Best bird tables

By BBC Wildlife Magazine

Published: Friday, 30 September 2022 at 12:00 am

Watching wild birds in your garden is always such an enjoyable experience, and bird tables are a great way to encourage them to visit.

We’ve chosen a range of bird tables to suit gardens of different sizes, styles and budgets – and you may also enjoy our guides to the best window bird feeders and the best bird feeders.

Check out our wildlife gardening hub for more advice, including best books on wildlife gardening, how to make a bird bath, and our garden nestbox guide.

Which birds use bird tables?

A variety of bird species like to visit bird tables, including chaffinches, blue tits, great tits, thrushes, and woodpeckers. You may find that certain species dominant over others – such as starlings, house sparrows, collared doves and members of the corvid family.

The height of the bird table will attract different species – robins, wrens and blackbirds prefer ground level bird tables, whereas others will be happy feeding from any height table.

Where to put a bird table

It’s important to place your bird table correctly, if it’s in the wrong place then you may not get many (or any!) avian visitors.

Like bird feeders, bird tables need to be put somewhere that birds are safe and able to feed without being disturbed. It’s best to avoid putting them right next to hedges or fences, as these can provide perches and hiding spots for cats who may catch the bids. However, a small bush nearby can provide a look-out point for birds to use before flying to your bird table.

How to clean a bird table

Old food should be regularly removed from bird tables to minimise the risk of harmful bacteria passing between birds.

You should also use a mild disinfectant solution to scrub the table every few weeks, and occasionally move the table to stop bird droppings from piling up beneath.

Bempton Bird Table

Painted in a light green, this bird table is a delightful addition to any garden. It is made from FSC-certified timber from sustainably managed sources and features intricate lattice woodwork sides, a Verdigris copper roof and a nature rope for hanging. One of the latticed sides is removable and the tray inside can be lifted out, to make cleaning and replacing of food easier – as well as providing access to the insides for brushing out.

The restricted access provided by the latticed walls and the arches will deter and prevent larger bird species, such as corvids, pigeons and gulls, from accessing the food as well as protection for smaller birds from sparrowhawks.

Size: 30cm (h) x 20cm (w) x 20cm (l)

Weight: 1.2kg

Large Bempton Bird Table

If you love the look of hanging Bempton Bird Table above, but would prefer not to have a hanging bird table, there’s also the option of this wall-mounted option. Like the hanging version, it has a copper Verdigris roof, wooden lattice sides, a removeable side and tray, and is made from FSC-certified timber from sustainably managed forests and painted with a light green colour.

It is a bit larger than the hanging Bempton Bird Table, and comes with support underneath in order to fix it to a fence.

Size: 40cm (h) x 27cm (w) x 27cm (l)

Weight: 1.98g

Ground Feeding Table

Buy now from National Trust (£16.00).

If you prefer a ground feeding table for your garden birds, then this National Trust one should do the job. Made by CJ Wildlife exclusively for the charity, it is made from FSC-certified wood and the stainless steel mesh allows rainwater to drain away.

A ground feeding bird table will attract birds such as robins, blackbirds, thrushes, tits and finches.

Size: 12cm (h) x 33cm (w) x 33cm (l)

Adjus-table Bird Table

Buy now from RSPB (£120.00).

This bird table has a neat mechanism for adjusting the height of the roof, allowing for three different roof heights. This allows you to deter larger bird species such as woodpigeons and collared doves, if required. It is made in Lincolnshire from FSC-certified pine and has a recycled plastic tray that can be removed for cleaning. The roof is also removable in order to make cleaning easier, and is treated with a non-toxic water-based stain. The bird table can be paired with the RSPB’s Table Stable (below) to provide stability.

Size: 162cm (h) x 39cm (w) x 39cm (l)

Open Bird Table

Buy now from RSPB (£50.00).

Made in Lincolnshire from FSC-certified timber, this bird table from the RSPB is open without a roof – providing no shelter for the food put on the table, and not deterring larger birds. It has a recycled plastic tray that can be removed for easy cleaning.

The bird table can be paired with the RSPB’s Table Stable (below) to provide stability.

Size: 34cm (w) x 34cm (l)

Gothic Bird Table

Buy now from RSPB (£85.00).

With a Gothic arch and roof, this RSPB bird table is very elegant and made in Lincolnshire from FSC-certified wood. The recycled plastic tray can be slid out for easy cleaning.

The bird table can be paired with the RSPB’s Table Stable (below) to provide stability.

Size: 41cm (w) x 40cm (l) x 167cm (h)

Table stable

Buy now from RSPB (£19.99).

This adds stability to RSPB bird tables by increasing the footprint, and means that bird tables are less likely to be blown over in high winds.

Size: 7cm (w) x 4cm (d) x 89cm (l)

Hanging Bird Table

Buy now from Woodland Trust (£34.99).

This hanging bird table produced by the Woodland Trust is made from FSC-certified timber and is painted with a water-based paint. The roof is made from real cooper (and colour and patina may vary), and the bird table has a removeable recycled plastic tray for easy cleaning.

Size: 22.5cm (l) x 22.5cm (w) x 31.5cm (h)