Once the word is out that your yard has free food, the birds will start showing up in higher numbers. If you have small feeders that can’t hold much seed it can get to where you have to refill the feeders quite often. So for this article I rounded up some of the best large capacity bird feeders I could find and put them in the following list.
We’ve used some of these feeders personally like the North States Superfeeder, the Squirrel Buster Plus, and the Droll Yankees Flipper. Others we have not used, but they check all the boxes and look like solid feeders so I added them to this list.
I ended up with a list of 8 different large capacity bird feeders. They all hold lots of bird seed and are accompanied by plenty of good reviews.
Let’s take a look.
8 of the best large capacity bird feeders
Best tube – Squirrel Buster Plus – Holds 5.1 lbs seed
Best value – Stokes Select Giant Feeder – Holds 10 lbs seed
I tried to keep the minimum capacity at about 5 lbs of seed for the following list bird feeders.
1. Woodlink Absolute Squirrel Resistant Bird Feeder
Best large capacity hopper feeder
Capacity: 15 lbs seed
Squirrel proof: Yes
Feeder type: Metal hopper
The Woodlink Absolute has been a popular large capacity squirrel-proof feeder for years. It is all metal, holds 15 lbs of seed, is squirrel proof, and can be hung or pole mounted. It does include a pole and mounting hardware. Birds are able to feed from both the front and back of this hopper feeder. It has adjustable weight settings for the squirrel-proof mechanism.
2. Squirrel Buster Plus Wild Bird Feeder
Best large capacity tube feeder
Capacity: 5.1 lbs seed ea.
Squirrel proof: Yes
Feeder type: Tube
The Squirrel Buster Plus is part of the Squirrel Buster Lineup. This bird feeder is one of the most well known and popular squirrel-proof bird feeders. They are made really well and when it comes to keeping squirrels out of your seed, they really work. They hold about 5 lbs of seed each, but they do have them in a 2 pack for those of us who feed more birds than usual. Overall a great feeder.
3. North States Superfeeder
Capacity: 10-12 lbs seed
Squirrel proof: No
Feeder type: Triple-tube
We just recently got this feeder, it was a Christmas gift actually. It’s not as nice as the first two on this list, but it is a nice feeder. Unfortunately it isn’t squirrel-proof, but I’m looking into getting a squirrel baffle for it. I think a baffle like this one could work. My mom has this same feeder and likes it, we’ll see how mine holds up. So far so good!
4. Droll Yankees Flipper
Capacity: 5 lbs seed
Squirrel proof: Yes
Feeder type: Tube
Coming in at a 5 lbs capacity is the Droll Yankees Flipper, which repel squirrels in a different manner than any other on this list. When it detects a squirrel on the perch it starts spinning and the squirrel goes flying. Aside from that it’s a quality bird feeder from a well-known company, and it holds a fair amount of seed. Solid bird feeder.
5. Heritage Farms Delux Gazebo Bird Feeder
Capacity: 10 lbs seed
Squirrel proof: No
Feeder type: Gazebo Hopper
This hopper feeder in the shape of a Gazebo has a unique and classy look. It is a hanging feeder and had plenty of room all around the seed tray for lots of perching birds. The top opens for easy filling and the unit holds about 10 lbs of seed. It is made of plastic so may easily crack if dropped, so make sure it is hung securely.
6. Stokes Select Giant Combo Feeder
Best value large capacity feeder
Capacity: 10 lbs seed
Squirrel proof: No
Feeder type: Double-tube
I have this option from Stokes as the best large capacity bird feeder, if you’re on a budget. It’s made of powder-coated copper, so while it’s not technically squirrel-proof, it is at least chew-proof. It hold up to 10 lbs of bird seed in 2 different seed compartments. In addition Stokes says they donate a small portion of their profits to bird habitat conservation.
7. Meleave Heavy Duty Metal Hanging Feeder
Capacity: 6.5 lbs seed
Squirrel proof: No
Feeder type: Mesh
This large, square feeder is made from a heavy duty metal mesh. There are plenty of perches on all sides and an open trough for birds to feed from. Small and large birds would be comfortable at this feeder.
However, because the seed is exposed to the elements, I wouldn’t get this one unless your birds can finish all the seed within a few days. You wouldn’t want seed that has gotten wet to sit for too long in this feeder and have a chance to get moldy.
8. Copper Spade Cedar and Mesh Hanging Bird Feeder
Capacity: 16 lbs
Squirrel proof: No
Feeder type: Hopper
It’s not really a hopper feeder, and it’s certainly not a tube feeder. This extra-large cedar and metal bird feeder is quite unique looking and can feed a lot of birds at once. In addition to the 16 lbs of seed it claims to hold, it has 8 perches on the sides plus the wrap-around perch on the bottom made of cedar. Again, not squirrel-proof, but it is aesthetically pleasing with it’s almost Japanese-style roof and feel.
A few things to consider
Overall goal
Why are you looking for a large-capacity bird feeder? If you just want a larger feeder so you don’t have to fill it up with seed as often, then any of the feeders on this list could work for you.
However, if you need some other features or have some requirements then consider the following items as well.
Squirrel-proof
People that are outside of the bird feeding world probably don’t understand what the big deal is about squirrel-proof bird feeders. Squirrels will easily overtake a bird feeder, so much so that birds won’t even be able to eat from it.
That means you’ve essentially just purchased a squirrel feeder. If you’re ok with that or don’t have many squirrels in your yard, then don’t worry about a squirrel-proof feature. IF you have a bunch of trees and squirrels in your yard, you may want a large capacity squirrel proof bird feeder.
Budget
You can get some halfway-decent feeders for under $25, some are going to be over $100. As with most things, you get what you pay for. I strongly suggest that if you can afford it, get a nicer high-end feeder that will last you for years and is backed by a respected company in the industry. I can personally vouch for the durability and customer service of Brome (Squirrel Buster Plus), Droll Yankees (Yankee Flipper), as well as Stokes.
I tried to have some options on this list that work for everyone’s budget. If you aren’t worried about saving a few bucks, then you can see our top recommendations above.
Look and style
Are you concerned about the look of the feeder, or do you want a certain style? You can check out this article that shows 11 different styles of bird feeders to get some ideas. However most large capacity bird feeders are going to be similar styles.
If you’re open to whatever then this aspect shouldn’t be an issue. After all, the birds don’t care what color the feeder is…. or do they?
Wrap up
This hopefully gave you an idea of what’s available in terms of large capacity bird feeders. Sometimes it’s easier to just buy multiple smaller bird feeders in order to feed more birds.
Other times though you’d just like to have one feeder that is big enough for everyone. Either way, I hope you found some value in this article and maybe even found an extra large capacity bird feeder that works for you.
Happy birding!
