Side by Side Comparison of: Perky-Pet vs Songbird Essentials

Bought another one because I really like the one I bought 8 years ago. That one split at the top seam when I dropped it but used a little E600 on the crack and have had no problems since.Learned to use the suction cups as a secondary support....eight years is a long time to expect suction cups to hold up in the TX sun....but they do...for the most part. I drilled a small hole on the top than inserted a wire (with a washer attached to the end) that connected to a strong magnet which is attaches to our metal barndominium. Same thing could be done by attaching the wire to an eye screw inserted into the siding.These are the only feeders that the raccoons and squirrels can not get to.

These units have paid for themselves after the first bag of bird feed. Bird feed is not cheap. Prior I hand beautiful feeders, great designs, works of art, problem was they had to be in the backyard and keeping squirrels away was very tough.I would go through 2 quarts of feed per day and not even enjoy watching the birds.With the window units I am down to 1 coffee cup per day per feeder and watch birds all day.We have had the units for 3 years now and the population of birds has grown.TipsYou must have a back drop behind the units, we have indoor plants in our sun room. Birds do not understand glass, they will not see it and fly into it. The backdrop also helps with clarity and depth for he feeders.It took 7 days initially for he birds to locate the feeders. Once they do they will return forever.You must clean you glass an suction cups or else they will not stick, once on they hold the birds no problem, we often have 2 birds inside the and 2 birds on the unit and it hold.Take them down every 3 months and clean them, they are birds.There are 3 slots in the bottom of the unit, I have clear tape over these slots so I can hold finch food.No squirrel has yet to interfere with these units. And they try.They have come to live below on he round where they eat up what is spilled.

I put this bird feeder on a bay window off the kitchen. The birds had no problem finding the feeder and it was very neat to see the birds coming and going while we sat down at the table to eat. The first year I had this I used sunflower seeds in order to attract cardinals. The only issue I had was that the feeder had to be filled quite often. The second year I had the feeder I used generic bird food from Home Depot. We got more of a variety of birds that way but the feeder still needed to be filled often. We went out of town for a week and while we were gone the birds ate all the food. This is also when a mother bird decided the bird feeder would be an excellent spot for her nest. At first we thought it was really neat to watch her build the nest. She laid five eggs and it was awesome to be able to see the eggs hatch and baby birds appear. The problem is, with baby birds come a huge mess. Once the babies left the nest I had to scrape bird poop off the window and throw away the feeder. All in all though, it was an amazing experience and I am glad that my small kids and I got to see these babies hatch. The feeder is cheap enough to buy a few more and feed the birds again. This time though, I don't think I will let it say empty long enough for a nest to be built!

Works great! Was worried it might not stick, but it seems sturdy so far. I've been getting chickadees, sparrows, and occasionally finches. The chickadees are the only ones that will get in it for very long. Only problem is that I placed it near a ledge that is easily accessible to squirrels and those fat little turds will jam their butts right in there and hog the seed for 10 minutes at a time, but it gives me a good laugh. :) See photos for comparison of viewing pleasures. :)

Well, after reading lots of reviews about similar products, I decided to purchase this one- even though some had stated that it wasn't very good. First let me point out that there are no directions with this feeder- so really it's best to follow the advice of others that have posted reviews as far as the best way to hang the feeder. I put the feeder up, put in some food, and waited. A few hours later we heard a crash! I was worried that my brand new feeder had crashed down and shattered into a billion pieces. I should probably add that I live in a dormitory on the third floor with both grass and cement below us. I was very relieved to find the feeder still completely intact...and was able to find the suction cups nearby as well. I then went back and found some of the reviews that suggest how to prepare the window and suctions cups so the feeder will stay in place. I washed the window very well, and washed the suction cups in warm soapy water. I let both air dry completely. Then, as suggested by another purchaser, I ran my finger gently across my t-zone (forehead and bridge of nose) and then wiped the finger across the suction cups. This very small amount of natural oil is said to help the suctions cups stick. After firmly placing the cups on the window I attached the feeder- and haven't had any problems with it since! We've had some pretty tough thunderstorms too! It did take almost 2 wks for the birds to find the feeder- but now they love it and I lvoe to watch/hear them! We've had cardinals, sparrows, several different type of finch's and others that I don't recognize. I should note that this is a fairly small feeder and really accomodates only one bird at a time (some of the small sparrows will feed 2 at a time). I'm considering purchasing another to place nearby! I really love how close you can get to the birds without disturbing them- the opening on the back is great to have because then the only thing seperateing you from the birds is the glass of your own window! I highly recommend (just remember to prep the window and suction cups before "hanging")!

I don't often come here to type reviews, but I simply had to review this one. I had ordered this bird feeder, but I wasn't sure I was going to like it. While I was waiting for this one to arrive in the mail, I went to an expensive "Wild Bird" store in town, and I purchased a $25 feeder and a $6 suction cup attachment piece. I set up both bird feeders on two windows, right next to each other. Then we waited and watched the birds come.Now, I will say that the expensive bird feeder was made in the US, and was made from high-quality hard plastic. This Perky Pet brand at Amazon is made from super lightweight plastic, and feels like it will fall apart at any moment. However, the huge difference between the two that I own is how you can view the birds!The expensive bird feeder fills up, so when the birds come to eat, the bird seed itself gets in the way of your viewing experience. You may get a better glimpse of the birds if they come in at the exact right angle. Also, my expensive bird feeder is a "cling" feeder, meaning there is no perch. This means the birds must barely grasp the feeder, all the while flapping their wings, and as soon as they get a bit of seed, off they fly to find a perch!But, with this cheap little feeder, there is NO birdseed to obstruct your view because all of the seed sits at the bottom. In fact, the little birds just hop inside and feast away. Or, they will sit on the ledge of the feeder and feast away. Either way, they stay longer because they are more comfortable. This bird feeder has been an utter delight to us! Oh, and the birds can not sweep the food out either.I will also say that our trip to the bird store in town was useful, and I will share what I learned about getting the suction cups to stay. You must first soak the suction cups in warm water for a few minutes. Then dry them completely. Then rub your nose (or oily T-zone spot) and lightly rub a bit of that oil into the cup, and *then* firmly stick the suction cup to your window.

These bird houses are really cool looking. If birds had thumbs, this is what they would build for themselves.I've yet to put them out since last week we got over 30" of snow. I'll try to remember to update this once they have been outside for a year or so. I want to see how they hold up after time.

I like this one very much. Natural and will blend with backgrounds for protection. Just waiting to see if the birds like it. It should provide shelterfrom the wind and frequent rain even if it is in time for nesting this year, I now have two of them.

Love this little bird house! Not sure I'll ever have a bird make it it's home but it's perfect for the look I was going for in my backyard. Hopefully this spring someone moves in :) it's well built and seems sturdy.

I bought this to replace a similar on that i had hanging on my porch eve for years. The birds roost in every night. Its fun to watch them fussing over who gets the shelter for the night.The roosting nest seems to vert sturdy and i would buy it again

Within 2 days of hanging this on a branch, a bird has moved in. The bird likes it, so that makes me like it.

Love them thus far. Arrived as described. I as some other in reviews, did not have problems with condition of the birdhouses. They are dainty but very appealing and I'm sure they will be perfect for our little birdies.. Only thing I wish could have been a little different with build would be a longer cord for hanging which would allow ample room to loop cord around branch and over house to hang it. I do not have any branches which I can just slide it over so I ended up purchasing a little chain to flip over branch and attach to hanging cord.As for how the birds I liking them, can not say just yet, just hung them up today so I am anticipating some residents hopefully soon..

Have had this in our window for over a year now and it still works. Not very big, so you only get chickadees and house sparrows, but we have had a squirrel crawl in it and it didn't fall off the window so that was impressive. Also, the rain can get into it through the opening and wet the seed, so we put it on a window that had a bit of an overhang above it.

Flimsy construction as others have noted, but a drop of hot glue fixed that right up. Knocking off a star due to some DIY fixing, but its definitely a nice little treat to have outside the window for the cost. We don't get many varieties outside of HummingBirds and (the lovely...) crows around where I live, but I've seen a few different ones popping up around the place since putting this out front. For ~$5, its filled its purpose very well.

Lightweight, relatively inexpensive, sticks to clean glass surface and is black bear proof. Used some generic "Windex" to clean the glass surface. Suction cups held the feeder in gale force (+30knot winds). Unexpected bonus is the feeder is sort of bear proof. Spring time = bear feeder time. Feeder slides off the suction cups allowing removal. No need to reattach the suction cups. Bear don't care for the cups. Just the sunflower seeds. Remove the feeder before leaving the house or nightfall and no bear damage.

I've had mine since 2013 and it works fine.I had lost one of the suction cups when my wife moved the feeder. So after asking a question here about replacements, contacting Perky Pet and doing searching here on Amazon I found an what seems to be an exact replacement suction cup. Perky Pet offered them but with the shipping cost at over $5 were way to expensive for one suction cup. So I bought a pack of 6 cups, for about the same cost as one from Perky Pet. It comes with 6 pack of COTU (R) large suction cups with hooks. Cup size diameter is 1 3/4". Each cup can hold up to 3 lbs. of weight. They appear to be the exact same as the ones that come with Birdsccapes Clear Window Feeder 348. It fits perfectly. The pack of six have hooks that you can remove to fit the feeder. The other suction cups with the hooks can be used to hang other things, or saved in case you lose a suction cup. All for about the same suction cup from Perky Pet without a hook. Here's the link on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LPNEMVI/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1It would be good if Perky Pet offered a two pack of these suction cups as an add on item here on Amazon... just saying...

Didn't even stick. I used tape and it stuck better to the window. Maybe I'm using it wrong, but it just didn't work for me. Very disappointed.Edit: I feel absolutely terrible. After calming down and trying this once more, the feeder stuck and has been for a week now. The product is actually pretty decent and I've gotten loads of different birds outside my bedroom window. I feel awful for giving it such a terrible review when I first got it and it didn't work. I especially feel bad since I asked for a refund and didn't have to return my item, only to have it work now. I'm buying a second one so I can try to make up for the first one I bought. Feel free to charge me again for the first feeder since I ended up loving the product. I felt so bad getting my refund, only to have the product now work.

Got this as my first bird feeder a few months ago. I've added some more on a pole in my yard after the outstanding success of this product. For the price I was skeptical about how well it would stick or hold up to use. It has far exceeded my expectations. Held very firm to the window through out this winter in NY. I was very impressed as we have had an unusually warm winter in general but still several nights and days that dropped to 0. This means it held on through wide temperature shifts from 60 on one day to literally 5 degrees the next. You would think the cheap suction cups would release but they did not. Additionally it does a great job of keeping rain and snow out of the seed, which is awesome.The way it mounts to the window is also pretty clever, on the back of the "base" are a couple of small plastic bumps that act as stand offs from the window. Between the suction cups and these standoff, that means the actual feeder sits a few millimeters from the window. This allows water to run down the window and behind the feeder without pooling anywhere. As birds feed, I've noticed they toss shells and whatever all over the place. Some of that debris ends up going behind the feeder, with those little stand off bumps holding it away from the window it keeps it from collecting and making a mess since it just falls through.The only reason I have deducted a star is because this thing is a little hard to fill and clean. The roof line extends out over the front by about an inch. This makes pouring seed into it, even with a funnel, a little tricky while it's mounted to the window. Not overly difficult, but it takes longer to fill this small feeder than to fill my other 4 feeders combined, which seems weird. This same design makes cleaning it more of a chore than you would expect. Again a minor quibble, but something worth noting.Another final benefit to this great feeder is its size. It can fit a couple of house finches at a time, or a cowbird. Grackles, however can hardly get to it and tend to leave it alone. This allows the smaller birds to have a consistent feeding spot without getting hassled. The slick plastic roof prevents birds from getting a perch on top of the feeder which prevents them from leaving droppings all over it, that probably wasn't a feature purposely designed into the feeder but it is an awesome side effect.

Darling bird feeder! Great condition and size!

Cute, but returned it in favor of a sturdier wooden birdhouse.

Looks great but no birds yet. I hung 4 or 5 other houses at the same time as this and 4 of those have birds in them already. We'll see if this ever gets a visitor.

I give these a 4 star rating because they are cute. The birds however do not use them they are very small. Great for decoration though may DIY painted roofs.

I'm very happy with these! I'll be using them to provide birds protection from the winter weather. I ordered four and they all look well-built. However, I'm reinforcing the twine hangers with a very thin wire as I'm not sure if they'll hold up to a Midwest winter without it.

I got what I thought I was buying. For the price, a great deal. Have been wondering lately if birds really build their homes in a birdhouse. I've kayaked around a nature preserve and see empty bird and duck houses. Also, I put up 6 houses when I lived in NH and never saw one used. I still like them since they add to the ambiance of the backyard.

Hard to rate this. I ordered one months ago - the suction cups didn't "seat" into the holder well, the feeder fell off 2nd story window and cracked when it hit the ground. I requested a replacement which arrived in a couple days. The suction cups fit this time and I've LOOOOOVED the feeder so much that I ordered a second one for another window.That one arrived with a broken connector piece in the front of the tray. I've requested a replacement feeder which should arrive in a couple days. I KNOW I'll love it once it's replaced. My review of the actual feeder would be 5 stars - birds love it, it's so much fun to watch them, and I've gotten some great pics. But why oh why can they not send a feeder that's not broken on the 1st attempt?

I had ordered to other window bird feeders decided to get this one because of the reviews and it was cheap and it was a cute little house. The one I got was basically two pieces that you had to snap together and they didn't snap together very well I'm going to keep it but I'm not really happy with it and the birds aren't really going into it anymore. I finally got some glue and glued it together because it just kept splitting apart and all the seed would fall out and it was very unstable

The attachments are not that great. I live in a condo where I can't use tube feeders. To help the wild birds I purchased one of these feeders to put on a table to add feed to so they could get food to eat. The feeder that is on a hook is the hummingbird feeder.It comes in handy in my case as a birder living in a condo wanting to help all birds!

I read poor reviews first and c'mon people, what would you expect for $8.00?? cheap plastic of course, breaks easily of course, suction cups not perfect of course. I got the cups on with some effort, but there is a slimmer part on the cup where you push it on with some maneuvering. I also stash these cups new because I am replacing non sticking ones all the time, nbd. i think you know that you have to wet the cups with a wet washcloth but not dripping wet (spit is good too). if you get a crack, that's what fun colored duct tape is for. 3 stars only because my birds have not found it yet. I don't know how to introduce a new feeder in my yard.

You get what you pay for... This feeder was fine the first year, but fell apart after two years, despite being in a fairly protected location (not a lot of sun). The bottom seam separated, allowing seeds to fall through; the suction cups couldn't hold on to the glass and the unit itself turned yellowish and cracked (after falling off several times). If you only expect it to last a year, or if it's on the shady side of your house (no sun), maybe it will last a little longer. The small birds (finches, sparrows) liked it.

So this is my second one, the first one lasted nearly a year. I ordered a second one and I absolutely love it. However it does not keep the squirrels out. The suction is amazingly strong. The first time we caught a squirrel in it, I moved it away from a tree to the center of our windows. No where close to anything and way high up. Well this smart squirrel has come to trying to basically scale our house and has figured a way to get in it. I find him curled up in it and literally have to bang on my window to get him out. I have a seperate corn feeder for the squirrels and apparently he likes the bird seed as well. I will be purchasing another feeder for my birdies. As they have been stalking my backyard wondering where their food is :(

We have tons of birds in our yard, of all sizes and this house remains empty for the second year. It IS cute, but our feathered friends pass it up.

No birds has visited, but it looks cool.

It's a great build product durable, workmanship is perfect except it's too small.. way small

Good construction, big opening for the birds, but still the birds seem to prefer my garage to try and make a nest. On One has made it their home yet. Cute, but cannot say its functional.

These are smaller than expected. And, I think they'll be good for only one season. We'll see!

Cute little natural looking bird house. Looks great hanging from my lemon tree. Am not sure how long it will last, tho. Doesn't look too sturdy.

I really wanted this to be awesome. After having it up on my window for two weeks, I didn't see one bird come to it and it didn't look like any of the bird seed was gone. It's a great idea and I thought my cats would LOVE it. There are plenty of birds that come into my back yard, but none came to the bird feeder. I bought these things that looked like granola bars at Kroger that are made for birds and they were a little sticky. Unfortunately, it just attracted ants and there were hundreds of ants crawling across my living room window.

Lots of issues with this. First of all, we couldn't get it to stay on the window. I think it at one point, it stayed on the window for two days. After that, no matter what we did, it fell off. I had it high enough so the squirrels couldn't get to it, but it just didn't stick to the window no matter how clean we got the window and the suction cups. It also didn't stick to the window when it was dirty. One co-worker suggested that maybe we just buy bigger suction cups, but we didn't get a chance. The bird feeder broke the last time it fell. :-(

I bought two w/intent to keep the cat entertained while bringing birds in close for me to watch. The most common birds in our area right now are some of my favorites; i.e., Dark-Eyed Juncos, Black-Capped Chickadees, Cardinals House Finches, House Sparrows & all to rare Nuthatch's.The 1st feeder was placed on a large 8 ft sliding glass door, high up above the vines & branches of a mature Butterfly Bush. Very nearby is a garden, largely dormant, & a water source. Nevertheless, there have been few birds thus far. Our feeders have oiled black sunflower seeds. Its possible, the slider is so large a window I wonder if it intimidates the birds though it's fun watching the fearless squirrels try to get to it. So, no complaints on this feeder rather placement &/or season.The 2nd feeder is a different story which I attribute primarily to the suction cups. Insured glass was clean, wetted the suction cups & placed the feeder w/feed up but it just wouldn't hold no matter how many times, how many tricks I used to attach it & so finally gave up. I may get other suction cups & make another go.Overwhelmingly, the rationale for a two (2) star review was that both feeders upon receipt were split open @ the roof apex or roof ridge. One snapped back together but still had a notable gap & would have easily allowed rain in. The other, even upon attempting to snap it together would not. Thus, I ended up using an adhesive requiring ~ 24 hrs to dry to cover 1st along the outside, then inside, allowing it to spread & thoroughly cover the ridge.In other words, the construction &/or QC for these simple feeders seemed rather lacking. Literally, there is a 50% chance of getting an acceptable feeder out of the box. The one that actually stays up is the one that had/has the broken roof apex

This is a small feeder, only one bird can feed at a time. It holds about 2 cups of bird seed in it's base. The suction cups do not hold the weight of more than only 1 cup of seed (even on a clean and well prepared window). This makes the seed difficult for birds to spot from a distance. Also, this feeder falls down when in use by the birds. One single bird caused it to fall from the window, when it took off after eating. Another caused it to fall because of it's vigorous pecking at the seed. I do not recommend this feeder, unless the manufactured improves the strength of the suction cups. (Also, it's important to note that the feeder is plastic, and cracks easily when it falls. And it will split along the "seam" after a few falls.)

Not knowing which window feeder would be the best, I decided to purchase three types offered on Amazon. I added a picture to the item of the three on my window. (I apologize for the dark image. I was trying to keep from scaring the birds away.)#1 The Aspects Window Cafe was my favorite (C in the picture)Aspects Window Cafe Hopper- most popular with the birds- easy to fill- most durable when it falls from the window (darn squirrels!)- the feeder can be removed for cleaning while leaving the suction cups on window(I like that so it will maintain a better hold on the window.)- easy to remove the hulls left behind- unfortunately the most expensive of the 3#2 The Droll Yankees Window Feeder comes in 2nd place (B in the picture)Droll Yankees OWF Observer Window Bird Feeder- second favorite of the birds- it can fit a few at a time which was nice- not as easy to fill- entire feeder needs to be taken off of the window for cleaning- difficult to remove the hulls left behind#3 Birdscapes Clear Window Feeder (A in the picture)Birdscapes Clear Window Feeder 348- not popular with the birds. I don't think they like being "inside"- the hardest of the 3 to fill- only 2 suction cups- entire feeder needs to be taken off of the window for cleaning- difficult to remove the hulls left behind- the design is poor because there is a seam along the center of the bottom that easily comes apart. Not surprising this has already broken.- the cheapest of the 3Placing them in a shady area prevents the birds from flying into the window as often. I have had them awhile now, but only 2 have survived. Having multiple feeders has been fun since so many birds come to eat. I will probably replace the others with the Aspects Feeder in the future.

I thought it would be tough to attract birds to our window but this feeder proved me wrong. We get a steady stream of feathered customers looking for tasty seeds and my kids love watching the birds. The feeder has stayed attached and in one piece through some very rough Florida weather. I did notice that there's a little splitting at the seam at the bottom so I don't know that it will stay in one piece if it does eventually fall but for the price and the enjoyment it has brought us I consider it well worth the money.**update** September 2013 -Sad to say our feeder has bitten the dust. A squirrel managed to climb up our screen and down it went. The small split at the bottom became a giant unsalvageable hole. I will not buy another even though we found it so enjoyable. It just isn't very durable.

top disconnected from bottom after one month

Too small for birds, and rather 'rough' on the inside.

too delicate and the hanger will break off easily

No birds have nested. too light to secure from blowing in light wind

It's cute and hangs easily. A bit small. So far no birds have made their home there.

Very small. Very cheap- nearly falling apart. I don't think I've seen one bird use it in like 2 months.

Lasted WHOLE eleven days! yesterday, two house finches got into a fracas inside of it - not unusual, at all. They settled the matter and all of the seed was devoured, but not before they'd dislodged one of the suction cups - no big deal. When I went to fix it, this morning, as soon as I touched it,t he other suction cup gave way and it fell four feet to the ground - still, no big deal. ONLY it shattered! ALL of the pins that join it broke AND it fractured through most of one side.SERIOUSLY, save your money.

Really disapointed. Finally got around to opening up the box to setup and the feeder was so flimsy. The plastic pins that hold both sides togther were broken on the top and bottom of one side. Maybe I could glue it back together, but unfortunately I think it's too late to return. Thought maybe it was that it was mailed with a 25 pound bag of squirrel food, but the box for the product itself looked to be in good condition.

It is great to see the birds coming to the window. However, the little pegs that hold this birdfeeder to gather broke in less than a month. I have tried hot gluing it and using duct taped on it to hold it together. These things didn't work for more than two days. The feeder separates and all the food falls through. It was a waste of money! If I could give zero stars I would.

These bird feeders are extremely flimsy. The notches that slide onto the suction cups are very shallow and don't hold well. The units are two pieces that snap together, but they were mostly broken at the points where they are supposed to slide together i.e. The male inserts are broken off. I bought four (2 orders) the day before yesterday, and only one is still hanging. The others are no longer useful at all.

This product is cheaply made and I'm sure there is a reason the manufacturer decided not to seal the bottom but this poses a major problem when you try to fill it with seed, I have had to use clear gift wrap tape to close out the bottom and keep the seed from falling out. Also, the suction cups that came with it were all bent and will not adhere to the glass, I am currently trying to put the suction cup under something heavy so that maybe they will flatten out and possibly stick.

This bird feeder stayed upright on our window for less than an hour, afterwards it was clear that one of the suction cups simply wouldn't work. It managed to hang titled on our window for a couple of weeks, but we were never able to put very much bird feed in there because of the angle it would hang from. Eventually the feeder started to fall down at least once a week and even injured a poor bird when it fell. I replaced both suction cups but the problem was the back plastic had a curve which would not allow for one of the suction cups to hold on for very long. We live in a squirrel filled area as well, so when they spotted the feeder it was easy for them to knock it down, we had squirrels climbing up the screen beside the window and knocking it down. Eventually we couldn't even prop it back up as the squirrels had stolen the suction cups that don't come attached the feeder.All in all it was a terrible purchase. Anyone looking for a window bird feeder is better off spending a little extra money on a feeder that will stick properly after an hour.

returned

Hung in the garden for 2 months until the string rotted and it fell off the hook. Junk

Save your money! This is junk.

No birds have even gotten near these and its been more than 6 weeks.

Too small ,

The first one we ordered had been crushed, but the box it came in was fine. Amazon picked it up and gave a refund which we used to buy another. It had the same problem. UPS is not to blame.