Hi Karen, Thank you for your review of the Squirrel-X X1 Squirrel-Proof Bird Feeder with Spring Loaded Perches. We are thrilled to know you love this feeder! Yes the bottom does come off to clean. You can find the cleaning instructions on the product page listed under Instruction Manual. Those instructions are here: https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0263/1198/3157/files/11_X1_Print_Ready-UPDATED.pdf?v=1604329998. There are two screws on the bottom that you can remove to be able to remove the metal base. If you have any other questions, comments or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to our Customer Service Team at 1-800-352-9164. Thank you for flying with our flock!

Hi Eric, Thank you for your review of the Squirrel-X X1 Squirrel-Proof Bird Feeder with Spring-Loaded Perches. We are sorry to hear that the feeder is getting stuck in the closed position every time a large bird or squirrel lands on the perches. It should not get stuck closed, so this sounds like a manufacturing issue. Depending on where you purchased and how long it has been since you purchased, we suggest attempting to return and or exchange the feeder with the retailer. If you purchased directly from us you are welcome to speak with our customer service team and see what options we have. We also have some placement suggestions that may help, since the feeder will not be accessible by squirrels, so there will be less attempts. Squirrels are agile and are able to jump up to 8ft horizontally and 4ft vertically. For this reason, we recommend that feeders be placed 8ft away from any structures that they can climb on so that they do not reach across to access the feeding holes. It can be helpful to trim back and prune any nearby bushes or branches within 12ft of a feeder. We also recommend that feeders be placed higher than 4ft off the ground, preventing the squirrels from jumping and grabbing onto the bottom. If you are using a hook or pole, we recommend that the hook have at least a 16in distance from the pole. Placing a baffle on the pole or having a caged feeder will also help to ensure squirrel-proofing success. We hope this helps and we do apologize for the inconvenience. If you have any other questions, comments or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to our customer service team at 1-800-352-9164. Thank you for flying with our flock!

Hi Carol, Thank you for your review of the Squirrel-X X1 Squirrel-Proof Bird Feeder with Spring Loaded Perches. Yes, this feeder is designed to help keep the squirrels away, so unfortunately that does not include black birds. You could try offering safflower seed in the feeder. Black birds do not like that type of seed. If you have any other questions, comments or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to our Customer Service Team at 1-800-352-9164. Thank you for flying with our flock!

Hi Susan, Thank you for your review of the Squirrel-X X1 Squirrel-Proof Bird Feeder with Spring Loaded Perches. We are beyond thrilled to see your overall satisfaction with this feeder! Your yard sounds beautiful and how lucky to have such amazing wildlife to watch! We hope you and your birds can enjoy this feeder all year long! If you have any other questions, comments or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to our Customer Service Team at 1-800-352-9164. Thank you for flying with our flock!