Took down my big feeder for a tube feeder, now I'm second guessing

After three months of the jumbo hopper feeder emptying in like 48 hours, I swapped it out for a small tube feeder with just four ports. I figured it would slow down the house sparrows, but now the cardinals seem lost and the mourning doves stopped visiting entirely because they can't perch on it. My yard in Des Moines feels way quieter, and I'm wondering if I traded one problem for another. Has anyone else tried downsizing feeders and found a middle ground that keeps the bigger birds happy?

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1 Comment

ivan_fisher991mo ago

Have you tried keeping the tube feeder but adding a platform tray underneath it? I did that exact thing after my goldfinches went on strike, and now the doves hang out on the tray like it's their personal buffet while the cardinals figure out the ports eventually. My yard in Minneapolis looked like a ghost town for two weeks before I caved, so I feel your pain. Just don't be like me and spend $80 on three different feeders trying to solve a problem that a $12 tray could've fixed from the start.