How to Tree Pulley Bird Feeders

Co-authored by Jeff Jones

Last Updated: February 12, 2023

Treeing a pulley bird feeder is a good idea for several reasons. Treeing a pulley bird feeder essentially means attaching the pulley and feeder to the tree. A pulley makes it easier to adjust the height to keep creatures (like bears) from getting to the food. It also makes it easy to replace the food or quickly take the feeder down when it needs to be repaired. To tree a pulley bird feeder, choose a location, create a way to hang the feeder, and then build the pulley system.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Choosing a Location

1
Choose a bird feeder that doesn’t weigh more than 10 pounds (4.5 kg). The bird feeder doesn’t have to be very small or light, but too heavy of a bird feeder may fall down—unless you have a strong rope and pulley. Most standard bird feeders should be fine to hang up.^{[1]
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2
Find a tree with a sturdy branch. A weak, thin branch won’t support the weight of the rope, pulley, and bird feeder. Find a fairly thick and secure branch. A branch that has the width of an average adult arm should be thick enough. Make sure the tree is healthy as well and isn’t likely to fall over in a storm.^{[2]
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3
Set up a ladder under the branch. Put a ladder underneath the area of the tree where you plan to hang up the pulley. The ladder should be sturdy and tall enough so that you won’t have to reach far for the branch. Ask someone to hold the ladder for you while you are on it to be safe.^{[3]
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Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Creating a Loop on the Bird Feeder

1
Clamp the loop together. Many bird feeders already come with a loop. If this is the case, clamp the loop together to create a smaller loop. A smaller loop will be more secure when attached to the pulley. Use a 1/2” (1.3 cm) clamp to create the smaller loop.^{[4]
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- If your bird feeder doesn’t have a loop, you can create one with a metal wire.
- If your bird feeder has a hook, you do not need to do anything. It is ready for the pulley.
2
Use an eye hook. If you don’t want to use a loop, you can also attach an eye hook to your bird feeder. Make sure the eye hook is big enough to fit around the pulley. Drill a small hole into the top of the bird feeder. Then, screw in the eye hook.^{[5]
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- Make sure the eye hook is secure so that it won’t fall out when attached to the pulley.
3
Test the hook or loop to make sure the bird feeder will hold. When you’re done creating the loop or attaching the hook, hold up the bird feeder. Move it around a little bit. Make sure that the bird feeder will stay attached to the loop or hook.^{[6]
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Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Hanging the Bird Feeder

1
Put an S-hook over the chosen branch. Make sure the S-hook is large enough to fit over the tree branch. If the S-hook isn’t wide enough, you can loop a chain or rope around the tree branch. If you are using a rope, make sure it is tied very tightly around the branch.^{[7]
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2
Hang the pulley from the S-hook. The pulley should have a hook. Put the hook of the pulley over the bottom hook of the S-hook. If you’re not using an S-hook, tie the rope or chain around the pulley hook.^{[8]
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- If you’re using a rope or chain, you can pull it through the hook and tie it around the tree again—creating a large loop out of the rope or chain.
3
Thread a rope through the pulley. First, make sure the rope you’re using is long enough to reach from the ground to the pulley and back down to the ground. To thread the rope through the pulley, you just need to put one side of the rope over the top of the pulley and pull it down towards you. There should be two sides of the rope hanging towards the ground if you’ve done it correctly.^{[9]
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4
Attach one end of the rope to the bird feeder. If the top of your bird feeder has a loop, thread the rope through the loop and tie a secure knot. If your feeder has a hook, tie the rope around the hook. Make sure the rope is securely attached to the feeder.^{[10]
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5
Tie the rope around the base of the tree. Once the rope is attached to the feeder, you should still have a free end of the rope. You can tie this end of the rope around the base of the tree. Or, you can hammer a hook into the tree and tie the the rope around the hook. Untie the rope anytime you need to use the pulley.^{[11]
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- You can also pound a stake into the ground, and tie the rope around the stake.

Expert Q&A

Question

What type of feeder is best for a tree pulley system?

Jeff Jones
Bird Specialist
Jeff Jones is a Bird Specialist based in Nashville, Tennessee. He is the writer of BirdOculars, a website dedicated to helping people become better birders. He has over 18 years of experience and specializes in feeding birds and wildlife. Jeff experiments to find ways to encourage birds he wants to study and his website help others to do the same.

Jeff Jones

Bird Specialist

Expert Answer

If you're going to hang a feeder from a tree, make sure that it's squirrel-proof. If the feeder is easily accessible, it might attract predators to your yard.

Warnings

Make sure the tree is healthy before attaching a pulley system to it.

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Only attach a pulley system to a tree that is on your property or on property you have permission to do so.

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