Step Aside, Bulky Bird Feeders: The Beautiful Amazon Find For Your Backyard

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If you're the type of person who loves wildlife and tries every tip and trick to attract a diverse variety of birds to your yard, you've probably already looked into bird feeders. As you might have noticed, not all bird feeders are the same, and some are better suited for small spaces or minimalists. Luckily, there's a beautiful Amazon find that you can add to your yard instead of a bulky bird feeder, and it can get the job done all the same. 

This is the Manlikamu Ground Bird Feeder for Outdoors, which is a metal feeding tray that you can fill with birdseed and place in your yard, deck, patio, or balcony. It's a circular tray with raised edges and a short lifted "pedestal" base underneath. At the center, there is a raised piece in the shape of an elk, which birds can use to rest on in addition to the edges of the bowl. The bottom of the bowl is made of a mesh material, which allows water and moisture to escape the receptacle, leaving just the seeds behind. The true benefit of this bird feeder is that it's small and not bulky: it's a circle that's just 11 inches in diameter. The feeder's total height is 3.4 inches. 

This type of small bird feeder can be used in addition to taller ones, especially since putting feeders at different heights is key for attracting birds. It can also be used instead of those bulkier options, especially if you're short on space or already have lots of outdoor furniture cluttering the space. 

While ground bird feeders are small and convenient, they come with some caveats. The main concern is that, since the bird feeder is close to the ground and not hanging from a pole, it can be accessed by ground animals like rodents, too. This means cute and playful little squirrels, but it also means mice and rats. The bowl is designed with a pedestal, which should be high enough to prevent mice and rats from getting in, according to some of the feeder's reviews. For this to work, make sure not to place it near a wall, tree, or bush, which rodents can use to prop themselves up and climb into the bowl. Leave it in an open space, in a garden bed, on a patio, or directly on soil. 

Another option to limit how many rodents take advantage of this bird feeder is to bring it inside at dusk, since rodents are most active at night. You can also fill the feeder with a small amount of seeds in the morning, which should give birds a chance to finish their portion by the end of the day, before mice and rats come out to take a piece. 

If you'd like to avoid all risks, and if you want to also keep squirrels out of your bird feeder, consider treated seeds that rodents don't like. You can buy these seed mixes pre-made, or purchase something like CreatureCops' Spicy Squirrel Seed Sauce that you pour over the seeds yourself. Birds don't mind the flavor, but mammals do. In fact, even a sniff should be enough to turn them away from the feeder.