My husband had to tape up this feeder after the seeds got low and some bird - a Jay, perhaps? - poked a big hole in the side. The same thing happened to the other feeder which also contained sunflower seeds, but the hole that was poked was so big that the feeder had to be thrown out. This one will stay this way indefinitely!

-we've never run into damage to a tube feeder,caused by a bird, however, I would suppose a crow or raven could do this type of damage, if they were desperate for food; falling fruit would usually damage the perch or bottom tray area; other possibilities might be squirrels or deer.

Interesting...the hole was in the side? The only bird I could imagine doing that would be a woodpecker. I'm more inclined to think with Jim that it was something else, like a squirrel. Did you actually catch a bird in the act?

The hole was indeed on the side and, as a matter of fact, a downy woodpecker has been visiting this feeder on a regular basis. I've seen it pecking at the holes in the side of the feeder. The holes only appeared when the level of seed got low. The squirrel does visit this feeder, but it only takes seed from the tray at the bottom. I have never seen it try to get seed out of the holes. Blue Jays also come and try to get at the seed, but they're a bit big and perch rather precariously on the side of the tray while aiming for the holes in the side of the tube. Given the force of a woodpecker's hit, I suspect the culprit is a woodpecker. Both my husband & I thought it was rather clever of whatever creature made the hole, because it was a very efficient way of getting at the seed near the bottom. We just have to make sure that the feeder stays at least half full! :o) :o)

-I hope the word doesn't get around amongst the woodpeckers! If this becomes common practise, we'll all have to buy glass or metal tube feeders! :o((

The secret seems to be to keep the feeder at least half full. But I agree: we don't want word to spread amongst the woodpecker population (or the Blue Jays!)...LOL

-so far I haven't heard the woodpeckers or Blue Jays talking in our neighborhood! HA! - but another variable might be the age of the plastic tube; it can harden and become brittle, as most plastics will do when exposed to our extreme variables in temperature and the ultraviolet rays from the sun. Then, with a little help from our mystery bird, perhaps the plastic shatters. You will just have to get a shot of the culprit in the act and post it on Geo! HA!