Yes. Ours are working feeders first and decorative second. Blue tits, robins and other small garden birds use them. Most gardens see their first visitors within two weeks, and blue tits usually find it first. Where you hang it matters more than what it looks like; see "Where should I hang a bird feeder?" below.

★★★★★ "Ten minutes after hanging it out, a blue tit was straight in!"

— T, via Etsy

They're built to last longer. Our feeders are stoneware, fired twice with a final firing at 1220°C, which vitrifies the clay into a dense, hard body that doesn't soak up water. Stoneware won't go brittle or fade in sunlight the way plastic can, and a well-made one stays outdoors for years. Plastic feeders are cheaper and lighter. Ceramic is the choice if you want something that lasts and looks good in the garden.

Yes. Every feeder is fired twice, the second time to 1220°C, which vitrifies the stoneware so water can't soak into the clay and freeze inside it. Each feeder also has drainage holes in the base, so rain drains out rather than pooling. They're made to live outdoors through a British winter, frost included.

★★★★★ "Well made, attractive item. The robins seem to like it too, and it is surviving the frosts."

— Charlotte, via Etsy

We make our own moulds and cast each feeder in liquid stoneware slip. Teardrops have a strong metal hook embedded in the clay during casting and fired in for stability. After the first firing, each feeder is glazed by hand and fired again to 1220°C. Glaze behaves differently in every firing, so no two feeders come out the same.

• Cover nearby. Birds want a bush or branch within a couple of metres to dash to. A feeder in the middle of an open lawn tends to get ignored.

• Off the ground. Hang it at chest height or above, away from anything a cat can jump from.

• Somewhere you can see it. It sounds obvious, but a feeder at the bottom of the garden never gets watched.

• Patience. Two weeks is normal before regular visitors appear.

Empty out any old seed, Pop it in the dishwasher, yes they're dishwasher safe. Or scrub the feeder with hot soapy water, rinse it thoroughly, and let it dry completely before refilling. Clean it every week or two, and more often in warm weather. Dirty feeders spread diseases such as trichomonosis between garden birds, which is why the RSPB recommends regular cleaning. A glazed stoneware surface wipes clean more easily than scratched plastic.

A handmade bird feeder they'll see from the kitchen window every day. Every one of our feeders can be ordered as a gift kit for £10 more: a branded box, a packet of bird seed mix, and an illustrated Guide to Common Birds. The kids gift kit swaps the guide for Who's That At My Bird Boys Feeder?. For something more personal, we can fire a name into the clay.

Yes. We fire any name or word of up to 10 letters into the clay, above the hole, on a teardrop, globe or heart. It's a popular gift for mums, grandparents and anyone with a garden. Please allow 14–21 days, because each personalised feeder is made to order.

Standalone feeders come in a plain, securely padded box. Choose the gift kit if you want our branded box.

Yes. We're at markets across Hampshire most weeks. Follow us on Instagram @wearebirdboys or on Facebook for where we'll be next.

We're George, Morgan and Zac, three brothers making handmade ceramic bird feeders in Hampshire. We started in March 2020, when lockdown ended our dog-walking work, and our dad, who works in the ceramics industry, taught us to make slip-cast moulds. In 2025 we were selected for ITV's Be Your Own Boss with Holly Tucker, and on her advice we rebranded from Rotherwick Bird Feeders to The Bird Boys. Watch us in Episode 3 on ITVX.

• Delivery cost: £6, plus £1 per extra feeder.

• Delivery time: 5–7 days standard, 14–21 days personalised.

• Sizes: teardrop 25cm × 13cm; globe 10.5cm wide × 11.5cm tall with a 5cm opening.