Wild Wings WWCF23 Tray Bird Feeder Review 2026: Worth Buying?

Backyard birds love an open plate of seed. No tubes, no tiny ports, no fighting for a perch. That simple idea is what makes the Wild Wings WWCF23 tray feeder so popular with birders in 2026.

I hung this cedar platform feeder in my yard and watched it for several weeks. Cardinals showed up first. Then jays, doves, chickadees, and one very determined squirrel. This review covers everything I learned, including the parts that annoyed me.

You will get the real specs, the honest weak points, three solid alternatives, and clear advice on who should buy it. Let us get into it.

Wild Wings WWCF23 Tray Bird Feeder

Last update on 2026-07-01 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API Some of the links on this website are affiliate links, which means that at no additional cost to you, I earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. I only recommend products and services that I believe will add value to my readers. Thank you for your support!

The Wild Wings WWCF23 is a hanging cedar tray feeder measuring roughly 10 inches by 10 inches, with a 2 inch tall frame. It holds about 1.5 quarts of seed, which works out to close to 3 pounds depending on the mix you use.

The frame is premium cedar. Cedar naturally resists rot and insects. Nature’s Way, the company behind the Wild Wings line, dips the wood in a preservative they call Nature’s Shield. That coating helps the feeder fight mold, mildew, and fading.

Inside the frame sits a removable metal seed tray. This tray is the star feature. It lifts out in one second, so cleaning takes no effort at all. The tray is perforated, so rainwater drains straight through instead of pooling around the seed.

Hardware includes stainless steel screws and a vinyl coated hanging cable. Both parts stay rust free through wet seasons. The feeder weighs only about 1.3 pounds empty, so almost any hook or branch will hold it.

The whole product is refreshingly basic. There are no moving parts, no springs, no plastic domes, and nothing to break. That simplicity is exactly why it appeals to people who are tired of fussy feeders.

Unboxing Experience

My box arrived small, flat, and light. I honestly thought Amazon had sent the wrong item. The feeder ships fully assembled, so the packaging only needs to protect a thin wooden square.

Inside, the feeder sat between two cardboard inserts with a plastic sleeve around the wood. Nothing was cracked. The corners of the cedar were sharp and clean, with no splinters or split screw holes.

The first thing I noticed was the smell. Fresh cedar has a warm, sweet scent that fills the room. It fades outdoors within a week, but it makes a great first impression.

The wood color was lighter than the product photos. Mine looked pale honey rather than deep brown. Cedar darkens and greys with sun exposure, so expect the color to shift within a month or two.

The hanging cable came coiled and tucked inside the tray. I unwound it, checked the crimped ends, and hung the feeder on a shepherd hook in under a minute. There is no assembly, no tools, and no instruction sheet needed.

My only complaint during unboxing was the seed tray. It had a faint oily film from manufacturing. I washed it with warm soapy water before the first fill, which I would recommend to anyone.

Build Quality After Real Use

Cedar feeders live or die by their hardware. Cheap wooden feeders use staples and plain steel screws that bleed rust stains down the wood. The WWCF23 uses stainless steel screws, and after weeks of rain mine showed zero rust.

The corner joints stayed tight. I picked the feeder up by one corner while it was full of seed, and nothing flexed or creaked. For a feeder in this price bracket, that rigidity is genuinely impressive.

The wood itself is thin. It measures under three quarters of an inch, and you can feel that lightness in your hands. This is not a heavy heirloom feeder that will outlive your house.

Here is the honest truth about cedar. It will silver over time. Small surface cracks appear along the grain after a full year outdoors. Neither issue affects function, but people who want a feeder that looks brand new forever will feel disappointed.

The metal tray held its shape well. I dropped it once on concrete and it dented slightly at the edge, then slid back into the frame without trouble.

The vinyl coated cable is the weakest link. It works fine, but it is thin. Squirrels chew cable, and a heavy raccoon could bend it. I swapped mine for a short metal chain after two weeks and the feeder hung better.

Design and Dimensions Explained

A 10 by 10 inch tray sounds small on paper. In the yard, it feels bigger than expected because birds spread out across the full surface. I regularly counted four to six small birds feeding at once.

The 2 inch frame height matters more than the width. That shallow lip lets birds see out while they feed, which they prefer. Deeper trays make birds nervous because predators can approach unseen.

Seed capacity sits at roughly 1.5 quarts. I would not fill it to the top. A shallow layer of seed stays fresher, and birds finish it faster, which cuts down on waste and mold.

The open top is the defining design choice. There is no roof and no weather guard. Birds land freely from any direction, and you get a completely clear view for photos.

This design is the best possible choice for large birds. Cardinals, blue jays, mourning doves, and grosbeaks cannot use most tube feeders comfortably. Here they land, stand, and eat without any awkward balancing.

The flip side is obvious. An open tray offers no protection from rain, snow, sun, or bullies. Everything that can reach the tray will reach the tray. You are trading protection for access, and you need to be fine with that trade.

Mounting options are limited to hanging. There is no pole socket and no deck mount hardware included.

Top 3 Alternatives for Wild Wings WWCF23 Tray Bird Feeder

Last update on 2026-07-11 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API Some of the links on this website are affiliate links, which means that at no additional cost to you, I earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. I only recommend products and services that I believe will add value to my readers. Thank you for your support!

Woodlink Going Green Platform Bird Feeder

Last update on 2026-08-26 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API Some of the links on this website are affiliate links, which means that at no additional cost to you, I earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. I only recommend products and services that I believe will add value to my readers. Thank you for your support!

Kingsyard Platform Bird Feeder for Outdoors

Last update on 2026-08-26 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API Some of the links on this website are affiliate links, which means that at no additional cost to you, I earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. I only recommend products and services that I believe will add value to my readers. Thank you for your support!

Nature’s Way Bird Products CWF3 Cedar Platform Tray Bird Feeder

Which Birds Actually Show Up

This is where the WWCF23 earns its keep. Within two days of hanging mine, traffic jumped compared to my tube feeder.

Cardinals arrived first and stayed longest. They love a flat surface with room to turn around. A pair visited every morning and evening like clockwork.

Blue jays came for peanuts in the shell. One jay could clear three peanuts in under a minute. Jays are messy and loud, but they are also spectacular to watch up close.

Mourning doves settled directly into the tray and simply sat there. Doves are heavy and they hog space, so smaller birds waited on nearby branches until the doves left.

Chickadees, titmice, and nuthatches used the tray in quick grab and go visits. They take one seed, fly to a branch, crack it, then return. You will see far more species here than at any single port feeder.

House finches and goldfinches used it too, especially when I mixed in sunflower chips. Juncos and sparrows fed underneath on the spillage.

Woodpeckers visited when I added suet nuggets. A red bellied woodpecker became a regular after the first week.

The list of unwanted guests is just as long. Starlings, grackles, and house sparrows arrive in groups and empty the tray fast. Squirrels treat it like a buffet table.

Seed Types That Work Best

A tray feeder handles almost every food you can offer, which is its biggest practical advantage.

Black oil sunflower seed is the safest all around choice. Nearly every backyard bird eats it, and the shells drain through the mesh when it rains.

Sunflower chips work even better if you hate shell mess under the feeder. They cost more, but nothing gets left behind and no shell pile builds up on your lawn.

Peanuts in the shell bring jays, woodpeckers, and titmice. They look great in the tray and disappear quickly.

Dried mealworms turn this feeder into a bluebird magnet in spring. I put a small handful in a corner and bluebirds found it within three days.

Skip cheap mixed seed with red millet and cracked corn filler. Birds kick that filler out of the tray, it lands on the ground, and it draws rodents. I learned this the hard way in week one.

Suet nuggets, fruit pieces, and safflower all work well too. Safflower deserves special mention because squirrels and grackles usually dislike it, while cardinals love it.

Fill lightly and fill often. A shallow layer of seed eaten within a day or two stays dry and safe. A packed tray sitting through three rainy days grows mold, and moldy seed makes birds sick.

Cleaning and Maintenance Routine

The removable tray makes this the easiest feeder I own to clean. That single feature justifies the price for me.

I lift the metal tray straight out, tip the old seed into a bucket, and scrub it with a brush. Warm water with a splash of dish soap handles most jobs in about two minutes.

Once a month I use a weak bleach solution, roughly one part bleach to nine parts water. I let the tray soak for ten minutes, rinse well, then dry it completely in the sun before putting it back.

Never return a wet tray to the wooden frame. Trapped moisture between metal and cedar is how mildew starts. Full drying takes twenty minutes on a warm day.

The cedar frame needs almost nothing. I wipe it with a damp cloth and leave it alone. Do not paint or stain the inside, since chemicals near feeding birds are a real risk.

Cleaning frequency depends on weather. Every two weeks is fine in dry conditions. Weekly is better in hot, humid, or rainy stretches.

Tray feeders do need more attention than tube feeders. Seed sits exposed, birds stand right in their food, and droppings land in the tray. If you will not commit to regular cleaning, an open platform is not the right feeder for you.

Placement and Hanging Tips

Where you hang this feeder changes your results more than anything else. I moved mine three times before I got it right.

Start with the ten foot rule. Keep the feeder at least ten feet away from any structure a squirrel can jump from, including fences, roofs, and tree trunks.

Height matters too. Five to six feet off the ground puts the tray at comfortable viewing height and above most cat ambush spots.

Place it near cover but not inside cover. Birds want a shrub or small tree within ten feet so they can escape hawks. Right against dense bushes, though, and cats get an easy hiding place.

I hung mine where a partial roof overhang blocked afternoon rain from one direction. That small bit of shelter cut my soggy seed problem noticeably.

Add a baffle above the feeder. A dome baffle on the hook solved my squirrel issue better than any other fix. It also keeps some rain off the seed as a bonus.

Consider your window view. This feeder is a joy to watch from a kitchen table, so hang it where you will actually see it. Keep it either within three feet of the glass or more than thirty feet away to reduce window strikes.

What This Feeder Does Not Do Well

Every honest review needs this section. Here are the real failures.

It offers zero squirrel protection. Squirrels sit inside the tray, eat their fill, and toss seed over the edge. Without a baffle, expect to lose seed daily.

Rain is a genuine problem. The drain holes help, but heavy rain soaks the seed. I threw out two full trays of clumped, wet seed during a rainy week. Snow buries the tray completely.

Capacity is modest. With doves and jays visiting, 1.5 quarts empties in a single day. Anyone feeding a busy yard will refill constantly.

Big birds dominate. Grackles and starlings can occupy the whole tray and shut out the small songbirds you actually wanted.

Mess under the feeder is unavoidable. Birds sweep seed off the edges while sorting. Grass underneath died in a patch about two feet wide within a month.

The hanging cable is too thin for the job. Mine twisted and let the feeder tilt in wind. A chain fixes this for a few dollars.

The wood also weathers faster than the marketing photos imply. Grey patches and hairline cracks appeared within a season, though nothing structural failed.

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Removable metal seed tray lifts out in seconds and makes cleaning genuinely easy, which protects bird health.
• Cedar frame with stainless steel screws resists rot and rust through wet seasons without any treatment from you.
• Open tray design attracts a wide range of species, including large birds like cardinals, jays, and doves that struggle with tube feeders.
• Ships fully assembled with no tools required, so it goes from box to branch in about one minute.
• Handles almost any food, including seed, peanuts, mealworms, suet nuggets, and dried fruit.
• Low price for a real cedar feeder makes it easy to buy two for different corners of the yard.
• Perforated tray drains rainwater instead of holding a puddle around the seed.

Cons

• No roof or weather guard, so seed gets soaked in rain and buried in snow.
• Zero squirrel resistance, and squirrels will sit directly in the tray.
• Small 1.5 quart capacity empties fast in a busy yard.
• Thin vinyl coated cable twists and lets the feeder tilt in wind.
• Cedar greys and develops small surface cracks within the first year.
• Bully birds like grackles and starlings can dominate the open surface.
• Needs cleaning more often than enclosed feeders.

Price and Value in 2026

The WWCF23 usually sells in the low twenty dollar range. Prices bounce a few dollars either way depending on the retailer and the season.

At that price, the value is strong. Comparable cedar feeders with removable metal trays often cost more, and cheaper wooden feeders skip the stainless hardware.

The removable tray is the feature that justifies the money. Plenty of budget platform feeders use a fixed mesh floor that you cannot lift out. Cleaning those is a chore, so people skip it, and dirty feeders spread disease.

Expected lifespan sits around three to five years outdoors. Mine shows normal weathering but no structural weakness. Adding a baffle above it will extend that life by keeping squirrel teeth away.

Factor in the extras you may want. A dome baffle runs fifteen to thirty dollars, and a hanging chain costs a few dollars. Those two additions roughly double your spend but fix the feeder’s two biggest weaknesses.

Compare this to seed cost, not feeder cost. You will spend more on seed in two months than you spent on the feeder. A feeder that keeps seed drainable and cleanable saves you money on wasted seed over time.

Buying two makes sense for many yards. One near a window for viewing, one further out for the bullies and squirrels.

Cedar Versus Recycled Plastic Platform Feeders

Recycled poly lumber feeders now compete directly with cedar at similar prices. The choice comes down to priorities.

Recycled plastic wins on durability. It never rots, never cracks, never fades much, and it laughs at rain. Some brands offer long warranties because the material barely ages.

Cedar wins on looks and warmth. A wooden feeder blends into a garden in a way that plastic does not, and many birders simply prefer the natural material.

Cedar also stays cooler in direct sun than dark plastic. In hot climates that difference is small but real.

Plastic feeders are heavier, which helps them hang steady in wind. The light WWCF23 swings more.

Cleaning favors plastic slightly. Nonporous surfaces wipe clean and never absorb moisture. Cedar absorbs a little water and needs drying time.

Price is now close enough that neither option is clearly cheaper. My honest take is this: choose cedar if you love how it looks and you will replace the feeder every few years. Choose recycled plastic if you want to hang it once and forget it for a decade.

The WWCF23 handles the wood side of that comparison well because of its stainless hardware and metal tray. Those two details are what separate a decent cedar feeder from a bad one.

Who Should Buy It

Buy this feeder if you want to attract cardinals, jays, doves, and bluebirds that ignore tube feeders. The open tray gives them the landing space they need.

Buy it if easy cleaning matters to you. The lift out tray removes every excuse for a dirty feeder.

Buy it if you want a clear photography view. No roof and no dome means unobstructed shots of every visitor.

Buy it as a second feeder alongside a tube or hopper. Together they cover nearly every species in your area.

Skip it if squirrels rule your yard and you refuse to add a baffle. You will feed rodents, not birds.

Skip it if you live somewhere very rainy or snowy and want a feeder you can ignore for a week. Covered feeders suit that situation far better.

Skip it if you need large capacity. Anyone who travels or dislikes daily refilling should look at a bigger hopper feeder.

Also skip it if starlings and grackles already swarm your yard. Open trays make their takeover easier, and no tray feeder solves that problem on its own.

Final Verdict

Last update on 2026-07-01 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API Some of the links on this website are affiliate links, which means that at no additional cost to you, I earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. I only recommend products and services that I believe will add value to my readers. Thank you for your support!

The Wild Wings WWCF23 does one job and does it well. It gives birds an open, clean, well drained plate of food at a fair price.

The removable metal tray is the reason to buy it. Cleaning takes two minutes, which keeps your birds healthier and your seed fresher. Most feeders in this price range make cleaning a hassle.

Build quality holds up. Stainless screws, tight joints, and rot resistant cedar all perform as promised. The wood will grey and the cable should be upgraded, but nothing important fails.

The weaknesses are real and they are structural to the design. No roof means wet seed. No baffle means squirrels. Small capacity means frequent refills. None of these are defects, they are simply what an open tray feeder is.

My score is 4.2 out of 5. It loses points for the flimsy cable and the total lack of weather protection, not for anything the cedar or the tray does wrong.

Buy it, add a dome baffle above it, swap the cable for a chain, and fill it lightly with black oil sunflower or safflower. Do those three things and you will have a feeder that pulls in more species than anything else hanging in your yard.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much seed does the Wild Wings WWCF23 hold?

The tray holds about 1.5 quarts, which is close to 3 pounds of seed. I recommend filling it only halfway so seed stays fresh and dry.

Does this feeder keep squirrels out?

No. Squirrels climb right in and eat freely. Add a dome baffle above the feeder and keep it ten feet from jumping points.

Can I mount it on a pole instead of hanging it?

The feeder ships with a hanging cable only, and there is no pole socket. You can hang it from a shepherd hook or an arm mounted on a pole.

Will rain ruin the seed?

The perforated tray drains water, so light rain is manageable. Heavy rain soaks the seed, and you should dump and refill after a downpour.

How often should I clean it?

Every one to two weeks in normal conditions, and weekly in hot or humid weather. Lift the tray out, scrub it, dry it fully, then replace it.

What birds will this feeder attract?

Expect cardinals, blue jays, mourning doves, chickadees, titmice, nuthatches, finches, juncos, and woodpeckers. Bluebirds arrive if you add dried mealworms.

Does the cedar need staining or sealing?

No. The cedar arrives dipped in a preservative and resists rot naturally. Avoid chemicals near feeding birds.

How long does it last outdoors?

Three to five years is realistic. Expect greying and small surface cracks within the first year without any loss of function.