Best Feeders for Jays & Larger Garden Birds
How to choose a feeder for jays and other big, bold garden birds — the styles that suit peanuts and larger food, and how to keep them from crowding your small-bird feeders. A decision framework with the species in the Birbs encyclopedia.
Jays, magpies and other corvids are big, intelligent birds that won’t fit the small ports of a finch feeder. An open platform or a sturdy peanut feeder gives them room — and a spot a little apart from your small-bird feeders keeps the peace. The Birbs encyclopedia profiles 138 jay and corvid species — here is how to choose a platform or peanut feeder, with no mystery picks.
The short answer
Start here If you only buy one thing, get a sturdy platform feeder and set it a little apart from your small-bird feeders so big birds don’t crowd them out.
- You want versatile feeding for big birdsPlatform / tray feeder
- You mainly want to offer peanutsSteel-mesh peanut feeder
- You want to let medium birds in but not the largestCaged ground feeder
From the encyclopedia
Real jay and corvid species profiled on Birbs, with the data we actually hold. Tap any bird for its full profile.
LCAzure-hooded Jay101 gMediumMixed
VUAndaman Treepie102 gMediumMixed
LCAzure-naped Jay172 gMediumMixed
ENAsir Magpie200 gLargeMixed
LCAlpine Chough211 gLargeInsects
NTAzure Jay272 gLargeMixed
LCAmerican Crow449 gLargeMixed
LCAustralian Raven644 gLargeMixed
The coloured tag on each bird is its main diet — which points to what to put out:
- Mixed mixed seed & scraps
- Insects live food & suet
How they compare
Every figure below is real data from the encyclopedia — handy because port size, perch and platform strength scale with the bird. Blanks mean we don’t hold that figure yet (never a guess).
| Bird | Weight | Size | Length | Diet |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Azure-hooded Jay | 101 g | Medium | — | Mixed |
| Andaman Treepie | 102 g | Medium | — | Mixed |
| Azure-naped Jay | 172 g | Medium | — | Mixed |
| Asir Magpie | 200 g | Large | — | Mixed |
| Alpine Chough | 211 g | Large | — | Insects |
| Azure Jay | 272 g | Large | — | Mixed |
| American Crow | 449 g | Large | — | Mixed |
| Australian Raven | 644 g | Large | — | Mixed |
Choosing a platform or peanut feeder: the main styles
Whole or shelled peanuts (unsalted), larger kibble and mixed scraps. Jays in particular love peanuts and will carry them off to cache.
Platform or tray feeder
Best for Versatile feeding — peanuts, kibble and scraps
Good when You want room for large birds to land and feed
Trade-off Open to weather; choose a mesh base so it drains
Peanut feeder
Best for Offering whole peanuts slowly
Good when You want birds to work for it rather than gorge
Trade-off Just for peanuts; the mesh also suits tits and woodpeckers
Ground feeder or cage
Best for Birds that naturally feed on the ground
Good when You want to admit medium birds but keep the largest out
Trade-off Needs regular cleaning as it sits at ground level
What to look for
- Sturdy build Big birds are hard on flimsy feeders.
- Drainage on platforms A mesh base so food doesn’t sit wet.
- Mesh sized for whole peanuts On a peanut feeder, so nuts dispense slowly.
- Easy to tip out and clean Open trays get dirty faster than enclosed feeders.
Where to buy a platform or peanut feeder
Platform & peanut feeders
Our take
If you only buy one thing, get a sturdy platform feeder and set it a little apart from your small-bird feeders so big birds don’t crowd them out.
Shop by what matters to you
- Platform or tray feederVersatile feeding — peanuts, kibble and scraps (searches Amazon in a new tab)
- Peanut feederOffering whole peanuts slowly (searches Amazon in a new tab)
- Ground feeder or cageBirds that naturally feed on the ground (searches Amazon in a new tab)
- See all platform or peanut feederBrowse the full range and compare current prices (searches Amazon in a new tab)
What to fill it with
- Whole peanuts (unsalted)
- Jays especially — they’ll carry them off to cache.
- Larger kibble & mixed scraps
- A broad mix of bigger garden birds.
Peanuts & feed
Where to put it & keeping birds safe
Set it a little away from your small-bird feeders so larger birds don’t crowd out finches and tits — everyone feeds better with some distance. Keep open trays clean and don’t let uneaten food build up.
Do
- Place it a few metres from your small-bird feeders.
- Offer unsalted peanuts in a steel-mesh feeder.
- Keep open trays clean and clear of old food.
Don’t
- Don’t use salted or coated peanuts.
- Don’t let a platform sit wet — choose one that drains.
- Don’t put it right beside the finch feeder, or big birds will dominate.
Keep exploring
- See all jays and corvids in the encyclopedia →
- Identify a bird you’ve seen →
- Best Bird Feeders for Garden Songbirds →
- Best Hummingbird Feeders →
- Best Suet Feeders for Woodpeckers →
Birbs helps you choose — we don’t make or sell these products. The guidance here is general, and we only ever point to real listings (never invented prices or reviews).
Frequently asked questions
How do I feed jays without them taking over the other feeders?
Give them their own spot: a platform or peanut feeder a few metres from your small-bird feeders. With food of their own at a distance, big birds are far less likely to monopolise the finch feeder.
What food do jays and magpies like?
Peanuts are the favourite — jays will carry them off to cache — along with larger kibble and kitchen scraps. An open tray or a mesh peanut feeder presents these well.
