight out to the feeder without messing around with scoops or lids. In addition, the spout is quite small, meaning you still have full control over how much – and how fast – seed comes out.

No matter which of these three feeding solutions have caught your eye, it’s time to upgrade! Ditch the old coffee can, and pick out an easy, smart solution that’s designed to simplify the routine of refilling the feeders.