Best platform and tray bird feeders

A platform feeder is a flat surface with nothing on it. That is its entire advantage: there is no port sized for a particular bill, no perch sized for a particular foot, and no mechanism to fail. Cardinals, jays, doves, juncos, towhees and sparrows all use one immediately, and so does everything a tube feeder already serves. The cost is that it protects nothing — not the seed from the rain, not the seed from the squirrels. Every decision on this page is about limiting that cost. Every figure is the maker's own, read on the dates in the sources; we have not handled these feeders.

What we judged on

1. Drainage, first and above everything. A solid-bottomed tray is a bowl, and a bowl of sunflower after rain is a mold culture. A mesh or screen floor is not a nice-to-have on an open feeder, it is the feature.
2. Whether the floor lifts out. Birds stand on the food here, so the feeding surface gets fouled in a way a tube never does. A screen you can remove is a feeder that stays in service.
3. Roof or no roof. A fly-thru design keeps rain off without blocking the view or the access. It roughly doubles the price, and in a wet climate it is worth it.
4. How it mounts. Hanging, pole, post or legs on the ground. This decides more than it looks: the two largest feeders here weigh 8.5 and 12 lb empty and cannot be hung at all.
5. Usable surface. The spread on this page runs from 10 in square to 21.5 in square — a factor of more than four in area, and the difference between two birds and a dozen.
6. What the maker publishes. Birds Choice publishes dimensions, weight, material, mounting and a species list for all three of its feeders here. Perky-Pet publishes a capacity and a materials claim and no dimensions at all.

The picks

Ranked picks with what each is best for, our score out of ten, the budget band it falls in, and a link to check its current price on Amazon.

#	Pick	Best for	Score	Price
01	Birds Choice Large Fly-Thru Feeder (SNFT-300)A 19 in roofed platform in recycled poly lumber with a removable steel drainage screen, that converts to a covered ground feeder with a leg set.Under $250	The platform feeder you buy once and never replace	8.2out of 10	$139.99 · View on Amazon #ad Price as of September 21, 2026. How we are funded
02	Birds Choice Large Seed Catcher Platform, Pole Mount (SNSC-300)A 21.5 in square screened tray that slides down the pole under another feeder — it feeds ground birds on what the feeder above spills.Under $250	Catching the mess under a hopper, and feeding from it too	7.8out of 10	$116.99 · View on Amazon #ad Price as of September 21, 2026. How we are funded
03	Perky-Pet Fly-Thru Wild Bird Feeder (B00303-2)All-metal mesh on four sides with two open feeding stations under a roof — the cheapest way to give big birds somewhere to stand and keep the seed dry.Under $50	An open feeder with a roof on it, for the least money	7.5out of 10	$24.99 · View on Amazon $39.2936% off #ad Price as of September 21, 2026. How we are funded
04	Birds Choice Small Hanging Platform Feeder (GSHPF100)A 10 in square of recycled poly lumber with a stainless mesh floor — no roof, no ports, nothing to go wrong, and every bird in the yard can stand on it.Under $50	The simplest possible open tray, done properly	7.4out of 10	$29.99 · View on Amazon #ad Price as of September 21, 2026. How we are funded

Ranked for a yard that wants one platform to do most of the work. If you already have a pole feeder and a bare patch of ground under it, go straight to the seed catcher instead.

Pick 01

The platform feeder you buy once and never replace

Birds Choice Large Fly-Thru Feeder (SNFT-300)

A 19 in roofed platform in recycled poly lumber with a removable steel drainage screen, that converts to a covered ground feeder with a leg set.

Score

8.2

Perch room

10.0

Durability

10.0

Weather protection

8.5

Value

5.5

Budget band

Under $250

$139.99 · View on Amazon

#ad Price as of September 21, 2026. How we are funded

Published specifications

Dimensions

19 in L x 15.75 in W x 13 in H, 12 lbSource: Birds Choice, Fly-Thru Bird Feeder in Taupe and Green Recycled Plastic, Large (SKU SNFT-300) product page, birdschoice.com, read 2026-09-20

Design

Fly-through: a roof on posts with no obstruction between the birds and youSource: Birds Choice, Fly-Thru Bird Feeder in Taupe and Green Recycled Plastic, Large (SKU SNFT-300) product page, birdschoice.com, read 2026-09-20

Material

Recycled poly lumber, which the maker guarantees will never crack, split or fadeSource: Birds Choice, Fly-Thru Bird Feeder in Taupe and Green Recycled Plastic, Large (SKU SNFT-300) product page, birdschoice.com, read 2026-09-20

Drainage

Removable polyester powder-coated steel screenSource: Birds Choice, Fly-Thru Bird Feeder in Taupe and Green Recycled Plastic, Large (SKU SNFT-300) product page, birdschoice.com, read 2026-09-20

Hardware

Powder-coated steel brackets, stainless steel screwsSource: Birds Choice, Fly-Thru Bird Feeder in Taupe and Green Recycled Plastic, Large (SKU SNFT-300) product page, birdschoice.com, read 2026-09-20

Mounting

1 in pole via the maker's #1202 flange, or a covered ground feeder with its #SNLS leg set — both sold separatelySource: Birds Choice, Fly-Thru Bird Feeder in Taupe and Green Recycled Plastic, Large (SKU SNFT-300) product page, birdschoice.com, read 2026-09-20

Birds the maker lists

Cardinals, chickadees, siskins, purple finches, grosbeaks, titmice, jays, nuthatches, woodpeckers, goldfinches, house finches, juncos, sparrows, towheesSource: Birds Choice, Fly-Thru Bird Feeder in Taupe and Green Recycled Plastic, Large (SKU SNFT-300) product page, birdschoice.com, read 2026-09-20

Made in

USASource: Birds Choice, Fly-Thru Bird Feeder in Taupe and Green Recycled Plastic, Large (SKU SNFT-300) product page, birdschoice.com, read 2026-09-20

Maker's list price and stock

$148.99, in stock and ready to ship on 2026-09-20Source: Birds Choice, Fly-Thru Bird Feeder in Taupe and Green Recycled Plastic, Large (SKU SNFT-300) product page, birdschoice.com, read 2026-09-20

What it gets right

• A roof and an open floor at the same time — the only combination that keeps seed dry without blocking the view
• 19 in across is genuinely large; several big birds feed without displacing each other
• Converts to a covered ground feeder with the maker's leg set, which is how you reach juncos, doves and towhees
• Recycled poly lumber with stainless screws: nothing on it rots, rusts or fades

What it does not

• By far the most expensive feeder on this page, and the mounting hardware is extra on top
• 12 lb empty — this is a pole or post feeder and nothing else
• Completely open to squirrels, and too big for most baffles to protect properly
• Its size makes it a commitment: it dominates a small garden visually

Who it is for

Someone with a post or a real pole who wants one feeder that serves every ground-and-tray species at once, and is buying for the next twenty years rather than this season.

Skip this if

You have nowhere to mount it. There is no hanging option in the box, it weighs 12 lb empty, and both the pole flange and the leg set are separate purchases.

Pick 02

Catching the mess under a hopper, and feeding from it too

Birds Choice Large Seed Catcher Platform, Pole Mount (SNSC-300)

A 21.5 in square screened tray that slides down the pole under another feeder — it feeds ground birds on what the feeder above spills.

Score

7.8

Perch room

10.0

Durability

10.0

Versatility

6.0

Value

5.5

Budget band

Under $250

$116.99 · View on Amazon

#ad Price as of September 21, 2026. How we are funded

Published specifications

Dimensions

21.5 in W x 21.5 in L x 2.625 in H, 8.5 lbSource: Birds Choice, Seed Catcher Platform Bird Feeder Pole Mount in Taupe Recycled Plastic, Large (SKU SNSC-300) product page, birdschoice.com, read 2026-09-20

Pole fit

1.5 in diameter hole through the center for the poleSource: Birds Choice, Seed Catcher Platform Bird Feeder Pole Mount in Taupe Recycled Plastic, Large (SKU SNSC-300) product page, birdschoice.com, read 2026-09-20

Material

Recycled poly lumber, which the maker guarantees will never crack, split or fadeSource: Birds Choice, Seed Catcher Platform Bird Feeder Pole Mount in Taupe Recycled Plastic, Large (SKU SNSC-300) product page, birdschoice.com, read 2026-09-20

Drainage

2 polyester powder-coated screensSource: Birds Choice, Seed Catcher Platform Bird Feeder Pole Mount in Taupe Recycled Plastic, Large (SKU SNSC-300) product page, birdschoice.com, read 2026-09-20

Fasteners

Stainless steelSource: Birds Choice, Seed Catcher Platform Bird Feeder Pole Mount in Taupe Recycled Plastic, Large (SKU SNSC-300) product page, birdschoice.com, read 2026-09-20

Mounting

1 in pole via the maker's #1202 flange, or a ground feeder with its #SNLS leg set — both sold separatelySource: Birds Choice, Seed Catcher Platform Bird Feeder Pole Mount in Taupe Recycled Plastic, Large (SKU SNSC-300) product page, birdschoice.com, read 2026-09-20

Birds the maker lists

Cardinals, chickadees, purple finches, grosbeaks, titmice, jays, woodpeckers, doves, goldfinches, house finches, juncos, sparrows, towheesSource: Birds Choice, Seed Catcher Platform Bird Feeder Pole Mount in Taupe Recycled Plastic, Large (SKU SNSC-300) product page, birdschoice.com, read 2026-09-20

Made in

USASource: Birds Choice, Seed Catcher Platform Bird Feeder Pole Mount in Taupe Recycled Plastic, Large (SKU SNSC-300) product page, birdschoice.com, read 2026-09-20

Maker's list price and stock

$124.99, in stock and ready to ship on 2026-09-20Source: Birds Choice, Seed Catcher Platform Bird Feeder Pole Mount in Taupe Recycled Plastic, Large (SKU SNSC-300) product page, birdschoice.com, read 2026-09-20

What it gets right

• It solves two problems with one object: the spill pile under the feeder, and the ground birds with nowhere clean to feed
• 21.5 in square is the largest feeding surface on this page by a wide margin
• Two removable screens rather than one, so the whole floor lifts out to be cleaned
• Doves and towhees appear on the maker's own species list — birds a hanging feeder never serves

What it does not

• It needs a pole with a feeder already on it; as a stand-alone purchase it makes little sense
• The 1.5 in center hole fixes how you can use it — this is not a hanging feeder
• Expensive for what is, structurally, a screened frame
• A large open tray at squirrel height is a squirrel platform as much as a bird one

Who it is for

Anyone with a pole feeder, a dead patch of grass underneath it, and juncos or doves that currently feed in the mud.

Skip this if

Your feeder hangs from a hook or a branch. This is built to slide onto a pole underneath a pole-mounted feeder, and without one it has no job to do.

Pick 03

An open feeder with a roof on it, for the least money

Perky-Pet Fly-Thru Wild Bird Feeder (B00303-2)

All-metal mesh on four sides with two open feeding stations under a roof — the cheapest way to give big birds somewhere to stand and keep the seed dry.

Score

7.5

Perch room

7.5

Value

9.5

Capacity

4.0

Durability

7.5

Budget band

Under $50

$24.99 · View on Amazon

$39.2936% off

#ad Price as of September 21, 2026. How we are funded

Published specifications

Seed capacity

Up to 2 lb of black-oil sunflower seedSource: Perky-Pet, Fly-Thru Wild Bird Feeder (model B00303-2) product page, perkypet.com, read 2026-09-20

Feeding stations

2 fly-through stations, with mesh on all four sidesSource: Perky-Pet, Fly-Thru Wild Bird Feeder (model B00303-2) product page, perkypet.com, read 2026-09-20

Seed it takes

Sunflower seed or peanutsSource: Perky-Pet, Fly-Thru Wild Bird Feeder (model B00303-2) product page, perkypet.com, read 2026-09-20

Material

All metal — the maker states no plastic and no woodSource: Perky-Pet, Fly-Thru Wild Bird Feeder (model B00303-2) product page, perkypet.com, read 2026-09-20

Weather

Protective roof to help keep seed drySource: Perky-Pet, Fly-Thru Wild Bird Feeder (model B00303-2) product page, perkypet.com, read 2026-09-20

Lid

Sure-Lock cap system to lock the lid in placeSource: Perky-Pet, Fly-Thru Wild Bird Feeder (model B00303-2) product page, perkypet.com, read 2026-09-20

Warranty

1 year from date of purchaseSource: Perky-Pet, Fly-Thru Wild Bird Feeder (model B00303-2) product page, perkypet.com, read 2026-09-20

Dimensions and weight

Not published by the manufacturer in a form we could verify on the maker's product page

Maker's list price

$39.29 list, shown at a special price of $27.49 on 2026-09-20Source: Perky-Pet, Fly-Thru Wild Bird Feeder (model B00303-2) product page, perkypet.com, read 2026-09-20

What it gets right

• A roof over an open feeder, which is the combination large birds want and most trays do not offer
• All metal, so there is no plastic port for a squirrel to chew into
• Mesh on four sides means the birds are visible from wherever you happen to be sitting
• Takes peanuts as well as sunflower, which widens the species list at no extra cost

What it does not

• 2 lb is the smallest capacity here; a busy yard empties it in a day or two
• The maker publishes no dimensions and no weight at all
• Mesh sides mean seed gets wet from driving rain regardless of the roof
• Nothing about it excludes squirrels or large flocking birds

Who it is for

Someone testing whether an open feeder changes which birds show up, without spending hopper money to find out.

Skip this if

You want to fill a feeder once a week. At 2 lb this is a feeder for watching rather than for walking away from, and the bigger platform feeders here hold several times as much.

Pick 04

The simplest possible open tray, done properly

Birds Choice Small Hanging Platform Feeder (GSHPF100)

A 10 in square of recycled poly lumber with a stainless mesh floor — no roof, no ports, nothing to go wrong, and every bird in the yard can stand on it.

Score

7.4

Perch room

8.5

Simplicity

10.0

Weather protection

2.0

Value

8.0

Budget band

Under $50

$29.99 · View on Amazon

#ad Price as of September 21, 2026. How we are funded

Published specifications

Dimensions

10 in L x 10 in W x 2.125 in H, 1.25 lbSource: Birds Choice, Small Hanging Platform Bird Feeder in Blue Recycled Plastic (SKU GSHPF100-LB) product page, birdschoice.com, read 2026-09-20

Material

Recycled poly lumber, which the maker guarantees will never crack, split or fadeSource: Birds Choice, Small Hanging Platform Bird Feeder in Blue Recycled Plastic (SKU GSHPF100-LB) product page, birdschoice.com, read 2026-09-20

Floor

Patented expanded stainless steel mesh screen, for drainageSource: Birds Choice, Small Hanging Platform Bird Feeder in Blue Recycled Plastic (SKU GSHPF100-LB) product page, birdschoice.com, read 2026-09-20

Hardware

Stainless steel hanging rods and fasteners, plus a stainless S-hook the maker says keeps it hanging straightSource: Birds Choice, Small Hanging Platform Bird Feeder in Blue Recycled Plastic (SKU GSHPF100-LB) product page, birdschoice.com, read 2026-09-20

Seed capacity

Not published by the manufacturer in a form we could verify — an open tray has no fixed capacitySource: Birds Choice, Small Hanging Platform Bird Feeder in Blue Recycled Plastic (SKU GSHPF100-LB) product page, birdschoice.com, read 2026-09-20

Made in

USASource: Birds Choice, Small Hanging Platform Bird Feeder in Blue Recycled Plastic (SKU GSHPF100-LB) product page, birdschoice.com, read 2026-09-20

Maker's list price and stock

$31.99, in stock and ready to ship on 2026-09-20Source: Birds Choice, Small Hanging Platform Bird Feeder in Blue Recycled Plastic (SKU GSHPF100-LB) product page, birdschoice.com, read 2026-09-20

What it gets right

• There is no wrong way for a bird to use it — no port size, no perch length, no learning curve
• A stainless mesh floor drains, which is the single thing that separates a usable tray from a seed-mold tray
• 1.25 lb, so an ordinary hook holds it — unusual for a poly lumber feeder
• Takes anything: sunflower, mixed seed, mealworms, fruit, leftovers from another feeder

What it does not

• No roof at all, so seed is exposed to every rain shower
• An open tray feeds squirrels, jays and doves exactly as well as it feeds cardinals
• Small — 10 in square is a two or three bird feeder, not a flock feeder
• Holds no reserve, so it needs topping up daily rather than filling weekly

Who it is for

Anyone who wants to find out what their yard will actually eat, or who needs a second feeder that the birds excluded by a tube can use.

Skip this if

You want to fill a feeder and leave it. A tray holds only what is on it, so this is a daily-handful feeder rather than a reservoir.

Hanging, pole, post or ground

The published figures, side by side

Drainage is the whole game

On a tube feeder, seed sits in a sealed column and only the few grains at the port are exposed. On a platform, all of it is exposed, all of the time. Rain lands on it, birds stand on it, and hulls pile up on top of whatever is underneath. A screen floor lets the water straight through and lets you tip the debris out; a solid floor holds both.

That is why three of the four feeders here publish a screen and why the fourth publishes nothing about it. Birds Choice uses a removable polyester powder-coated steel screen on its two large feeders and a patented expanded stainless mesh on the small hanging platform. In practice the removable part matters as much as the mesh: a screen that lifts out can be scrubbed, and a screen that does not will eventually be the reason the feeder is retired.

Feeding on the ground, without the downsides

Juncos, towhees, doves and native sparrows feed on the ground by preference and largely ignore hanging feeders. A ground platform reaches them, and both Birds Choice feeders here convert to one with the maker's leg set. Doing it on a raised screened tray rather than by scattering seed keeps the food out of the mud, lets rain drain through, and lets you pick the whole thing up when you want to stop.

• Put out what will be eaten that day. Ground seed left overnight is what attracts rodents; a tray you can lift and empty makes that easy to control.
• Keep it clear of cover. A ground feeder against a shrub gives a cat a launching point. Open ground with cover several feet away is the usual advice.
• A roof helps more at ground level, not less. The fly-thru with legs keeps rain off; the seed catcher with legs does not.
• Move it occasionally. Droppings and hulls accumulate under any fixed feeding station. A tray on legs can be shifted a few feet, which a fixed pole cannot.

What a platform costs you

• Squirrels. An open tray is the easiest feeder in the yard to rob, and none of these excludes anything. If that matters, the answer is a baffled pole, not a different tray.
• Flocking birds. Starlings, grackles and house sparrows can empty an open platform in an afternoon. A small tray limits the damage simply by being small.
• Refill frequency. A platform holds no reserve. What is on it is all there is, which is why the hopper on the cardinal feeder page is the better choice if you want to fill weekly.
• Weather, unless you buy the roof. Two of these four are open to the sky. That is a real cost in a wet spring, and it is the main thing the extra money on a fly-thru buys.