Barrier Guard Specialty Bluebird Feeder - Blue

I couldn’t be happier with this bluebird feeder—it’s honestly one of the best additions I’ve made to my yard.

What really sets it apart is how well it keeps out unwanted birds like blackbirds while still giving bluebirds easy, stress-free access to the food. The entry design is just right—selective enough to protect the food supply, but still very inviting for bluebirds. I’ve noticed they took to it quickly and seem much more comfortable feeding without competition.

Another feature I really appreciate is the versatility in mounting options. Whether you prefer a pole mount, hanging setup, this feeder makes it easy. That flexibility allowed me to place it in the perfect spot for both visibility and safety.

It’s also well-built and thoughtfully designed, offering protection from the elements while still being easy to refill and clean.

If you’re trying to attract bluebirds and keep more aggressive birds away, this feeder is absolutely worth it. Highly recommend for any backyard bird enthusiast!

I now have 2 barrier guard bluebird feeders. I got the first one and after a couple of days the BBs were happily feeding without being bullied by Starlings. I soon realized how much easier it would be for them with the perch so I added that. Then I needed a larger bowl - more BBs! This year just 1 feeder is not enough for all the broods that have stuck around over the winter. So I went ahead and got another feeder, perch kit and larger bowl. I have never seen so many BBs! Chickadees, Carolina Wrens and other small birds enjoy it as well. This feeder is an essential if you love BBs and want them to be able to eat in peace.

I was “fed up” with starlings eating the mealworms I put out for my bluebirds, so I purchased the Barrier Guard feeder and the perch accessory. The bluebirds love it! My husband thought they would have issues climbing inside, but they started using it right away! (FYI, we didn’t attach all the perches.)

Construction is good, easy to fill dish. Waiting for the bluebirds to find it. In the meantime, juvenile starlings can fit through the openings in the grid. Waiting for them to reach their full size!

The blue bluebird feeder came quickly. It was super easy to put together and I love the color and design. It’s easy to use and after a week mama bluebird finally figured out how to get in there to get those live mealworms. Next day daddy figured it out by watching mama. Now they are pros and the robins are frustrated they can’t get them and can’t bully my bluebirds! I still give dried mealworms to the robins in a bowl on the ground but the live mealworms are for my bluebirds. It’s easy to use and I’m extremely happy with it! Thank you for an awesome feeder and my bluebirds are happy with it too!

I had purchased a bluebird feeder off of Amazon that said it was Grackle proof but it wasn’t - all day long they’d get their beaks inside and steal all the mealworms. Did some research, found this site and feeder and so thankful! No more Grackles!

We have had this same mealworm feeder for many years and finally had to replace it. Was so happy to find it again. Arrived promptly and very well packed with paper! No styrofoam peanuts. Wonderful!

This is a nice, sturdy feeder for smaller birds to protect them while eating from larger birds. The tiny glass cup has to be refilled quickly, so I’m reviewing how others have changed this to compensate to last longer with meal worms. The perches to attach under the bottom of the feeder are just what this feeder needed so that my bluebirds could land on a secure perch vs wobbly sticks I had in their previous feeder I bought. I’m hoping I might somehow be able to get the perch attachment for their feeder I bought last year without the perch attachment.

Excellent

Early each fall and again in the spring bluebirds often visited me for two to three days, but I could not manage to make them regular visitors. A special thanks for this feeder which altered that pattern. A pair has arrived and remained---now closely examining the bluebird house placed on the fine mounting pole equipment provided by Nature Niche. Money well spent.
And thank you Nature Niche.

The bluebirds love it! The dish is very small but was able to substitute a larger one!

We bought this feeder in February of 2025. Our goal was to provide nourishment for our resident bluebird population despite a seasonal influx of greedy starlings. At the same time, based on telephone consultation with the very helpful staff of Nature Niche, we also purchased the perch-rod kit and the aluminum bowl that complement the feeder.

The perch rods helped the bluebirds become familiar with and adept in using the feeder. The aluminum bowl, being larger than the standard blue glass bowl that comes with the feeder, is also a useful accessory. It allows for longer intervals before the bowl needs to be refilled.

We recommend getting both of these accessories (perch-rod kit and aluminum bowl) at the same time as the feeder itself. The three items are available as a bundle... the "Ultimate Bluebird Barrier Guard Feeder Bundle."

We are giving the feeder a five-star review because it is very effective in preventing greedy starlings from eating all of the mealworms before the poor bluebirds can have any, as well as visually attractive. Made in the USA and sturdy and durable metal construction are also pluses.

That said, we can think of two improvements.

The first suggestion is to add some sort of collar that would fit between the outer wall of the bowl and the floor of the feeder. This would keep mealworms and mealworm fragments from getting under the bowl, where it seems that the bluebirds either cannot see them, or are skittish to put their beaks to grab some food. Perhaps a cylinder or appropriate diameter, open both at the top and at the bottom, that could slip in place without needing any mounting hardware. Metal or plexiglas construction.

The second suggestion is: either to either replace the round-head screws that are supplied with the perch rods with another type of screw... a screw with a lower head profile... perhaps pan-head, or cheese head, or flat head, or oval head, or truss head...; or to use a longer screw and washers or a spacer... to provide clearance between the tops of the screw heads and the underside of the bottom plate of the feeder.

The heads of the screws supplied with the feeder can scratch the paint on the underside of the bottom plate if the perch-rod assembly is installed and rotates due to handling (e.g., when removing the feeder from its hanger to refill it or to clean it) or the force generated by birds when they launch themselves off the perch rods and into the air. Perhaps the Barrier Guard Cylinder Feeder Perch Attachment Kit could be used to provide the greater clearance that we would like to see. Currently, we are using a longer 1/4 x 20 screw and some stacked stainless-steel washers for this purpose.

Our record is as many as eight bluebirds visiting the feeder at one time... a few inside the barrier, and the rest on the perch rods. (The ones that go inside must be a family because they are comfortable being with each other in close quarters.) We deliberately sprinkle some dried mealworms on the floor of the feeder so that birds perching on the rods can reach something to eat without having to pass through the barrier. Some bluebirds seem skittish about doing that, but most apparently have no such misgivings. However, if one sprinkles mealworms onto the floor of the feeder, but near the barrier, starlings can get to them.

The bottom line is that if you want to feed bluebirds and not feed starlings or other larger birds, here is a solution. Starlings and other larger birds may still be able to stick their heads part-way into the gaps in the wire barrier, but the bulk of the mealworms will remain beyond their reach.

After just a week or two, the wrens found this feeder and have been hopping in and out for the mealworms inside. The starlings attempts to enter have been unsuccessful despite their persistence trying every angle. The feeder is well made, was easy to assemble and is easy to refill / clean. I am hopeful to see bluebirds soon too!

The perches were easy to attach to the feeder, and the feeder’s construction has kept the Starlings from the mealworms. I’m waiting for the smaller birds to enter the bluebird feeder, and partake of the mealworms.

I am very happy with my purchase of the Barrier guard bluebird feeder. Within 15 minutes of putting it up, my bluebirds were using it. I also watched as Starlings tried to get in without success.

This is my second purchase of this feeder. Like it however, made modification to the feeder bowl substituted with a bowl twice its size. This holds twice as much meal worms as I'm feeding 8 bluebirds. Starlings not able to reach it. Love your feeder.

This is the second of these feeders that I’ve bought. The bluebirds are able to access the mealworms without the blue jays devouring all of them first. I am very happy with the purchase and I think the bluebirds are as well.

Bluebirds immediately used it. Keeps out robins. This vendor shipped it very quickly, i recommend getting the perch for it as well.

This is a well constructed means to feed your bluebirds w/o making them compete with grackles and other avian bullies. It was delivered promptly and packed well to ensure that nothing could go wrong. AND--the bluebirds love it!

The bird guard works perfectly to keep the big birds out with the exception of woodpeckers tongues. That is funny to watch

We just moved to a new area and I've counted as many as 25 bluebirds at one time on my platform feeder. They love mealworms! But the starlings, redwing blackbirds and grackles have also developed a taste, so my bluebirds were being bullied. This cage works great! Most of the bluebirds figured it out in a few days. We have a pine warbler who's been coming all winter and he figured it out immediately, as did my Carolina wrens. I recommend the perches and the larger cup(expensive but worth it) as I have so many I'm still refilling every day. Only reason for 4 star is that it's tricky to get the feeder to hang straight. You have to pull the clasp down over the plastic coated rope hanger and unless it's perfectly even on both sides, the feeder tilts as it hangs. Not a huge deal but it bugs me. Since I'm taking it down daily (or more) to refill, I spend a lot of time trying to get it straight

I am so happy with this feeder for the bluebirds. I have used various tray with dome feeders, which worked well for a while, more birds learned over time but then this winter, gangs of starlings showed up, 15+ at a time. They would clean out two larger tray feeders in an hour or two (dried meal worms) I decided to try this one, but in the meantime I tried a tube feeder with a cage, but the bluebirds, especially the males had a tough time navigating within the narrow space. This one, it took the females a few hours, and two days later I saw males coming and going freely, 3 in there at once I saw today. Life is good again in bluebird land, and they only ate 1/2 large size dish in a day, and the starlings, they tried for a day but seem to be gone. Thanks for designing this feeder...

Bluebird feeder was easy to assemble. Well constructed. I purchased the larger feeder cup as well as the perches, so glad that I did. The bluebirds and other small birds took to the new feeder quickly. I love how the larger birds are unable to eat the mealworms. Even though this bluebird feeder was very costly, I feel that in the long run, it will be saving me money. I will not have to buy mealworms quite as frequently as I did because the larger birds cannot gobble them up. In the future, I will be purchasing more caged feeders from this company.

Definitely keeps the big guys away

Got this to stop a bully robin (that developed a taste for mealworms) from chasing the bluebirds away. The bluebirds love it and come daily. Only downside is, depending on how voracious your bluebirds are, you might have to refill this daily, which is annoying (but worth it to keep the bluebirds coming to the yard). Recommend the perch accessory.