[Post updated 12/25/24]
The Kingsyard company is known for their thoughtfully designed, durable bird products and their commitment to conservation—so when I was offered the opportunity to test out a birdfeeder, I jumped at the chance.
Kingsyard Double Suet Upside Down Bird Feeder
The Upside Down Double Suet Feeder that arrived is beautiful. It’s made from heavy-duty recycled plastic, and feels like it will hold up for years. The top (available in blue, red, or green) slides up the hanging wires to install either one or two cakes of suet. The metal cage to access the suet lies on the bottom of the feeder. The idea is that this allows clinging birds like nuthatches, chickadees and woodpeckers to feed in their natural position.
Top of Kingsyard feeder slides up to insert suet
The challenge with this feeder is that it may take a long while for birds to begin using it. While certain birds may feed upside down in the wild, that’s not what they are accustomed to in most gardens. Transitioning to this new type of feeder may take both time and some curious, innovative individual birds to discover the suet and teach others by example. In the first two weeks my feeder was up (one week at my home and another at the home of a friend with more backyard birds), neither of us spotted any birds on the feeder… and then, on Christmas morning, about a month after first installation, the Chickadees discovered it—and kept up a steady stream all morning.
While the feeder is categorized as “squirrel proof,” it was unfortunately no match for Denver’s savvy urban squirrel population. The feeder is durable enough that the squirrels left no chew or claw marks, and they weren’t able to pull out the wire as they had on some of my previous feeders. But to keep the suet for the birds and not the squirrels, you’ll need to employ the standard squirrel-prevention techniques: a high pole with a baffle, far away from bushes and trees or anyplace where they launch their jump. A word of caution: don’t use the slinky-on-the-pole technique—that only gave our squirrels a handy ladder to climb.
The verdict? This is a keeper. I love the looks, the construction, the durability, and the ease of putting in the suet. All of those features would make this a great gift — as long as the recipient understands that this is a gift that may take time for the birds to find.
Rats in cute outfits, a friend calls them. Ask a Birder: do squirrels keep birds away?
When I had feeders, squirrels didn’t keep the birds away, unless they managed to get on the feeder. The squirrels would wait under the feeders for the birds to drop seeds.