If you have a well-stocked feeder that birds don't visit, the feeder is probably in the wrong location.
Birds are very cautious animals and don't feel safe when they are out in the open.
If a bird feeder is not being visited by many birds, it is unlikely that you have no hungry birds in the area.
What is much more likely is that the bird feeder is located in too open of an area.
Birds want cover.
They want a place to hide.
So it is important that the feeder be near some cover - bushes, trees, even an abandoned Christmas tree or a potted plant.
This way, birds can make a quick trip to the feeder and return to safety if they feel a threat.
In fact, some birds such as chickadees and titmice won't even eat at a feeder.
They take a seed and carry it to cover to eat.
Thus, it is best if you can put shrubbery as close as five feet away from the feeder.
Fill a feeder with black oil sunflower seeds.
They are nutrient rich, containing plenty of protein and fat which birds need.
Start feeding birds late in the summer so that they can fatten up before they migrate.
Feed them throughout the winter, especially if there is snow or ice on the ground.
Continue feeding the birds through spring, until the leaves have come out fully on the trees.
Birds returning from migration are hungry and springtime activities related to nesting put extra stress on birds' bodies.
Birds eat early in the morning - often before sunrise.
Therefore, make sure that the feeders are filled before you go to bed.
Also check them in the early afternoon, because birds also feed in the evening, before they go to sleep.