Why You Should Add A Hood To Your Backyard Bird Feeder

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

Adding a feeder to your backyard is one way to attract bird species you might otherwise not see so often, such as bluebirds or nuthatches. The food you offer in the bird feeder influences which ones may come to visit. For instance, to bring in songbirds, one method is to provide the nourishing foods they enjoy, such as a mix of fruit, seeds and nuts. No matter which foods you offer — or whether the bird feeder is a tube, tray, house-shaped hopper, or a simple Mason jar repurposed as a bird feeder — leaving the same batch of bird food out in the elements too long could make it less appealing to the birds; it could even get waterlogged or develop mold. One way to help prevent the problem is to add a hood or rain guard to the feeder. A hood is a canopy covering an area wider than the feeder itself, keeping the seed — and any bird dining on it — out of rain or snow, or at least more dry than at a similar, hoodless feeder. 

While you could purchase a feeder that already has a hood or roof, you can just as easily add one yourself. Options abound when it comes to bird feeder hoods, so it's easy enough to find one that pairs well with the style of your bird feeder. For example, with house-shaped hopper-style bird feeders, you'll want a hood that's larger than entire feeder tray area to protect the seed that's in the tray as well. 

One common bird feeder hood is a basic dome shape, such as the Birds Choice DOME protective cover. It looks a bit like an upside down bowl, with hardware to hang it and to suspend the birdfeeder beneath it. The Birds Choice model comes in clear and a number of other translucent colors such as red, blue, and orange. A red dome or hood could come in handy over a hummingbird feeder, as hummingbirds are attracted to red and similar hues. Any see-through hood still allows you to see when the feeder needs to be refilled. The dome usually covers just the top of a bird feeder, so it won't be confusing to birds trying to fly to or from their perch. If it's on the large side, it also serves as a sort of squirrel baffle for squirrels approaching from the top. 

Not all bird feeder hoods are domes. Some are conical, some look like umbrellas or parasols, and others, such as the copper leaf rain guard by Heath Outdoor Products, are more decorative in nature. This diversity in size, shape, and design means you can customize the rain guard to pair not only with the bird feeder, but with your porch, yard, or garden's look.